How has 'Strategy Beyond the Hockey Stick' influenced corporate strategies?

'Strategy Beyond the Hockey Stick' has significantly influenced corporate strategies by introducing the concept of the Power Curve and the importance of probabilities in decision-making. It emphasizes that a company's position on the Power Curve is often sticky, and moving up requires identifying and nurturing the business unit with the potential for breakout growth. This approach has led to a more realistic evaluation of risks and better decision-making in many organizations. It has also highlighted the importance of managing social dynamics in the strategy room to ensure that breakthrough ideas are not diluted into safe options.

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The Power Curve is sticky. The odds of a company moving from the middle to the top quintile over ten years is just 8% percent. 78% of firms in the middle quintiles, 59% of those in the top quintile, and 43% of firms in the bottom quintile remained at the same position ten years later. Among 101 companies that moved up a quintile, two-thirds of the time it was due to just one business unit creating the breakout. Correctly identifying that business unit and feeding it the resources it needs for breakout growth can determine your organization's progress on the Power Curve. Bringing probabilities to the table can lead to a more realistic evaluation of risks and better decision-making.

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Strategy Beyond the Hockey Stick: People, Probabilities, and Big Moves to Beat the Odds

McKinsey & Co. partners wrote this book. How do you effectively turn the promises of strategy meetings into reality? How can you manage social dynamic...

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