Strategy Is Choice
Martin's original definition (used ~25 years): an integrated set of choices that uniquely positions the firm in its industry so as to create sustainable advantage and superior value relative to the competition. His updated definition (circa 2023): an integrated set of choices that compels desired customer action.
His updated definition (circa 2023): an integrated set of choices that compels desired customer action.
The update removed positioning, sustainable advantage and superior returns, not because they are wrong, but because they already live inside the Strategy Choice Cascade. What it added is the point of the whole exercise: Compelling Customer Action. The customer is the one thing no company controls; strategy configures everything you do control to move the one thing you don't, see The Customer Is the Only Judge.
Three load-bearing words:
- Choices, to do some things and not others. Tested by The Opposite Test.
- Integrated, the choices reinforce each other. See Integration.
- Compels, the output is customer behaviour, not internal alignment.
Everything that fails this definition is catalogued in Strategy Impostors and Playing to Play.
Our synthesis of Roger Martin’s published work, sources credited. Read the originals: they’re excellent.
Reading about method is not the same as running it. We install this system and build the capability that stays.
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