Mintzberg's 5 Ps for Strategy

The word "strategy" has been used implicitly in different ways even if it has traditionally been
defined in only one. Explicit recognition of multiple definitions can help people to manoeuvre
through this difficult field. Mintzberg provides five definitions of strategy:

1. Plan 2. Ploy 3. Pattern 4. Position 5. Perspective.

1. Plan
Strategy is a plan - some sort of consciously intended course of action, a guideline (or set of
guidelines) to deal with a situation. By this definition strategies have two essential characteristics:
hey are made in advance of the actions to which they apply, and they are developed consciously and
purposefully.

2. Ploy
As plan, a strategy can be a ploy too, really just a specific manoeuvre intended to outwit an
opponent or competitor.

3. Pattern
If strategies can be intended (whether as general plans or specific ploys), they can also be realized. In
other words, defining strategy as plan is not sufficient; we also need a definition that encompasses
the resulting behaviour: Strategy is a pattern - specifically, a pattern in a stream of actions. Strategy
is consistency in behavior, whether or not intended. The definitions of strategy as plan and pattern
can be quite independent of one another: plans may go unrealized, while patterns may appear
without preconception.

Plans are intended strategy, whereas patterns are realised strategy; from this we can distinguish
deliberate strategies, where intentions that existed previously were realised, and emergent
strategies where patterns developed in the absence of intentions, or despite them.

4. Position
Strategy is a position - specifically a means of locating an organisation in an "environment". By this
definition strategy becomes the mediating force, or "match", between organisation and
environment, that is, between the internal and the external context.

5. Perspective
Strategy is a perspective - its content consisting not just of a chosen position, but of an ingrained
way of perceiving the world. Strategy in this respect is to the organisation what personality is to the
individual. What is of key importance is that strategy is a perspective shared by members of an
organisation, through their intentions and / or by their actions. In effect, when we talk of strategy in
this context, we are entering the realm of the collective mind - individuals united by common
thinking and / or behaviour.

 
Three Circles of Strategic Career – Jim Collins
• What am I good at?

• What gives me happiness? (My Passion)

• Economic Returns

Creativity Process
4 Stages
7 Steps

Stage 1

• Preparation

• Saturation

• Deliberation

Stage 2

• Incubation

Stage 3

• Illumination

Stage 4

• Verification

• Accommodation

Stage 1: Preparation
The individual turns his or her attention to a task or problem, examining relevant information from
his or her own experience and the task environment.

Work hard till exhausted. Investigate in all the directions. Allow intuition to take over

Preparation

“Chances favors the prepared mind”

It is response to a problem or an opportunity. Leads to developing products – breakthrough out of

a problem or an opportunity. Come across the situation and find solution which was not explored or
known earlier.

Saturation

It is a period of intense research on the subject/problem.

All the dimensions of the problem are extensively analyzed and the decision maker becomes
absolutely familiar with the situation.

Information is enough saturated to have clarity of the problem.

Deliberation

It is the process of thinking deeply over the ideas, analyzing and challenging them, viewing them
from different dimensions.

Stage 2: Incubation
Conscious work on the problem ceases; the individual may turn his or her attention to another
problem, or simply relax. During this period some degree of unconscious and involuntary (or fore-
conscious and fore- voluntary )work on the problem occurs.

Let the problem go off conscious mind, sleep on it, forget it, take a break, allow intuition to work

Incubation

It is the process of relaxing, switching off and turning the problem over to the unconscious mind.

Normal and usual is a weak stimulus for creative thinking.

Change your routine.

Stage 3: Illumination
The classic ‘ Eureka’ moment when the core (or even the whole) of the problem solution suddenly
springs into awareness.

Allow discontinuity or break in patterns, a quantum leap, radical change in perception and
enlightenment.

• It is a process, which leads to flashing of ideas.

• It is sudden, subconscious acts as a filter

• From telescopic to microscopic to kaleidoscope

Stage 4: Verification
The individual uses logical and rational thought processes to turn the sudden insight into a correct
or appropriate solution, apparent as such to others.

Attempt logical evaluation. Justification and implementation.

Verification

• It is the process of clarifying and flushing out the idea, testing it against criteria of
appropriateness

• Let your voice of judgment speak out

• Challenge your ideas yourself

• Play angel’s and devil’s advocate

Accommodation

It is the process of trying out the new idea introducing to different people at different places and
gaining acceptance.

Try to redefine the limits.

CREATIVITY
Creativity refers to mental process that leads to solutions, ideas, conceptualization, artistic forms,
theories or products that are unique and novel.

Creativity is any process by which something new is produced- an idea or an object, including new
form or arrangement of old elements.

Torrance’s Definition-“Creativity is a process of sensing difficulties, problems, gaps in information,

missing elements, something askew ; evaluating and testing these guesses and hypotheses; possibly
revising and retesting them; and finally communicating the results.”

Harmon (1955) defined creativity as any process by which something new is produced – an idea or
an object, including a new form or arrangement of elements.

INNOVATION
Innovation is defined as a process by which varying degrees of measurable value enhancement is
planned and achieved in any commercial activity. This process may be breakthrough or incremental,
and it may occur systematically in a company or sporadically.

Measures to be taken to make India an Innovative Nation:

 Building more Innovation Infrastructure (eg. Science & technology parks)

 Institutionalize innovation

 Incentivize innovation

 Promote world class practices

 Encourage knowledge enhancement

 Strengthen Industry-Institute interface

 Encourage NRI participation

 Provide multiple sources of funding

 Activate Public Relations