On the Fly

Following decades in which top-down strategic planning was touted as a must for any company of a certain standing, we now witness the rise of emergent strategies, designed to be closer to the field and requiring significant front-line employee participation. “On the Fly” reviews this debate and offers an approach that goes beyond the rather simplistic opposition between these two conceptions, often presented as being mutually incompatible.
Although the topic at hand is extremely complex and conceptual in many regards, the book is surprisingly clear and comprehensible. This is certainly owed in part to the extensive practical experience of the author. This book can thus be recommended to both those who are looking for concrete recommendations to optimize their strategic management process and those who want more theoretical tips to reinforce their thinking on corporate strategy.
– To assimilate the main concrete recommendations offered in the book, we advise going directly to chapter 2, which focuses particularly on the role that cross-functional teams play in designing strategy, as well as on the importance of giving front-line staff the power to take initiative. These topics are illustrated by examples such as DuPont and Seven Eleven.
– In order to capitalize fully on both emergent strategy and strategic planning, traditional roles must be redefined within the organization. Chapters 7 and 8 show how the respective responsibilities of front-line employees, middle managers and executives should be defined. Chapter 5, which offers a very simple analysis of the strategic environment intended for front-line staff, constitutes interesting additional reading.
– The book devotes a lot of space to the concept of empowerment, the keystone of the vision proposed by the author. Readers will find a lot of advice on implementation in chapters 3 and 4, illustrated by Wal-Mart, Seagate and Sun Microsystems.
– For a rapid and convincing representation of the theoretical foundations of the book, go to chapter one. Here, the author explains the main traditional approaches to strategy and demonstrates the need for companies to find an organizational approach that reconciles the advantages of each, rather than choosing between one or the other.