e-Strategy Pure and Simple
Chapter One
Strategic Fuzziness ²: Page Six

If all the answers are similar and each statement is identical, then you are in good shape. The wider the discrepancies in their replies compared to yours, the less clear or understood your strategy is to them and you may want to entertain taking your management team through the process described in the remainder of this book.

Scoring Your Strategic I.Q.

If you wish to get a numerical assessment of your Strategic Quotient, simply add up the scores next to each question you responded to. The following is our assessment of your score;

Score:100
You're perfect. There is no need for you to read the remainder of this book unless you don't know why you are so good.

Score:70-99
There is some degree of ambiguity over strategy among the management team with periodic disagreements over direction, particularly on significant issues. You are on the cusp of great success if this ambiguity can be removed. Your batting average is a few more wins than losses but this average could be substantially improved by the removal of this ambiguity. Exposure to a good strategic process would bring considerable value.

Score:40-69
You are suffering from a severe case of "fuzzy" vision. There are very differing views over strategic direction among the management team which results in erratic operational performance. There are frequent disagreements over strategic issues and you are probably frequently surprised by competitive tactics. Failure to clear up this ambiguity will eventually lead to even worse operational results. Time to bring a process into play to relive the organization of this ambiguity and stop the bickering.

Score:1-39
A score in this range indicates too much focus on operational issues and short-term results. Decisions are made on an event-by-event basis as opposed to being made within a set of strategic parameters. There is little agreement among the management team over direction with continuous, and heated, debates. As a result, decisions are frequently arbitrated and dictated by the CEO in order to break the stalemate. The company is in a me-too strategy mode and is frequently surprised by competitive tactics. Most actions are taken as a reaction to competitive initiatives. Time for a re-think.

Amplification Of The Fuzziness

And then, along comes the Internet! Is your business strategy Internet-ready? Or, will you suffer from strategic fuzziness to the second power?