[Market Trend] "A Plan is Not a Strategy" | Harvard Business Review
📌 The Difference Between What Needs to Be Done and How to Win
Roger Martin emphasizes that planning and strategy are distinct concepts. Planning outlines a series of activities a company will undertake, whereas strategy is a set of choices that determines a winning position in competition. A strategy should be theoretically consistent and executable. In contrast, a plan may lack internal consistency or a clear path to achieving company goals. While strategy specifies outcomes in competition and influences customers' choices of products or services, planning focuses on cost management. For instance, Southwest Airlines succeeded through a strategy of low costs and efficient operations. Effective strategy requires clear reasoning and adjustments in response to market changes. Although it involves more uncertainty than simple planning, it increases the likelihood of success.
