RETHINKING STRATEGY IN UNCERTAIN TIMES

Why cadence beats clairvoyance.

Uncertainty doesn’t punish ambition, it punishes rigidity.

The winners aren’t the ones who predict better. They’re the ones who adapt faster.

The challenge isn’t writing a sharper strategy document. It’s installing a rhythm that helps people decide and act when the picture is still fuzzy.

At The Art of Strategy, we run strategy as a rhythm, not a binder. Because results don’t come from paper, they come from choices people make every week. That’s performance from the inside out.

The Operating Rhythm (simple on purpose)

DISCOVER.

Spot what really changed in customers, cost, and capacity. Separate signal from noise.

Tip: Bottlenecks reveal more truth than reports do.

CREATE. 

Pick one 90-day outcome that actually matters. Name the fewest levers that move it.

Tip: If everything is priority #1, nothing is.

IMPLEMENT

Assign owners and interlocks. Write a one-sentence definition of “done.”

Tip: If you can’t say it in a sentence, you don’t own it yet.

SPRINT

Work in 1–2 week cycles. Ask “What got easier?” Adjust quickly.

Tip: Progress you can feel beats plans you can admire.

“Strategy is a rhythm you can feel weekly, not a binder you revisit yearly.”

Inside-out micro-case

A national services firm blamed macroeconomics for a revenue dip. But discovery revealed a last-mile lag: customers wanted value in 24 hours; the team delivered in 72.

We set a 90-day outcome—hit 24. Then we implemented: retired one approval, moved a handoff earlier, and widened frontline authority.

• Day 60: 26 hours

• Day 90: 22 hours

The economy didn’t change. The rhythm did. And that made all the difference.

Your 7-Day Starter Plan

Day 1: Name the single 90-day outcome (by team or line of business).

Day 2: Choose the three levers that move it most.

Days 3–4: Assign owners and interlocks; write one-sentence “done.”

Day 5: Protect a weekly Decision Hour (make decisions, don’t give updates).

Day 6: Launch Sprint 1 (1–2 weeks).

Day 7: Review “what got easier?”; tune and repeat.

Why This Works (the Inside-Out Flywheel)

Clarity → Behavior → Results

People know what matters, where to act, and how progress is defined.

That reduces drag, speeds up decisions, and compounds small wins into big outcomes.

Common Pitfalls (and how to avoid them!)

• Too many priorities. Limit to one 90-day outcome; three levers.

• Decision drift. End every meeting with one sentence: Decision + Owner + Done.

• Annual thinking. Keep the rhythm weekly; adjust monthly; re-plan quarterly.
  
  

Ready to Put This on Rails?

Want to install this rhythm with your team? 

Two ways to start:

• Strategy Mapping Day. A facilitated reset that delivers clear outcomes, crisp decision rights, and a shared playbook your team will actually use. 

• Clarity Call. Prefer a lighter start? In 20 minutes we’ll shape your first 90-day outcome together. Book a clarity call.

Toolbox: Practices That Stick

Barbell thinking. Protect the core while running small, asymmetric bets. In practice, this means securing what already sustains the business (key clients, critical margins) while experimenting at the edges with low-cost, high-upside trials. If the bet fails, the downside is tiny; if it works, the upside compounds.

Weekly Decision Hour. One protected hour each week, dedicated only to making decisions—not giving updates. 

After-Action mini. A 15-minute debrief after a sprint, launch, or major action. The team answers three questions: What do we keep? What do we kill? What do we try? Capturing learning in real time makes adaptation continuous, not episodic.

Attribution: Taleb’s “barbell” metaphor; TAOS cadence practices used across teams, functions, and enterprises.