When it comes to politics, there is no perfect strategy – no algorithm – that can guarantee the behaviours of politicians any where. But it’s simply in our best interest to add our contribution and give them close marking everywhere we can to help them now.

Let’s first look at signals of some of their strategy that, if seen, should be worrisome to us all. Here are six of the possible traps: 

1. The dreams-that-never-come-true strategy:                                                                                                                                                     Promoting high-level aspirations that never get translated into concrete where-to-play, how-to-win choices as well as core capabilities.       Aspirations are not strategy.

2. The program-of-the-month strategy:                                                                                                                                                                Settling for generic strategies, worn-out approach of the old order. If those had worked out, this new government just won’t be here           now. The more this government’s choices look like those of the last era, the less likely it will ever win.

3. The do-it-all strategy:                                                                                                                                                                                      Failing to make choices, and making everything a priority, just for populist pleasure. Strategy is choice.

4. The Don Quixote strategy:                                                                                                                                                                             Attacking “walled-up challenges” where they can’t show any “quick win”. Remember, where to play is always a choice. They should           pick some programmesin which they can have a chance to show some fast positive results.

5. The Waterloo strategy:                                                                                                                                                                                   Starting wars on multiple fronts at the same time without being truly sure of guaranteed resources. No government can do everything         well.

6. The something-for-everyone strategy:                                                                                                                                                             Attempting to capture all constituency and interest segments at once. To create real value, this government will have to choose to serve       some constituents well at a time and plan to move to others only subsequently.

Reference: PLAYING TO WIN by Lafley & Martin.

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