This research went into designing Strategy Labs for many organizations, like the National Hockey League, Estee Lauder Cosmetics, Conoco Phillips, Credit Suisse and many others. I build on the work of organizations taking a creative approach to strategy, like IDEO and MG Taylor (founded by Matt and Gail Taylor) who built their design shops around a deceptively simple, but powerful process called: 1) Scan to Learn, 2) Focus on best alternatives, and 3) Act.
Today there are many progressive companies whose strategic processes combine both brilliant logical analysis and creative exercises, in some kind of collaborative, Strategy Lab process. Some of the best examples are Edward Catmull and Pixar, Astro Teller and the Google X laboratories and Moonshot projects, and my traditional favorite, P & G, whose leaders participated in some of my earlier Strategy Labs as guest speakers to talk about their approach to customer focused innovation that led to creating at least 12 billion dollar businesses from scratch, Pampers and Swiffer amongst them.