What are stories that create strategic stories?

In my last article, I talked about how the starting point for creating a good strategy is the inner energy that springs from a connection with subjective truth.

In the following articles, I would like to focus on how to create a strategy story, which can be called a story that creates a strategy story (meta-story). I mentioned in my previous article that the starting point of this meta-story is the connection with the subjective truth.

In this article, I will discuss the overall steps in creating a strategy story that starts with subjective truth.

Worldview as a premise for strategy creation

This content was conceived by Takahiro Hirano, a consultant, and co-created by the three project members during a total of 1,000 hours of exploration of consciousness(ISHIKI) management, which I call the “Hirano Model” after Mr. Hirano, the originator.

I believe that the “Hirano Model” is as excellent as Ken Kusunoki’s “Competitive Strategy as a Narrative Story.” Mr. Ken Kusunoki’s strategy story is excellent in describing strategy making from a macroscopic viewpoint, while Mr. Takahiro Hirano’s “Hirano Model” is the one and only one in describing strategy making from a microscopic viewpoint.

First, I would like to explain the premise of the worldview and then introduce the “Hirano Model” within that worldview.

As a worldview for strategy creation, we assume three dimensions. The first is the value dimension, which is the dimension we usually assume when we talk about strategy. In this dimension, we describe the flow of value creation and value delivery to customers.

Another is the ecosystem dimension. I will explain in detail what the ecosystem is in a future article, but for now, we can think of it as “people in general.

In a previous article, I talked about one of the misunderstandings of strategy, which is that strategy describes only the business. However, strategy is not only a description of the business(business-side), but also a description of people and organizations (people-side), starting from the energy and subjective truth of each individual, and the business and people must be described as two sides of the same coin.

We can think of this ecosystem dimension as the dimension that describes people-side.

The other dimension is the dimension of consciousness. This is the dimension that describes human consciousness, which has not yet been embodied in values such as subjective truths and the flow of consciousness in the world. Consciousness is the root of phenomena. Human consciousness influences human words and actions, and human words and actions create things. In this sense, we can say that the dimension of consciousness is the most fundamental dimension.

Some of you may ask why we have to assume these three dimensions.

If you can understand the Hirano model I am about to introduce, you will be able to understand the reason for assuming the three dimensions in a comprehensive perspective.

Here, for the time being, to briefly introduce the reason for assuming the three dimensions, it is because people (ecosystem dimension) and things (value dimension) are inextricably linked, and the beginning of good strategy creation is subjective truth (consciousness dimension).

Strategy story evolution steps (Hirano Model)

Assuming a worldview that assumes three dimensions, we will finally introduce the Hirano Model, which represents the evolutionary steps of strategy stories.

The steps (1) through (5) in this figure are the “Hirano Model,” which shows the steps to evolve strategy stories.

“The steps (1) to (5) of the Hirano Model are roughly explained below. (The details will be explained in future articles.

1) Connection to subjective truth (the way we want to be)
Unleash a high level of pure energy from the desire to achieve something from the heart.

2)Emergence and development of ecosystems
Ecosystems (≒ connections among people) that resonate with high levels of pure consciousness and energy will emerge and develop.

3) Emergence and strengthening of team members.
Emergence of a team and teammates who embody high purity of consciousness and energy.

4) Emergence and increase of customers
Emergence (increase) of customers who empathize with the pure consciousness and energy and appreciate the value.

5) Value Creation
Value is realized through collaboration with team members and customers with a high level of consciousness and energy. This chain of value becomes a strategy story.

I will explain the details of this model in future articles, but for now, I would like you to grasp the characteristics of the Hirano model in the following points.

▼ “(1) Connection with subjective truth (what we want to be)” is the beginning (it does not start with objective market analysis).

▼ Steps (1) through (5) create a cycle that moves back and forth between the three dimensions (the dimension of consciousness, the dimension of value, and the dimension of ecosystem).

▼ The strategic story is not completed in a single cycle, but evolves through multiple iterations of this cycle.

▼ The ecosystem dimension and the value dimension are depicted as two sides of the same coin, expressing the unity and interactivity of people and business (a departure from the current management perspective that emphasizes business).

▼ Describes a story that creates a strategy story, which is a micro, causal, and differential process

The most important thing is to connect with subjective truth

Again, I told you that objective facts and analysis cannot be the starting point for creating a strategy story. In “the Hirano model”, the starting point for strategy creation is 1) the connection with subjective truth (what we want to be).

An approach that focuses only on market analysis and market opportunities to build a business model without paying attention to the connection with subjective truths can be neatly summarized as a theoretical discussion, but it will not have any energy to realize it.

The most important feature of the Hirano model is that it begins with a connection to subjective truth.

In this article, I introduced the Hirano Model as a whole set of steps to create a strategy story. I also mentioned that its most important feature is that it starts with a connection to subjective truth. In the next and subsequent articles, I will explain the steps after “connecting with subjective truth” in the Hirano Model.

Here are the quests of the day. (If you’d like, please share your thoughts in the comments.)

・When you envision a strategy story, what good would come from assuming not only the value dimension but also the ecosystem dimension and the consciousness dimension as the premise for your strategy-making worldview?

・In “the Hirano Model,” the overall picture of the steps in creating a strategy story, what are the points that you find distinctive? Why do you feel it is unique?

Bunshiro Ochiai