The Range is the Method
How cross-industry signal scanning drives strategic advantage
I’m celebrating just over a month since the launch of the Strategy Stories newsletter! As we move into month two, I wanted to step back and show you how I think about the content I'm building here…
You might be wondering: “Why does a strategy newsletter write about endangered animals and pop culture?”
I believe that learning across industries is key to innovation and strategy success and fosters the strongest signal scanning in strategic foresight. I’m always scanning for new topics and they often come when strategic principles become visible through unexpected moments, making abstract, formal strategy concepts feel tangible and relatable. The range of topics in Strategy Stories isn't accidental. It's the method.
Let’s take a look at four examples.
What can a leader of an established business focused on finding efficiencies and stabilizing revenue in a turbulent market learn from Southwest’s move away from open seating?
Efficiencies, especially those that are being asked for by customers or employees are a great area to prioritize focus.
Understanding the job your customers are hiring you to do and the reason employees want to work with you is core to brand strength.
Smoothing out inefficiencies can sometimes – but not always – risk polishing away the character, quirks, and nuances that drive your brand’s organizational identity.
Read the full post for detailed application strategies.
What can a seasoned entrepreneur focused on building a new business model learn from Hilary Duff’s re-emergence strategy?
Whether a first-time or returning entrepreneur, the possibility for an entrance or comeback is always there.
Focus on your unique core competencies – the advantages unmatched by your competition.
Build in opportunities to test out the product or service with the intended audience before entering full launch investment mode builds confidence, provides insight on strategic adjustments, and fosters brand awareness.
Explore the complete analysis for learnings and actionable next steps.
What can an aspiring innovator charged with maintaining a currently stable product or service learn from Dragonsteel’s black pages/metallic silver font combination for a new book’s limited release?
Questioning the underlying, unchallenged assumptions for an existing product or service can be a good starting point for considering new opportunities.
Innovation may not always look like a major overhaul. Sometimes it’s all about finding new ways to delight your existing customers.
Ideate, test, and prototype is key to strong innovation design!
Dive deeper into innovation frameworks in the original post.
What can a long-range planner tasked with preparing their organization for an uncertain future learn from conservation biologists making 100-year bets on species survival?
Move beyond risk mitigation into contingency infrastructure by building systems for recovery in advance, not in response.
Evolve your planning posture from protecting what exists to preparing for what could fail — scenario planning for low-probability, high-impact events is the difference between recovery and loss.
Consider how public engagement can transform components of underlying infrastructure into a trust-building asset.
Check out the full article for practical examples.
The leaders who find strategic advantage first aren’t always reading more industry reports. They’re reading more widely than everyone else. Considering what works well or lessons learned from outside of your immediate vicinity can drive new ideas, challenge assumptions, and foster momentum for transformation.
Keep reading Strategy Stories to find insights from outside of your industry that spark your curiosity, generate new approaches, and bring delight!
About Strategy Stories
Strategy Stories is the insights vertical of Lavorgna Strategy Studio, a consultancy helping leaders, teams, and organizations prepare and plan for the future through strategic planning and strategic foresight.
Curious how these frameworks translate into practical strategy for your organization? Connect with Jackie Lavorgna, Founder and Principal, to learn more.