This document discusses the concept of Strategic Doing, which enables quick formation of action-oriented collaborations, movement toward measurable outcomes, and adjustments along the way. It presents Strategic Doing as an agile approach based on iterative progress toward shorter-term goals, in contrast to traditional strategic planning. Examples are given of communities that have successfully used Strategic Doing principles to solve problems, grow businesses and partnerships, and improve economic conditions. The document advocates for Strategic Doing as a more collaborative and adaptive strategy discipline suited for network-based organizations and communities.

1. Strategic Doing:
OU/EDI - Nashville

4. White River Ferry at Norfork, Arkansas, circa 1900

6. Better understand he nature of
collaboration
Identify what stage your
collaborations are in
Consider ways to move a
collaborations to the next level

7. Hierarchy of Complex Systems
• Social Organizations – economics, education,
politics
• Individual Human – language capacity,
knowledge accumulation, design and use of
tools
• Animal – mobility, information processing
• Plants – viability
• Open Systems – matter, energy
• Cybernetics – computers
• Clockworks – engines
• Frameworks – buildings, cells
Complexity
Boulding, K. (1956). General systems theory—the skeleton of science. Management Science 2

8. Hierarchy of Complex Systems
• Social Organizations – economics, education,
politics
• Individual Human – language capacity,
knowledge accumulation, design and use of
tools
• Animal – mobility, information processing
• Plants – viability
• Open Systems – matter, energy
• Cybernetics – computers
• Clockworks – engines
• Frameworks – buildings, cells
Complexity
Boulding, K. (1956). General systems theory—the skeleton of science. Management Science 2

9. Hierarchy of Complex Systems
• Social Organizations – economics, education,
politics
• Individual Human – language capacity,
knowledge accumulation, design and use of
tools
• Animal – mobility, information processing
• Plants – viability
• Open Systems – matter, energy
• Cybernetics – computers
• Clockworks – engines
• Frameworks – buildings, cells
Complexity
Boulding, K. (1956). General systems theory—the skeleton of science. Management Science 2

10. Better understand he
nature of collaboration
Identify what stage
your collaborations are
in
Consider ways to
move a collaborations
to the next level
Complexity2
Civic issues
are complex
Institutions
emerged to
deal with the
complexity
There are
lots of
institutions
No single
institution is
“in charge”
of most civic
issues
Complex
environment

12. What wicked problems are
you facing?

14. Strategy14
Strategy = the employment of battles to win the war.
- General Carl von Clausewitz

15. I will build a motor
car for the great
multitude. It will be
so low in price that
no man will be
unable to own one.
- Henry Ford

16. Source: Bently Historical Library, Josephine Fellows Gomon Papers, Box 10,
draft manuscript, The Poor Mr. Ford.
In 1928 Henry Ford’s River Rouge
Plant in Dearborn, Michigan
became the world's largest
industrial complex, pursuing vertical
integration to such an extent that it
could produce its own steel. In this
year he also established
“Fordlandia” his rubber tree
plantation in the Amazon Rainforest
The Ford Motor Company

17. Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
71 cast and crew
members all working
for MGM

18. 18

19. 19

20. What do the military and vertical business
models have in common?
20

21. What do the military and vertical business
models have in common?
21

22. The world has changed
a lot since we first
started using strategies
to chart our course

23. Share a “small world” moment
you’ve experienced.

24. Here is one of mine.

25. Here is one of mine.
June 6, 2014, Stuttgart, Germany

26. Here is one of mine.
June 6, 2014, Stuttgart, Germany

27. Share a “small world” moment
you’ve experienced.

28. Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer

29. Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer

30. Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer

31. Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Cast and crew of
2,000+, hardly any
working for MGM

32. iPhone

35. 35

38. Strategic Doing enables people to
form action-oriented collaborations
quickly, move them toward
measurable outcomes, and make
adjustments along the way.

39. Thinking, Behaving, & Doing
in New Ways

40. Thinking in New Ways

41. Network
Thinking
10 nodes, 9 connections
10 nodes, 45 connections

42. Your GrandparentsYour Grandkids

43. There is no top or bottom in a network

44. Innovating networks produce
increasing returns
Mathematics says the sum value of a
network increases as the square of the
number of members. In other words, as
the number of nodes in a network
increases arithmetically, the value of the
network increases exponentially. Adding a
few more members can dramatically
increase the value for all members.
- Kelly, K. (1999). New Rules for the New
Economy

45. Networks move us to new
opportunities

46. Networks move us to new
opportunities

47. http://www.slideshare.net/linkedin/mandel-linked-in-connections-reportnov-2014
The “most-
connected”
communities had
more than double
the job growth of
the “least-
connected”
communities.

48. Asset-Based
Thinking

52. Behaving in New Ways

53. Success is not “winner take all”
Source: Clipart by C Charley-Franzwa -
http://clipartof.com/50191

54. People move in the direction
of their conversations

55. Strategic Doing Accelerates Collaboration
Turf
Trust
TIME
Sharing
Resources
Sharing
Information
Mutual
Awareness
Co-Execution
Co-Creation
Acknowledgment Exploration Cooperation Collaboration Innovation
Adapted from Collaboration Continuum from ACT for Youth

56. Words + Actions = Trust

57. LEADER ROLES RESPONSIBILITIES
Convener Maintains the civic spaces
Connector Links people and other assets
Civic Entrepreneur Sees new opportunities
Guide Maps a complex process
Strategist Reveals larger patterns
Knowledge Keeper Distills face-to-face conversations into key points
and patterns
Social Media User Applies power social media tools
Shared/Collaborative
Leadership

58. Doing in New Ways

59. Strategic Doing is Agile: Iterative with a
Progressive Series Shorter-Term Goals
Dr. Lowell Catlett
Economist, Futurist, and Professor
New Mexico State University

60. Strategic Doing is Agile: Iterative with a
Progressive Series Shorter-Term Goals
One study looked at 7,000 different economic
predictions and found 47% of them was correct.

61. Strategic Doing is Agile: Iterative with a
Progressive Series Shorter-Term Goals
Flip a coin and you beat the economists by 3%.

62. Strategic Doing is Agile: Iterative with a
Progressive Series Shorter-Term Goals
Doubt and dwindling
motivation comes on
quickly when a big
goal is missed. On
the other hand, small
wins lead to the
progress principle -
more confidence,
high performance,
and motivation to
keep moving
forward.
- Teresa
Amabile

63. Strategic Planning Strategic Doing
Strategic Doing is a strategy
discipline built for networks

64. Strategy
answers two
questions.

66. A 30/30 commitment drives
learning

67. Strategy becomes a collective habit of ongoing
conversation coupled with action, rather than an
event or a document

68. Strategic Doing began in
Oklahoma City in1993

69. Oklahoma City Today
Photo by: Luke Barrett

71. Who’s Looking for a More Agile Strategy
Discipline?
71

77. “Following the principles of
Strategic Doing you can grow both
communities and businesses. A
small group of folks established
Medora, Indiana (pop. 631) as the
birthplace of the National Maple
Syrup Festival and no amount of
strategic planning could have
helped my business, Burton’s
Maplewood Farm, launch a
collection of artisan syrups,
favorites of America’s top chefs and
sold at exclusive farmers markets
and other discriminating outlets
across the U.S. It took Strategic
Rural Indiana

78. Kokomo, Indiana

79. Kokomo, Indiana

80. Workforce Innovations in
Regional Economic Development
- Designed & guided 60+ collaborations
- Over 100 partner organizations
- Tracked over 200 metrics
- Hired 2.5 people to manage it all
- 80% of initiatives sustained

85. Kokomo, Indiana
2008 = One of the Fastest Dying US Cities
2014 = One of the Fastest Growing US Cities

89. www.slideshare.net/jshutch64