Module 8•Unit 1 of 7•10 min

From Point A to Point B

Strategy, at its simplest, is about getting from where you are to where you want to be. Strategic Innovation Pathways - also called Growth Pathways - are exactly that: the paths a business chooses to take in attempting to deliver new innovation to the marketplace. They are called "pathways" because their whole purpose is to connect the business from where it is today (point A) to where it wishes to be tomorrow (point B).

Where we are today

Where we want to be

A pathway is the strategic route connecting today to tomorrow.

Three levers define the journey

How far a business can travel depends on three things: how far it is prepared to stretch itself, what investments it is prepared to make, and what level of risk it is prepared to take. These levers set the range of pathways realistically open to you. A cautious business with little to invest has a narrower set of viable routes than a bold, well-resourced one.

In theory, the universe of possibilities is limitless. In practice, most options have no relation to who the business is and thus no strategic rationale. So businesses do not scan the entire universe - they first draw "guardrails" around a sensible set of options to focus the search. That focused space is called the hunting grounds, the subject of the next unit.

Discuss

For your organisation, what is 'point B' - where do you actually want your innovation to take you in the next few years? Is it clearly defined, or vague?

Try this at work this week

Write your point A (honest current state) and point B (desired future) in one line each. The gap between them is the journey your innovation pathways must cover - and naming it sharpens every later choice.

Sources

Global Innovation Institute (GInI), Foundations of Innovation - GInI Growth Strategy Roadmap.
Ansoff, H., "Strategies for Diversification", HBR, 1957.
Global Innovation Institute (GInI), body of knowledge.

Strategic Innovation Pathways

The Hunting Grounds