Operating Principle

2–4 min read

Strategy Dissolves Through Reasonable Incremental Exceptions

Strategy Dissolves Through Reasonable Incremental Exceptions

Strategy Dissolves Through Reasonable Incremental Exceptions

No single decision kills your strategy; a hundred sensible exceptions quietly do.

No single decision kills your strategy; a hundred sensible exceptions quietly do.

No single decision kills your strategy; a hundred sensible exceptions quietly do.

Strategy erodes through individually reasonable deviations, not one bad choice.

Strategy erodes through individually reasonable deviations, not one bad choice.

Strategy erodes through individually reasonable deviations, not one bad choice.

A coherent strategy depends on trade-offs held consistently. Each request to bend one seems reasonable in isolation, but accumulated exceptions leave a firm straddling every option and focused on none.

Operating Question

What trade-off or assumption must be made explicit here?

What trade-off or assumption must be made explicit here?

What trade-off or assumption must be made explicit here?

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Why It Matters

Strategy erodes through individually reasonable deviations, not one bad choice.

Supporting Evidence

Michael Porter on fit and trade-offs; Richard Rumelt on goal proliferation.

Research Notes

Treat as an operating heuristic and assess the applicable context, limits, and counterarguments.

Practical Actions

Treat exceptions as strategic decisions; require leadership sign-off; audit accumulated exceptions.