Why is the terrain more important than the map?
With the arrival of summer, it's time to start the orienteering season again. Orientation and strategy have surprisingly many of the same elements. Every editorial and strategy director has certainly had their first encounter with strategy, just like orienteers' first tick experience in a patrol or block and evening ticks. In both sports – in strategy work and strategy implementation or in the preparation and implementation of route plans – there are rarely first-time Jukola winners. Both require practice, knowledge, skill and knowledge.
Map and compass
When a navigator sets out, he has a map and a compass. A map represents a strategy – a carefully laid out itinerary that shows the route to a goal. The compass is the organization's values and vision, which guide decision-making and keep the direction clear.
No matter how accurate the map, the terrain ultimately determines the progress of the journey in challenging environments where surprises are the rule and not the exception. However, the direction, i.e. the inspiring vision, keeps the goal clear and helps, if necessary, to go through thickets that scratch your arms or over a slope that sours your calves. Therefore, the ability to envision is of paramount importance in successful strategy work and strategy implementation.
The terrain changes and the guide adapts
The terrain, i.e. the actual operating environment, is constantly changing. Nature and conditions can surprise you: the path can be overgrown, the water level in the ditch has risen, the swamp is much wetter than on the map, and the weather conditions can change in an instant. In the same way, in the business world, the market can change, the competitive situation can tighten, and the needs of customers can develop unexpectedly. In this case, the plan, no matter how well it is drawn up, can lose its meaning if it does not take into account the changing terrain. In this case, it is important to do as one of the authors of this blog did during the evening walks in Kirkkonummi Korve: to stop and make a new better route plan. Speed does not correct mistakes in orientation, and especially not in strategy.
Today, there is a lot of talk about the resilience and general adaptability of people and organizations. A skilled navigator never just follows a map, but knows how to read the terrain and adapt to its changes. The navigator, or forest strategist, uses a map and compass as tools, but is ready to change his route as needed. A successful strategy and strategy implementation therefore require adaptability and flexibility. One of the key skills of a managing director or strategy director is to be ready to reevaluate the plan and make the necessary changes in order to stay in the right direction. Nowadays, there has been a shift from rigid 5–10 year strategy periods to shorter 1–3 year strategy periods or even completely rolling strategies.
Reactive and proactive approach
When the terrain surprises, a reactive approach may be necessary. This means the ability to act quickly and efficiently in unexpected situations. On the other hand, a proactive approach based on anticipation and preparation helps to identify potential challenges in advance. A good strategy combines both approaches: it is flexible enough to respond to changing circumstances, but at the same time proactive and prepared. For a (delivery) manager, a proactive way usually works better than a reactive one, because the former saves people. As the head of the course at the Reserve Officers School stated: "Sweat saves blood."
People and cooperation
Orienteering is not just an individual performance; it can also be a team sport, as the various posts show. Cooperation and communication are key when looking for the best route and on the other hand when proceeding along the route.
Another of the authors of this blog directed his first Jukola message in Lukkari-Jukola in Mynämäki in 2022. In the team, the role was chosen as an anchor. Without the orienteers of the 7th leg who orientated in other teams, it would hardly have been possible to make it to the finish line. Either the skill or the will would probably have run out on their own. That's why people and cooperation are needed even in orientation.
The same applies to strategy: success requires cooperation, a shared vision and a culture of open communication. When all team members understand the goal and are committed to it, it is easier to adapt to changes in the terrain and achieve the goals together by doing the right things. A difficult journey only becomes more difficult.
A good strategy is not a plan set in stone, but a living and flexible process that listens to its environment and adapts to its changes. As in orienteering, those who succeed in strategy are those who know how to combine the plan and reality, and in whose decision-making the terrain – the actual conditions – is ultimately the most important factor together with people.
If you want to talk more about either the strategy or the direction, get in touch, and we'll be happy to open our thoughts on the subject!
