Molly tries to help her father who is struggling to write a strategy for work by asking various animals what a strategy is. However, none of the animals she asks are able to provide a clear definition. Feeling frustrated that no one seems to know, Molly returns sadly to her grandmother. Her grandmother comforts her and provides her own definition of strategy as continually trying different approaches to achieve an important goal. Though an editor's note later clarifies that the grandmother's definition is incorrect, Molly feels better able to help her father with a strategy.

1. Molly’s Search for Strategy
In which Molly doesn’t get very far because nobody seems to
know what they’re talking about.
A short story by Charles Kingsmill

2. Molly was bored, so she went to see Dad.
He was surrounded by paper. He looked
unhappy. He was reading out loud. “The
recommended template for the strategy is
laid out in charts 1 to 63 with supporting
materials in appendices A to G. What?
What?”
“What’s the matter, Dad?” asked Molly.
“I’m cross because I have to write a
strategy for work, that’s why. And they
don’t even seem to know what a strategy
is.”
“I’ll find out, Dad” said Molly.
But Dad had gone back to his papers and
his muttering. “Nuts” he was saying. “A
slide deck is not a strategy”.

3. So Molly went to see Grandma.
“What’s a strategy, Grandma?”
“Why do you want to know?”
asked Grandma.
“I want to help Dad” said Molly.
“Well, I think you should ask
around” said Grandma.
So Molly went to see Peacock.

4. “Do you know what a strategy is,
Peacock?” asked Molly.
“My strategy is to grow revenues from
£30 million to £50 million” said Peacock,
spreading his admittedly beautiful
feathers. “And to be recognised as the
leading quality supplier in my industry.”
Hmm, thought Molly, no mention of how
he’s going to achieve it. This is just
hubris. And narcissism.
“Nuts” announced Molly. “Just wanting
to be big and admired is not a strategy.”
So she went to see Bull. And Bear.

5. “Do you know what a strategy is, Bear or
Bull?” asked Molly.
“Our strategy is to return to double-digit
revenue growth…“ said Bull. “… while at
the same time cutting costs…” added
Bear. “… thereby increasing profitability
to above 15%” finished Bull.
Hmm, thought Molly, a P&L forecast. But
just because the spreadsheet adds up
doesn’t mean that the forecast does. And
she sniffed, because she thought she
smelled something.
“Nuts” concluded Molly. “A financial
forecast is not a strategy.”
So she went to see Dog.

6. “Do you know what a strategy is, Dog?”
asked Molly.
“I’m doing the right things already; my
strategy is to do it better” panted Dog
keenly.
Hmm, thought Molly, at least Dog is
enthusiastic. But anyone can be
enthusiastic, and let’s face it, Dog isn’t
the smartest toy in the box.
“Nuts” snorted Molly. “Trying harder is
not a strategy.”
So she went to see Chameleon.

7. Chameleon was rippling between
various gorgeous colours.
“Do you know what a strategy is,
Chameleon?” asked Molly.
“My strategy is to be like the kings of the
jungle: Apple, and Google, and Amazon”
lisped Chameleon.
Hmm, thought Molly, you don’t look like a
very convincing king of the jungle to me.
You’re really just a chameleon,
pretending.
“Nuts” decided Molly. “Imitation is not a
strategy.”
So she went to find Monkey.

8. She found Monkey jumping between
trees.
“Do you know what a strategy is,
Monkey?” called Molly.
“At our recent strategy retreat, we
identified a dozen strategic priorities,
underpinned by over one hundred
achievable market-facing activities”
called Monkey back.
Blimey, thought Molly, no wonder you
can never sit still. You’ll drive yourself
mad.
“Nuts” called Molly. “Doing lots of things
is not a strategy.”
So she went to see Owl.

9. “Do you know what a strategy is, Owl?”
asked Molly.
“My strategy is to optimise returns by
disintermediating legacy player
relationships in a range of industry
adjacencies” hooted Owl.
“Pardon?” said Molly.
“I’m deleveraging structural competitive
horizontality” hooted Owl, impatiently.
Hmm, thought Molly, there’s less to this
than meets the eye.
“Nuts” hooted Molly back. “Jargon is not
a strategy.”
So she went to see Ostrich.

10. Ostrich had his head in the sandpit.
“Do you know what a strategy is,
Ostrich?” asked Molly.
“My strategy is to outperform the market
average” came a muffled voice.
Hmm, thought Molly, then why are you
hiding? How will that help?
“Nuts” sniffed Molly. “Disregarding your
competitors is not a strategy.”
So she went to see Parrot.

11. “Do you know what a strategy is,
Parrot?” asked Molly.
“Our strategy is straight from the gut. It’s
to win, dummy!” cawed Parrot.
Hmm, thought Molly. That is - by some
distance - the stupidest answer I’ve
heard today. I’ve had it with this lot.
“Nuts” said Molly. “Exhortation is not a
strategy.”
“A strategy, a strategy, a strategy”
cawed Parrot.
“STOP SAYING THAT WORD” said Molly.
“You don’t know what it means.”
And very sadly, she trailed back to see
Grandma.

12. “Grandma, I didn’t find out what a
strategy is” said Molly.
“Well, what did you find out?”
Molly sighed. “It was really annoying. I
found out that nobody else knows
either.”
“Well, that’s worth knowing in itself, isn’t
it?” smiled Grandma.
“Touché, Grandmamma. Very clever. But
people pretend they know what they’re
doing and they don’t. They just don’t. It’s
so silly. I just wanted to do something to
help Dad, that’s all. I tried and I tried and
it was so difficult and no-one had the
answer but it was important so I kept
trying anyway.”
And she started to sniff. So Grandma
nestled a little closer.

13. “Listen Molly. I think you’ve learned a
good lesson today. Sometimes you
decide you’re going to be really helpful
and valuable to someone… but you don’t
know how. So you need a strategy. That
means asking people for help and trying
out ideas… and maybe nothing seems to
work at first… and it’s difficult… but you
just keep trying because it’s important.
And eventually you figure out just how
you’re going to be helpful and valuable.
That’s what having a strategy means.
Hmm, thought Molly. Hmm. Hmm. “Do
you know, Grandma? I think you may
have something there.”
“Why don’t you go off and tell Dad all
about it?”
“Okay Grandma” said Molly, smiling
again, and off she skipped.

14. Editor’s note:
Grandma is of course wrong.
A strategy is the application of co-ordinated
resources to a point of leverage to overcome
obstacles in the way of some valuable objective.
Hoot!

15. Charles Kingsmill helps teams to
hammer out great business strategies.
Contact:
www.charleskingsmill.com
charles@charleskingsmill.com