Strategy Engine is Conteneo's platform to enable leaders to tackle complex / wicked problems associated with strategy using the best known processes for strategic decision making. To frame a problem we use Innovation Games to create a strategy guide which identifies three or four unique options or strategies for solving the problem (not just "yes" or "no" - but truly different perspectives). Each option, in turn, is framed in terms of a set of actions that could be taken that are congruent or supportive of the option and could potentially address one or more facets of the problem. Each action, in turn, has a set of drawbacks that must be considered if enacted. The Strategy Engine platform guides participants in thoughtfully considering options, actions and drawbacks. In the process, participants build a foundation for concerted action. This deck presents an overview this process and illustrates key aspects of our approach.

1. Better Organizational Alignment
and Strategic Decision Making
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2. Agenda
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• What is Strategy Engine?
• Elements of a Strategy Guide
• Session Structure
• What Can You Expect from Results?
• Next Steps

3. 50% of Business Decisions Fail
• Decision Making is difficult
• The numbers aren’t always clear
• Biases cloud decision making skills
• The external landscape is constantly changing
• Time pressures place a premium on speed over
options and deliberation
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4. What is Strategy Engine?
• Strategy Engine is an online collaboration
platform that improves the outcomes of
complex decisions by guiding organizations
through proven problem-solving processes.
• Unlike ad-hoc decision making, Strategy
Engine frames choices and builds the
foundation for collective action through
distributed team engagement.
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5. Wicked vs. Technical Problems
Tend to be well-defined, quantifiable, divisible, and strongly
informed by economic analysis. Examples:
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 Prioritizing a project portfolio
 Developing a product roadmap
Tend to be ill-defined, with no “optimal” solution and
replete with unintended consequences across many actors.
Economic analysis still matters, but is far more complex.
 Build, Partner or Acquire needed technology
 Persevere, Pivot or Punt

6. Tackling Wicked Problems
Strategy Engine is an online
collaboration platform that
improves the outcomes of
complex decisions by guiding
organizations through proven
problem-solving processes.
Unlike ad-hoc decision making,
Strategy Engine frames choices
and builds the foundation for
collective action through
distributed team engagement.
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Examples
• Corporate Strategy
• Change Management
• Sustainability
• Mergers & Acquisitions
• Labor Negotiations
• Community and Urban
Planning
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7. Wicked Problems, Righteous Solutions
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Wicked Problem
Problem definition unclear
Problem solution involves
competing cultural
elements
No optimal solution; every
option has tradeoffs
Problem solution requires
action by range of
stakeholders
Righteous Solution
Stakeholders must frame
the problem
Options must be derived
from stakeholder concerns
Stakeholders must weigh
tradeoffs
Stakeholders must have a
role in the solution

8. The Strategy Engine Process
Strategic Framing Foundation Building Collective Action
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Goals
Conteneo leads a
thorough examination
into the decision you are
facing to ensure that it is
properly framed.
Conteneo facilitates a
strategy sessions in which
participants evaluate the
options using the Strategy
Engine Framework. As choices are
implemented,
stakeholders throughout
the organization are
aligned on the choices to
tackling the problem.
Results
The result is a strategy
guide, a clear
identification of strategic
options and their
attendant actions and
drawbacks.
The result is a
visualization of the
strategic choices that
participants believe will
provide the foundation
for action.

9. Agenda
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• What is Strategy Engine?
• Elements of a Strategy Guide
• Session Structure
• What Can You Expect from Results?
• Next Steps

10. Creating Strategies
A key reason decisions fail is that we fail to explore multiple options.
The Strategy Engine process identifies at least 3 distinct options.
Strategy 1: Persevere Strategy 2: Punt Strategy 3: Pivot
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Continue to operate under the
same top level product
objectives. We should, however,
make changes that would
relieve organizational pain
points quickly.
The time and money required
to make fundamental changes
to our offerings will deplete our
cash supply. While painful, we
should stop operations.
A substantial amount of work is
required adjust our product to
meet our target customers’
needs. We should pivot to fulfill
the needs of a different
segment.

11. Actions & Drawbacks
For each strategy, actions and drawbacks describe individual tactics
for implementation. While actions may be straightforward, the
drawbacks test stakeholders’ limits for risk.
Strategy: Perform a Customer Segment Pivot
Retrain the sales force to target restaurant
owners instead of store owners
X Retraining the sales force could take months
X If we begin this strategy without proper
training, we could mishandle first
connections that we cannot redo
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Action:
Drawbacks:

12. What would this process change?
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Current State Strategy Engine

13. Agenda
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• What is Strategy Engine?
• Elements of a Strategy Guide
• Session Structure
• What Can You Expect from Results?
• Next Steps

14. Strategy Sessions
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VP of Sales
Chicago
VP of Product
LA
VP of Marketing
New York
VP of Accounting
Durham
VP of Innovation
San Francisco
VP of HR
Atlanta
VP of Learning
London
VP of Legal
Washington DC
Strategy Sessions enable 5-10 participants to
thoroughly evaluate each Option, its Actions and
their drawbacks.
The result is a visualization of where the group
believes there is a foundation for action.

15. Real Collaboration at Scale
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…
We aggregate results of multiple
sessions to see organizational alignment.
Items near the center denote consistently
supported actions, while those near the edges
were consistently opposed

16. Agenda
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• What is Strategy Engine?
• Elements of a Strategy Guide
• Session Structure
• What to Expect from Results
• Next Steps

17. Foundation for Action
• The final result of the engagement is a report
that clearly defines where the group has a
shared foundation for action.
• Visualizations will display the alignment of the
group
• Chat logs inform need for change
management, greater communication, and
conditions of acceptance.
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18. Agenda
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• What is Strategy Engine?
• Elements of a Strategy Guide
• Session Structure
• What to Expect from Results
• Next Steps

19. Next Steps
Contact Conteneo, Inc. to discuss how Strategy
Engine can help you solve your most challenging
organizational problems.
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Conteneo, Inc.
480 San Antonio Road, Suite 202
Mountain View, CA 94040
Please visit us at www.conteneo.co and www.strategy-engine.com!