Build Confidence in Your Strategy with Small Tests

Strategy should not move straight from idea to execution. The page says testing is a necessary step that helps refine a strategic plan, gather evidence, and make more confident choices. Jennifer Riel presents strategy as a creative act and says tests can be a playful part of that process.

Reading notes

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• Strategy is defined as the choices that move an organization from its current state toward an aspirational future.
• Before choosing among strategic possibilities, ask what would have to be true for each one to work.
• The unknown or less certain barriers are the best places to test.
• Tests do not create certainty, but they can increase or decrease confidence in an idea.
• Strategic testing is described in three forms: guerilla, indicative, and high-fidelity.
• Guerilla tests are fast, scrappy, and low-cost.
• Indicative tests take more time and money.
• High-fidelity tests require a full team and substantial resources.
• The page recommends starting small and using tests that fit the barrier, the confidence needed, and the resources available.
• A financial services example shows how multiple tests can reveal that employees wanted curated learning resources rather than a full app with everything available.
• Testing can also help get broader organizational buy-in because people involved in the tests better understand the choices being made.