Strategy isn't found, it's made

"Hey, it looks pretty good over there, guys. Let's go over there!" (Photo courtesy Paging Super Mom.)

This interview with former IBM CEO Sam Palmisano was interesting on a bunch of levels (apologies, it's behind a paywall).

The thing that struck me most was a tiny reference in the section where Palmisano discusses how he helped shape IBM's new strategy. It took him and his team four years to define a new strategy for the company.

Four years!

This is a guy with as close to unlimited resources as you're ever going to get with a professional team, and he was on the job for four years before IBM unveiled the details of its new corporate strategy.

So why do nonprofits try to craft theirs in a one-weekend planning retreat or on the fly? Why are we expected to do it this way?