Why Your Strategy Needs a Meta-Strategy

Organizations invest enormous resources—time, energy, and money—into developing strategies.

Yet, as I’m sure you’ve observed, many strategies fail. In fact, according to this research from Harvard, a full 60 – 90% of strategic plans fail for one reason or another.

However, it’s usually not because these strategies are executed poorly.

On the contrary, they’re often executed perfectly by talented teams with the best of intentions.

The problem is that these strategies are often fundamentally flawed or misaligned due to untested assumptions, incomplete market research, or a lack of alignment with core business goals.

Which means that no matter how well they’re executed, they’ll never achieve what they set out to achieve because they were wrong from the start.

This raises a critical question: How do you know your strategy is right? And furthermore, how do you protect the resources you’re deploying in the pursuit of your strategy?

The answer might surprise you: you need a meta-strategy.

What Exactly is a “Meta-Strategy”?

A meta-strategy focuses on how your strategy is developed, not what your strategy is.

It’s a structured, overarching methodology guiding the strategy development process itself.

While a strategy focuses on specific actions and tactics, a meta-strategy ensures those actions and tactics are identified, validated, and refined systematically.

Think of meta-strategy as the blueprint that guarantees the integrity and alignment of your strategic decisions.

The Hidden Risk in Traditional Strategic Approaches

I came to my thesis about meta-strategies after nearly a decade and a half of creating strategies the traditional way, by which I mean moving from insights, to strategy, to execution.

While the traditional process often worked, it didn’t always work, and it became apparent that there was a critical step missing.

The traditional strategy creation model assumes that the insights and conclusions we come to in the first phase of a project are correct, and propels us straight from strategy development into execution.

However, this oversight carries hidden, and substantial, risks in the form of untested assumptions, unrecognized biases, and strategic blind spots—and the consequences can be severe.

Consider how many product launches fail.

The late Clayton Christensen of Harvard Business School notes that nearly 30,000 new products are introduced each year, and 95% of them fail, often because the strategy wasn’t rigorously evaluated, or the foundational assumptions weren’t questioned.

Without a meta-strategy, organizations unknowingly increase the likelihood of strategic missteps.

The IDEA Framework™ is a Practical Meta-Strategy

I created the IDEA Framework™ to de-risk the strategy development process.

It offers a clear example of a meta-strategy in action, ensuring every strategic decision is thoroughly investigated, clearly defined, rigorously evaluated, and continuously adapted:

• Investigate: Deeply research and question initial assumptions about markets, competitors, and internal stakeholders.
• Define: Articulate a clear, actionable strategic direction, informed by robust insights.
• Evaluate: Rigorously test the strategy against predefined criteria, ensuring its viability and alignment with business goals.
• Adapt: Regularly refine the strategy based on performance, market feedback, and evolving circumstances.

The IDEA Framework™ ensures clarity, reduces assumptions, and brings strategic alignment and confidence that you’re executing on the right things.

Simply put, it’s a better way to do strategy and it provides tangible benefits like these:

• Greater clarity and focus: Teams understand not only what to do but why they’re doing it.
• Reduced risk: Strategic decisions are methodically validated, minimizing costly misalignments.
• Enhanced agility: Regular evaluation and adaptation mean your strategy remains relevant and effective over time.

Consider a hypothetical scenario: A mid-sized firm adopted the IDEA Framework™ to refine its go-to-market strategy.

Through rigorous investigation, they discovered hidden customer needs.

Clear definition and evaluation stages clarified their messaging and positioning, leading to stronger market resonance and measurable increases in customer engagement and revenue.

Having a strategy for strategy helped them avoid the mistakes they would have made otherwise.

Strategy as a Philosophy of Becoming

Ultimately, a meta-strategy transforms strategy from guesswork into disciplined decision-making. As Seth Godin wrote, “Strategy is a philosophy of becoming.”

Your strategic choices shape your organization’s future, so why leave those choices to chance?

By adopting a meta-strategy, you ensure you’re not just choosing a strategy, but consistently choosing the right strategy.

Your future deserves clarity, rigor, and intention.

The IDEA Framework is the meta-strategy you’ve been waiting for.

Send me an email if you want to talk about it.