An Ideal Spherical Cow: Why Strategy Fails Outside the Vacuum
Why five strategic questions are not enough
Back in the ’90s, when I was studying math at university, professors loved to joke about “an ideal spherical cow in a vacuum.” They used this bizarre metaphor to describe a great theory that, unfortunately, only works under unrealistically perfect conditions.
Like a plane that only flies in ideal weather.
I see large herds of well-fed spherical cows in business strategy books.
Many of them argue that strategy means answering these four questions:
Where are we now?
Where do we want to be?
How will we get there?
What changes do we need to make it happen?
Roger Martin, a renowned strategist, offered another set of questions in his book with a bold subtitle, How Strategy Really Works (seriously??):
1. What are our winning aspirations?
2. Where will we play?
3. How will we win in chosen markets?
4. What capabilities must be in place to win?
5. What management systems are required?
In a lab, it would look like a recipe for success. In the real world? Not so much.
Although these theories look perfectly log…