If Sun Tzu Were a Web Manager
I admit it's kind of cliche to use an "Art of War" reference in a business blog, but I recently came across a quote from Sun Tzu that reminded me a lot of how I think about the execution of a good Web plan:
"All men can see these tactics whereby I conquer, but what none can see is the strategy out of which victory is evolved."
All of us who work in the Web industry get jazzed when we see a well-executed site. For me it's the satisfaction I feel when I go to the BBC News site and experience the flawless integration of topics and media. That site is run like a good concierge service - you ask for something and it not only answers your question, but anticipates all your follow-up questions too. So hours after guitarist Les Paul dies, I can not only read about the event, but also read about his life, see videos of his performances, and learn about his guitar. A great site like this doesn't just happen through a series of random decisions. It takes careful planning and executing tactics that are defined by strategy.
If Sun Tzu was a Web manager, he wouldn't wake up one morning and decide it's a good day to launch a blog on the homepage. His site would have a well-thought tactical plan that links all the way back to the corporate strategy. Web projects would be designed to meet broader objectives and no resources would be wasted on pointless efforts. But to do this, Mr. Tzu would need to have the strategies which inform his tactical plan, and this is where most organizations fall short.
A successful tactical plan is the bi-product of a series of strategic documents. It starts with the corporate strategy, which informs the IT and brand strategies. The guiding principles for the Web are based on the IT and brand strategies, which, in turn, drives the strategic approach to content, data and applications. This pedigree allows you to first understand what it is you're building, then you can make a tactical plan to address how you will get it done.
At this time of year, Web managers start their planning for the coming fiscal year. If you're in the midst of budgeting and planning out Web projects, stop and see if you have adequate strategic direction. Without it you risk wasted efforts and a poor-quality site. Following this process will ensure your site will be a "victory."
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Great article! The one thing that I would add is that the strategy documents should be as short, digestible, memorable, and flexible as possible. They should just capture the spirit of the vision and empower people to develop and execute tactics. Otherwise you have top down control that either stifles creativity or pushes it into regions that you can't control (e.g. externally hosted blogs and wikis). To use another military reference, the book Blink has a great anecdote of a US Army war simulation where the enemy officers on the ground were allowed to take initiative based on what they saw. The centralized command of the US Military was no match for these tactics.
Thank you! Succinct, timely and useful. And I love Sun Tzu references.
This is certainly true, but in many organisations the strategising is done in isolation from the execution. The two elements really need to work closely to work well.
I think we can learn a lot from Chinese philosophy in the content management world: http://contentedmanagement.net/blog/category/china/
Enjoyed the article - thank you for that sagacious Sun Tzu quote that I'm sure to remember. Excellent job of concisely describing how the BBC News site is an impressive and inspiring example of all their resources working in concert.
Philippe's first point re: strategy and execution really hits home for me. If you want to hamstring your web operations, you can do no better than maintaining a communication gap between the executive decision makers and the development team. That gap is exactly where an effective web manager needs to work to align strategy and tactics, and help keep his colleagues' feet on the ground.
I look forward to following this thread and reading your next post.
Thanks for the comments. I agree that collaboration between business strategists and tactical practitioners is vital. Too often we see situations where the Web is operated as a series of silo’d projects, that don't necessarily align with corporate strategy. The net result is a poor quality Web presence, which ultimately has a negative impact on the bottom line.
Web managers need to engage executive staff in the lines of business to ensure that strategic guiding principles drive Web initiatives. What's more, there needs to be accountability across the organization to make sure the Web is meeting business goals.
I agree with the allusion to Sun Tzu, however the compact koans that articulate his strategy are simplified. If modern CEOs could write inclusive haikus that expressed strategy, while still incorporating the complicated relationships affecting the triangle of scope, time, and resources - they'd be communication experts. Are you saying corporate officers should be competent communicators, proficient at both data collection and analysis?
I think responsible officers are diligent, strategically allocating resources with evidential support and organizational collaboration based on expected return, either as capital or advantage. Arbitrary features, self-indulgent content, and unrealistic expectations will always occur when the chief demands "Cornflower Blue".
-Ryan Gensel
twitter.com/readysetproject
www.readysetproject.com
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