What Is Strategy? It’s a Lot Simpler Than You Think

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Harvard Business Review

Harvard Business Review

День тому

To many people, strategy is a total mystery. But it’s really not complicated, says Harvard Business School’s Felix Oberholzer-Gee, author of "Better, Simpler Strategy".
00:00 To many people, strategy is a mystery.
00:25 Strategy does not start with a focus on profit.
00:52 It's about creating value.
01:00 There's a simple tool to help visualize the value you create: the value stick.
01:30 What is willingness-to-pay?
02:30 What is willingness-to-sell?
03:14 Remind me: Where does profit come in again?
03:48 How do I raise willingness-to-pay?
05:00 And how do I lower willingness-to-sell?
06:18 Real world example: Best Buy's dramatic turnaround
Companies should simplify and focus on two value drivers, he argues: customer satisfaction and employee satisfaction. By aligning strategic initiatives on these alone, leaders make their workers’ jobs less complicated and improve customer experiences.
Oberholzer-Gee is the author of the Harvard Business Review article “Eliminate Strategic Overload” (hbr.org/2021/05/eliminate-str...) as well as the book “Better, Simpler Strategy: A Value-Based Guide to Exceptional Performance” (www.amazon.com/Better-Simpler....
Produced and edited by Scott LaPierre
Video by Dave Di Iulio and Elie Honein
Animation by Alex Belser
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КОМЕНТАРІ: 307
@Willbudi
@Willbudi 5 місяців тому
Strategy is a plan to create value. 1. Not focus on profit 2. About looking forward to planning for the future 3. Building value for customers, employers, and suppliers 4. Value = difference between willingness to pay (customer) and willingness to sell (supplier) 5. How do I raise willingness to pay? Product Quality, Product Complement, Network Effects 6. How do I lower the willingness to sell? Provide better working experience as a trade-off For e.g. Best Buy, increase WTP by offering customers with faster delivery directly from BB neighborhood stores, utilizing BB stores as warehouse
@PGERARD63
@PGERARD63 12 днів тому
Where does all the value ends?
@peacebakare
@peacebakare Рік тому
This is a super complement of "A Plan is Not a Strategy" by Prof. Roger, that I just watched. I have learned so much about Strategy within 20mins I feel like I have some powers at my disposal right now. Looks like I'll like to have a MBA for structured and consolidated knowledge.
@srinic9319
@srinic9319 Рік тому
I was just about to post this 😅 a plan is not a strategy but a strategy is a plan - 😭
@peacebakare
@peacebakare Рік тому
@Huy Phạm Quốc Really? So sorry about that. How can I help?
@durgaprasadvadlamoodi1271
@durgaprasadvadlamoodi1271 Рік тому
i agree, i just watched and explained very well.
@Anurag_Saxena
@Anurag_Saxena Рік тому
@Huy Phạm Quốc me too. So I watched this video again and concluded that strategy is a "plan to create value". First Prof. Roger sounded incorrect to me. Then I re-watched Prof Roger and found his case study of Southwest explaining his points crystal clear.
@michaelwilliams2337
@michaelwilliams2337 Рік тому
Prof Martin's video is excellent and probably the only strategy video which really says what strategy is all about in under 10 mins. Felix Oberholzer-Gee's video breezes over the ferocity of competitive forces.
@SiddharthSingh07
@SiddharthSingh07 Рік тому
Amazing job creating this content - Core concepts simplified under 10 mins Hoping to see more content in this format.
@carol7roberts
@carol7roberts Рік тому
Excellently and succinctly explained. Please put Mr. Oberholzer-Gee in more videos! Also, excellent visuals here!! Bravo!!!🏆
@burhani3071
@burhani3071 2 роки тому
Best content for a long time on youtube! Thank you for that HBR and Prof. Oberholzer-Gee.
@PraveenKumar-ed3xt
@PraveenKumar-ed3xt Рік тому
Tons of value loaded video, It can't be simpler than this, so clear, with examples 🙏
@kumbukanikachingwe9919
@kumbukanikachingwe9919 Рік тому
Thanks very much Havard, watching these videos really helps alot. It's kinda like we are on campus, i had to watch these episode 5 times to really get hold of WTP and WTS. Thanks.
@Ms.T
@Ms.T 8 місяців тому
The anticipation of starting my dream job in a couple of weeks thrust me into this journey... I started with optimization of the Game theory in in my career, then I stumbled on "Planning is not a Strategy" to wit; a strategy is a plan that is based on logic that is simple & can be tweaked(with a pre-established tweaking mechanism) when it is not working... Full circle moment... 🎉
@osama151189
@osama151189 Рік тому
Thank you! I like how straightforwardly you educate.
@ChengeerLee
@ChengeerLee Рік тому
Brilliant. And you are an amazing educator. Great work, kudos to the production team. Top notch work!
@culturapoliticaycomputador9999
@culturapoliticaycomputador9999 Рік тому
This is a valuable video, it's a gift for all of us. Thank you Mr. Felix Oberholzer-Gee.
@abirahmed1292
@abirahmed1292 2 роки тому
Can we see this in real world" Wow, that question and answer really made the difference for me, you created a real value guys. Thanks
@stevenmalolo938
@stevenmalolo938 Рік тому
I love how you broke it down so we can understand. Love the content!
@meshangovender
@meshangovender 2 роки тому
Profound content. What a gift to be able to explain something so complex so simply. A true MBA in 10 mins
@SalawuIbrahim
@SalawuIbrahim Рік тому
This is amazing! I feel a lot smarter on the topic of strategy. I'm also aware enough that I need to learn so much more to be able to take advantage of this body of knowledge I just acquired. Thank you Felix!
@adriendeotto7971
@adriendeotto7971 Рік тому
Anyone who tries to grasp what strategy is should start with this video. A big thank you to Felix Oberholzer-Gee and the HBR channel for sharing such high-quality content and insights 🙏
@teezfeelz-1716
@teezfeelz-1716 Місяць тому
Hi Adrienne, I found the piece a little confusing especially around willingness to sell. What Am I missing. Can you explain to me like you would a 10year old.
@samartharya5668
@samartharya5668 2 роки тому
Beautiful video. Stick diagram makes it lot easier to understand. Example of Best Buy suits well too. Would love to read more.
@miguelsalazar1602
@miguelsalazar1602 Рік тому
Wow! The content of this video is really good. I wish there we're more professors and intelectuales that could talk about business like this, without the jargon and mambo jumbo that most business teachers use.
@floydmunetsi
@floydmunetsi 2 роки тому
Really great video... Clear and concise lesson.
@abubalo
@abubalo 2 роки тому
I am impressed by HBR consistency to release great video after great video👏
@HS-wd5mp
@HS-wd5mp 7 місяців тому
Absolutely stunning! Thank you so much.
@andessepta2535
@andessepta2535 2 роки тому
Great and clear explanation. Thanks for sharing.
@alexisazria1169
@alexisazria1169 Рік тому
This is an excellent explanation. Thank you.
@moisestatis5418
@moisestatis5418 Рік тому
Great video, liked it so much. Thank you! Look forward to find more like this.
@oliverwills1750
@oliverwills1750 2 роки тому
Thank you for the explanation. Very much appreciated HBR.
@swezin7125
@swezin7125 7 місяців тому
I learn a lot within 20 mins and thank you so much.
@josephinebardot8403
@josephinebardot8403 Рік тому
Thank you a lot for this video. This is very interesting and informative. Keep posting like those amazing videos, this is awesome.
@MohamadShurrab
@MohamadShurrab Рік тому
Excellent! Strategy is a Plan to Creat Value. This is where I differ with Professor Roger piece on Strategic Planning where he completely disconnects both.
@nhungphuong2461
@nhungphuong2461 Рік тому
This is high-value content! So impress. Thank Prof.
@diklaakrat5413
@diklaakrat5413 2 роки тому
Great video! Thanks for sharing your work!
@romp39
@romp39 Рік тому
Product/Customer experience and employee experience are the two foundational factors. Sounds simple but as the layers of management there is more and more Vaseline on the lens when it comes to observing and measuring the quality of these experiences.
@patriciatejado4334
@patriciatejado4334 2 роки тому
Excelente explicación. Gracias!
@Kakanato
@Kakanato 2 роки тому
Felix, you have just increased your value by increasing the willingness to pay and decreasing the willingness to sell! Awesome real life example!
@somosagricultura
@somosagricultura Рік тому
Interesting topic. It's great to learn about strategy because it's easy to get wrong about this concept.
@joaquinjackson7510
@joaquinjackson7510 2 роки тому
Very good explanation! Thank you
@avono5330
@avono5330 2 місяці тому
its a plan to create value. the beginning phase to achieve a benefit (a measurable outcome). determining optimal customer willingness to pay/price. determining willingness to sell for employees/compensation. the middle between the opposing position reflects company success.
@manojphatak763
@manojphatak763 2 роки тому
OMG. That is the best damn explanation of strategy and value I have EVER heard !!!
@blurayism
@blurayism 7 місяців тому
Simple & clear explanation😀
@DodaGarcia
@DodaGarcia 9 місяців тому
That's fantastic! One question I have is: in the example of decreasing willingness to sell by improving the job conditions, where does the financial investment get factored in? Because while not a one-to-one comparison to just increasing pay, it's still not free to implement.
@PhirunKao
@PhirunKao 2 роки тому
It's the best 10 mins about strategy!
@richardabbe799
@richardabbe799 2 роки тому
Great discussion on this topic! Thanks!
@ranganatht.r.1417
@ranganatht.r.1417 2 роки тому
… a very interesting, informative and impressive video. Thanks a lot.
@idrissakfalen8290
@idrissakfalen8290 6 місяців тому
The explanation is perfect. Understanding strategy starts with these foundations. I would just like to add something because I think welliness to sell doesn’t rely solely on compensation, it varies from a company to another. This could be entirely true if it’s a consulting firm where up to 60% of the revenue is spent on compensation but for other firms, like manufacturing firms, you just can’t apply the same logic cause the part of main costs are way higher than compensation and the perspective to create value decreasing wellinness to pay is comme merely different.
@vinatram9930
@vinatram9930 4 місяці тому
you have a point.
@pujadeshani2419
@pujadeshani2419 Рік тому
Excellent explanation. Go straight to my brain. Thank you...............................🙏🙏🙏🙏
@monkichi1112005
@monkichi1112005 Рік тому
simply explanation and easy to understand
@gyanprakashgupta4629
@gyanprakashgupta4629 Рік тому
Amazing...could not have learnt more within 10 minutes
@user-HRARTIST
@user-HRARTIST 5 місяців тому
Fantastic explanation!!!!! Many thanks!!!!!
@extedax
@extedax 2 роки тому
Excellent content! If you're looking for a 10min MBA, this the closest you could get to it.
@sergiomujica973
@sergiomujica973 2 роки тому
Exactly! I completely agree. It reminded me of some of my MBA classes.
@contemplore
@contemplore Рік тому
Also #personalMBA by Josh Kauffman. Combine with HBR and Economist guides. For more in business today, learn Economics, Computer science CS50, web3, Mathematical thinking, lateral thinking, design thinking, systems thinking..... And lessons from your specialization specific books/pods/courses/journals...
@herrysantoso2523
@herrysantoso2523 Рік тому
Very good sharing!. It is simple and powerful! thanks
@melomelody91
@melomelody91 2 роки тому
Bravo!! I love how you made it so simple to understand the concepts!
@socratesbleu
@socratesbleu Рік тому
I want to take his class. I understood half of what he said but was engaged the whole way
@atogweoghieaga2205
@atogweoghieaga2205 Рік тому
This is unbelievable. No one has ever strategy this way!
@robinzhang6205
@robinzhang6205 Рік тому
Hi ROFESSOR OBERHOLZER-GEE,I'm just in "Business Strategy" class online, good to see you here
@vikastiwari6780
@vikastiwari6780 2 місяці тому
My next 5 years strategy ready now.... But I will never disclose right now.... Focus on improving myself regularly.......
@muteeburrehman7628
@muteeburrehman7628 Рік тому
So much insight really helpful and amazing
@choupi0645
@choupi0645 Рік тому
Inspiring content! I am gonna use this concept into real life, thanks!
@rabinraj15
@rabinraj15 Рік тому
Superb!! Thank you very much 👍🏽
@monicaviola5018
@monicaviola5018 2 роки тому
amazing video, though even more when you questioning about this for a whole month. Terima kasih 🙌
@cara804
@cara804 Рік тому
i love this is in direct difference to strategy is not a plan via HBR...
@sakshisingh-nt8re
@sakshisingh-nt8re 2 роки тому
Thanks HBR for such helpful videos
@Anurag_Saxena
@Anurag_Saxena Рік тому
First, i watched prof Roger's video on strategy. Then, I watched this video twice and concluded that strategy is a "plan to create value" and Prof. Roger sounded incorrect to me. Then I re-watched Prof Roger and found his case study of Southwest explaining his points crystal clear. In plans, even deviations from goals are anticipated and there's plans in advance to fix them. In strategy, one isn't sure what sort of deviations come ahead and there's no plans in advance to fix them. One needs to twist and turn the strategy as and when the deviations arise.
@joaonogueirasantos8211
@joaonogueirasantos8211 Рік тому
Amazing content. It's like being at Harvard Business School! This quality teaching should be accessible to everyone in the world! Thank Prof. Felix!
@AllofGodsWord
@AllofGodsWord 11 місяців тому
Great video and points made. The only thing I would change is the word choices of "willingness to sell". Most of the examples didn't align well; their "willingness to sell" didn't decrease in a logical sense, at least not with the visual being used. Perhaps flip it to "Reluctance to Sell". If the reluctance to sell decreases (goes down) and the willingness to buy increases (goes up), basically stretching out the line more, this signifies an increase in value. Similarly, if reluctance to sell increases (goes up) and willingness to buy decreases (goes down), basically compressing the line, this signifies a decrease in value.
@alphonsusraj8510
@alphonsusraj8510 8 місяців тому
As its core strategy is a plan of action designed to achieve some specific goals. It involves making decisions to allocate resources and navigate tasks and challenges in order to reach desired outcomes.
@dougr550
@dougr550 11 місяців тому
A big part of strategy is a set of ideas that you are going to organize around to deliver value. Not surprisingly strategy is applied at many different levels, from the operating model and the way you organize, to individual initiatives. Project management vs Agile would be an example of two different strategies to solve at times the same problem. The problem with the very best strategies is that very few people seem to understand them ;)
@someonenamedbob
@someonenamedbob 11 місяців тому
I"m curios what do you mean by agile?
@dougr550
@dougr550 11 місяців тому
@@someonenamedbob Agile is a software development philosophy for addressing the uncertainty that exists in terms of what to do and how to do it when building software. This philosophy has also been adapted for use in other settings, but is at its heart rooted in Lean management.
@someonenamedbob
@someonenamedbob 11 місяців тому
@@dougr550 Oh that I've heard about it before, don't know much about it though.
@annemaxwell9975
@annemaxwell9975 Рік тому
This commentary is far superior to the explanation offered by the other professor with whose language I took issue with. I still say Strategy is the why and the vital plan to achieve it's likely success or to optimise the desired outcome is the what, which, where, when, who and how.
@johenbalinton6534
@johenbalinton6534 2 роки тому
Great content .. thanks for sharing this video...😁
@utsabsarkhel4026
@utsabsarkhel4026 Рік тому
Thank you professor
@OwlofAsia
@OwlofAsia Рік тому
A lot to think about. Thank you
@gavincampion4961
@gavincampion4961 2 роки тому
Excellent video! Thanks for sharing.
@SafiullahWasiullah
@SafiullahWasiullah 2 роки тому
Great content. Thanks HBR
@innovationconnected6762
@innovationconnected6762 6 місяців тому
Love the video but have a different opinion on one point: What customer value is. I see it from a customer's point of view: If I pay $100 for something, how much value will I realize over and above that inital investment? Buying something is a sunk cost, the value is in what I get out of the investment. What Prof Felix described to me (value stick) is really a price stick, the range in which a seller and buyer can potentially agree on a price.
@bayou__
@bayou__ 8 місяців тому
I Love It, Unique selling Point. Customers believe the want to pay.
@matthew4031
@matthew4031 Місяць тому
That was one of the most value pack videos I’ve ever watched
@mrbonbonist
@mrbonbonist 2 роки тому
Just finished his book on strategy.Totally recommend it.
@philippededeken4881
@philippededeken4881 Рік тому
He's ignorant about the topic. What a waste of time.
@mrbonbonist
@mrbonbonist Рік тому
@@philippededeken4881 your comment is a waste of time.
@ThomasToPC
@ThomasToPC Рік тому
This is more tactics than strategy. Marketing strategy involves deciding which market segment - geography and demography - to play in, which customer subgroups to target, which products to sell, which products to use as decoy, which segments/customers/products to sacrifice, what kind of intel to gather, which competitors to sabotage or acquire, which law or regulation/policy to lobby for or against, etc.
@monicarenee7949
@monicarenee7949 6 місяців тому
All those things are just to get to his first point “willingness to buy”. He’s making it simple. Your list are just ways to get there.
@nambokki
@nambokki 2 роки тому
Big thank you!
@ishushamit
@ishushamit 2 роки тому
This is brilliant
@Hakimshafin
@Hakimshafin Рік тому
Thank you sir ❤️
@drannoc100
@drannoc100 Рік тому
One’s think the more employees are engaged, the more they’ll be “willing to sell.” This phrase/concept of “willingness to sell go ‘down’” seems really about “enlarging” the portion/likelihood of willingness to sell instead of the actual level of willingness to sell. - Correct me if I am wrong.
@BayuHendra-wb2zx
@BayuHendra-wb2zx 2 місяці тому
Thanks tricks and strategies for success, always good luck
@iangrant3615
@iangrant3615 Рік тому
This is interesting, although I'd suggest if you need to explain willingness to buy/willingness to sell, it highlights that those terms are not clear or intuitive enough to be effective. The explanation was effective and made an impact, but the original terms remain ambiguous.
@ConceptbyAI
@ConceptbyAI Рік тому
Thank u for sharing ☺️👌🏻
@MaxRuso
@MaxRuso Рік тому
So insightful tnx
@ramcharankotari8980
@ramcharankotari8980 Рік тому
Thank you Felix
@sendyardi5190
@sendyardi5190 Рік тому
In this video, Felix Oberholzer-Gee explains that strategy is a plan to create value and that a company's financial success is the result of its strategy, not the starting point. He describes value as the difference between willingness to pay and willingness to sell, which is split between customers, employees, and the company. The ways to increase willingness to pay are through product/service quality, complements, and network effects. The two ways to attract talent are to pay more or make the job better. Although both methods create value, paying more shifts value from the company to the employees, while making the job better lowers willingness to sell.
@Dakid015
@Dakid015 9 місяців тому
Good summary! Thanks!
@melissaprice1424
@melissaprice1424 11 місяців тому
The reason why this seems so simple is because it is simplistic. Willingness to sell is impacted by many more things than satisfaction with the job - as any contact with contemporary economics should tell you. Such as cost of living pressures, to give the most obvious example, and straight out desperation, as well as personality and ethical considerations. Government policy to influence willingness to sell etc. You'd have to do better than this to sell a Harvard course to me. Like the relationship between an employee's willingness to sell their labour and their willingness to part with their money (say, to pay for an economics course) and the "value" perceived in the whole process.
@alishamazaya4247
@alishamazaya4247 2 роки тому
This is gold
@johnklee3843
@johnklee3843 Рік тому
This is a great video!! Pricing 101
@t1mmytiger
@t1mmytiger 2 роки тому
Very good video - well done
@user-js4ez2yz9b
@user-js4ez2yz9b 2 роки тому
Felix has always bern awesome!
@user-st7qh1wg8k
@user-st7qh1wg8k 2 роки тому
Thank you
@hk4848
@hk4848 Рік тому
To put it in layman terms a plan is when you plan to sell something to a market a strategy is when you decide how will you make your Products and services different from, the rest of the competition which makes consumer consider your Products and services.
@bgziauddin
@bgziauddin 2 роки тому
Excellent
@MA-nm3rk
@MA-nm3rk Рік тому
THANK YOU
@johnpinheiro6211
@johnpinheiro6211 Рік тому
Great vídeo,man, keep them coming🇵🇹🇵🇹🇵🇹🇵🇹😁
@maheshshimoga204
@maheshshimoga204 2 роки тому
Good ideas presented
@lotannaobika6153
@lotannaobika6153 Рік тому
This is a superb content
@TrangQuynh-ll4gr
@TrangQuynh-ll4gr Рік тому
Excellent video!
@user-tu3wv3gv6j
@user-tu3wv3gv6j 3 місяці тому
What about the cost of making the Job a better Job? That will also redistribute the value -- from company to employees. We will need to calculate the difference between 'what if we pay extra to the employees' vs 'what will I spend to create a better working environment or culture'
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