Modeling how their business really works prepares managers for sudden change

Abstract

“Chemcor”, a mid‐sized specialty chemicals firm must balance the disciplining effects of planning against the need for innovative and adaptive action. The top corporate strategy officer at Chemcor resolved to help three company divisions work towards finding a way. To complement the planned strategy development process, separate workshops were held for the strategists and senior managers at each of the organization’s three divisions. Built around a radical new technique for analyzing an organization’s identity, landscape and deepest interests in the face of a variety of potential situations, these workshops were intended to help managers learn to continuously assess their organization’s strategic situation in real time. Called “Real Time Strategy”, the workshops encourage a thorough conversation about issues of identity and strategy using a technique called LEGO Serious Play ® . The representation of their strategic situation made from Lego construction materials that the Chemcor managers built in the real time strategy workshop enabled them to have a profitable conversation about how their business model would work in variety of different potential situations. In sum, the workshop encouraged senior managers to cultivate their ability to adapt rather than to only implement the plan.