Pragmatic Practices (3): Compass Rules of Strategy

Following is an abridged set of Our Compass360 Consulting Group's Universal rules of strategy:

1. Always know when it is a practice session and when it is a real time life situation.
2. Assess. Position and Influence
3. Knowing the settings of your competitive terrains and the strategic dispositions of each principal.
   
4. Plan and prepare before the grand planning session. Then, plan and prepare for the next situation.
   
5. Always script your first 18-26 plays.
6. Build, Connect and Lead
7. Always know the big picture before making a strategic move.
8. Identify the situation in terms of advantages and disadvantages
9. Always be prepared (for positive and negative case scenarios)
10. Build your big picture with your team. Connect your big picture with them, Then they will lead with it.
11. Focus on implementing your strategic platform while being mindfully aware of your performance metrics and your contingencies.
12. Always strategize geometrically.
13. Know when to make a vital move, an urgent move or a "big play" move.
14. Predict “Two steps ahead” subconscious trend and propose a “Half step ahead” solution
15. Always record the essential strategic moves of your venture (or game).
16. It is better to be slightly early than to be on-time.
17. It is better to be slightly late than to never follow-through.
18. Stay focused, avoid contentment.
19. Be light, not heavy.
20. Be the spear player not the spear carrier.
21. Only the paranoid survive (quote from Andrew Grove of Intel)
22. Always have your Go bag available.
23. Always have a diverse strategic network
24. While strategizing, he/she must be aware that someone else is also strategizing.
25. Be formless.
    
26. The best strategist uses the big picture to predict and prevent.