Strategy workshops and top‐team commitment to strategic change

Abstract

Describes the experience of 40 strategy workshops conducted with the top teams of a variety of businesses. While the aim of the workshops was to produce high levels of commitment to good quality strategies, in a number of cases the outcomes were disappointing; little strategic change took place. Presents and discusses four outcomes from the workshop process: “impoverished strategy”, “consultants′ strategy”, “blinkered strategy” and “workshop strategy”. Indicates the importance of entering the “zone of uncomfortable debate”, and sets out techniques for exploring the “intuitive core” or shared beliefs and assumptions.