Business Model Renewal: How to Grow and Prosper by Defying Best Practices and Reinventing Your Strategy

CHAPTER 7Dynamic Strategy, Business Design, and Structural Alignment

When a strategy or business model is envisioned, it is like a preliminary prototype that will be refined and shaped over time. Henry Mintzberg referred to this process as “crafting” strategy, using the image of a master artisan as an analogy to the process of strategy building (Figure 7-1). A sculptor begins work on a piece of pottery within an initial concept but allows it to morph as new ideas emerge or flaws in the original design become apparent (the flaws sometimes even become part of the final product). Similarly, a strategist has to recognize that strategies and business models are rarely perfect at their inception and should be able to be tilted as required to move toward ...