Why is the terrain more important than the map?
With the arrival of summer, the time has come to start the orienteering season again. There are surprisingly many similar elements in orienteering and strategy. Every CEO and strategy manager has certainly had their first encounter with strategy, just as orienteers have had their first experience of a cross-country scout or a block or evening race. In both disciplines - strategy work and strategy implementation, or route planning and execution - first-time Jukola winners are rarely first-timers. Both require training, knowledge, skills and expertise.
Map and compass
When a navigator sets off, he or she has a map and a compass. The map represents a strategy - a carefully laid out route plan that shows the route to the goal. The compass is the values and vision of the organisation, guiding decision-making and keeping the direction clear.
No matter how accurate the map, the terrain ultimately determines the route in challenging environments where surprises are the rule, not the exception. But direction, or inspiring vision, keeps the destination clear and helps you get through arm-scratching thickets or over a calf-soothing slope when needed. This is why the ability to envision is crucial to successful strategy work and strategy implementation.
The terrain changes and the navigator adapts
The terrain, the real environment, is constantly changing. Nature and conditions can take you by surprise: a path can be overgrown, a ditch water level can have risen, a swamp can be much wetter than on the map, and weather conditions can change in an instant. In the same way, in the business world, markets can change, competition can become fiercer and customer needs can evolve in unexpected ways. In such cases, a plan, no matter how well drawn up, can lose its relevance if it does not take account of changing terrain. In such cases, it is important to do what one of the authors of this blog did on an evening trail in the Kirkkonummi wilderness: stop and make a new, better route plan. Speed does not correct mistakes in planning, and certainly not in strategy.
Today, there is much talk about the resilience and overall adaptability of people and organisations. A skilled navigator never just follows a map, but knows how to read the terrain and adapt to its changes. The orienteer, or forest strategist, uses the map and compass as tools but is prepared to change his or her route if necessary. Successful strategy and strategy implementation therefore requires adaptability and flexibility. So one of the key skills of a CEO or strategy manager is to be prepared to reassess the plan and make the necessary changes to stay on track. There is now a move away from rigid 5-10 year strategy cycles to shorter 1-3 year strategy cycles, or even full rolling strategies.
Reactive and proactive approach
When the terrain surprises you, a reactive approach may be necessary. This means the ability to act quickly and effectively 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 react to changing circumstances, but at the same time proactive and prepared. For the (delivery) manager, the proactive approach usually works better than the reactive one, because the former saves people. As the course leader at the Reserve Officers” School said, ”Sweat saves blood."
People and cooperation
Orienteering is not just an individual sport; it can also be a team sport, as the different messages show. Cooperation and communication are key to finding the best route and to progressing along it.
One of the authors of this blog navigated his first Jukola relay at the Lukkari Jukola in Mynämäki in 2022. In the team, the role was chosen as an anchor. Without the 7th section navigators who had navigated in other teams, I would hardly have made it to the finish line. Either the skill or the will would probably have run out on their own. That's why orienteering is all about people and cooperation.
The same applies to strategy: success requires cooperation, a shared vision and a culture of open communication. When all team members understand and are committed to the goal, it is easier to adapt to the changing landscape and achieve goals by doing the right things together. A difficult journey just becomes an arduous one.
A good strategy is not a set plan 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 link plan and reality, and whose decisions are ultimately based on the terrain - the real conditions - together with the people.
If you want to talk more about either strategy or orienteering, get in touch and we'll be happy to share our thoughts on the subject!
