When I give a team the task of coming up with a strategy possibility, the most common result that comes back is a list. It is a list of a very sensible things to do. A list is what my friend and former Steelcase and Ford CEO, Jim Hackett would call a pixel view. Each can be seen as a colored dot. A list is a set of random colored pixels. Each might be an important colored pixel — pixels of the sort you might need, hence, appealing pixels.But a list of pixels is not what Hackett calls the portrait view — that is, pixels that have been organized with clear intent into a coherent picture as desired by the artist. Pixels don’t necessarily produce a portrait — unless the artist has the goal of a portrait in mind.The analogy, then, is that the job of strategy is to paint a portrait, not to spew out an unconnected, if not random, array of pixels.
In the diagram above right, the most important activities (or choices in my interpretation) are the primary (blue) nodes and the supporting choices are secondary (white) nodes. But just as important are the connecting lines between the nodes, which suggest the connections between the nodes. The supporting nodes strengthen the primary nodes, and the primary nodes strengthen the powers of each other.
aqui, quando ele fala das conexões, me lembrou do Wardley Mapping… talvez um Wardley Map teria ajudado na visualização?
Individual activities that aren’t connected to other aspects of the HTW portrait aren’t strategic. They are just pixels and pixels are empty calories.
Next time I work on HTW with a client, I am not going to ask them to create a theory of HTW. I am going to ask them to create a portrait of HTW, that shows how the elements of HTW fit together to create a portrait, not a confusing list of pixels.
Here are the key takeaways from the article "Developing a Powerful How-to-Win. From Pixels to Portrait" by Roger Martin:
- Lists vs. Portraits in Strategy: Many teams produce lists of sensible actions when developing strategy, likened to random "pixels." However, effective strategy is a "portrait": a coherent, intentional composition where each element is interconnected, leading to a clear theory of how to win.
- Holistic View of How-to-Win (HTW): Previous attempts focused too narrowly on HTW’s relationships with other strategic elements. Instead, HTW should be considered holistically, as the centerpiece of a winning portrait that is actionable and practical.
- The Strategy Portrait Analogy: Strategy should organize actions ("pixels") into an integrated portrait that shows how everything fits together to create a winning outcome. The analogy emphasizes coherence and intent over disconnected activities.
- Activity System Concept: Michael Porter's idea (from his HBR article “What is Strategy?”) is highlighted: Sustainable competitive advantage comes not from excelling at one thing, but from performing a unique system of interconnected activities that competitors cannot easily replicate.
- Differentiate Elements: While traditional "activity systems" sometimes blur lines between Where-to-Play (WTP), How-to-Win (HTW), and Must-have Capabilities (MHC), Martin encourages using these concepts as distinct nodes in a strategy portrait, while preserving the value of interconnectedness.
- Focus on Winning: The HTW portrait must focus on how to win, not just how to play or improve. A compelling strategy shows how an integrated set of choices achieves competitive advantage in a chosen field.
- Importance of Links: The connections between strategic choices (the “links” or lines between nodes) are as important as the choices themselves. They create reinforcing mechanisms that unlock sustainable advantage and prevent strategies from being just “pixels.”
- Tell a Coherent Story: The HTW portrait should tell a clear and compelling story of winning. Superfluous elements should be excluded to maintain focus and clarity.
- Iterative Process: Building a great HTW portrait requires multiple iterations. Start with many ideas (“pixels”), then refine and connect only the most critical nodes so the portrait is clear and actionable.
- Practical Insight: Don’t discard the value of mapping systems (“activity systems”); instead, use them to help develop and visualize an actionable and integrated How-to-Win portrait.
Actionable Reflection:
Martin encourages readers to shift from making static lists of actions to building visual, interconnected strategy portraits—a method that clarifies, focuses, and strengthens their approach to winning in the marketplace1.