Part Two · Develop Expertise

Strategic Tradeoffs: The Discipline of Saying No

Strategy is not what you choose to do. It is what you choose not to do, and whether you are honest about it.

In brief

Strategy is not what you choose to do. It is what you choose not to do, and whether you are honest about it. The chapter names five common judgment distortions and gives a structured tradeoff framework, the pre-mortem and decision journaling.

What the chapter covers

Tradeoffs Are Always Being Made
Five Common Judgment Distortions
The Structured Tradeoff Framework
The Pre-Mortem Practice
Decision Journaling and Recalibration

The leader who will not choose what to stop is choosing to do everything poorly.

Questions for your team

What are we doing that we would not start today? Why haven't we stopped?
Which of the five judgment distortions most affects our planning?
Run a quick pre-mortem. It is twelve months from now and our top priority has failed. Why?
What did we decide not to do this quarter, and who knows it?

Field Guide Tool #12

The Strategic Tradeoff Framework

Structures significant resource allocation decisions: portfolio inventory, five framework questions, distortion check, pre-mortem, and decision journal entry.

Best used during strategic planning or initiative prioritization.

Go deeper

Thinking, Fast and Slow by Daniel Kahneman