michaelrochonnn/mckinsey-bcg-consulting/dynamic-strategic-positioning

Dynamic Strategic Positioning

Use this skill when you need to develop or refine long-term strategy with a focus on continuous adaptation rather than static positioning. This approach rejects the concept of Sustainable Superior Positioning (SSP) as a myth in dynamic markets.

When to Use

• Developing long-term strategic frameworks
• Holding or challenging market leadership positions
• Markets show rapid change or discontinuity
• Competitors are disrupting established positions
• Avoiding the "trap" of resting on success monuments

Procedure

1. Construct the Structure (Build)

Use strategic frameworks or matrices to visualize your current position:

• Create axes relevant to your competitive space
• Quantify axes where possible (0-5 scale) to convert subjective views to data
• Treat this as a starting point, not a destination
• Identify your current coordinates in the framework

2. Identify the SSP Trap

Recognize that Sustainable Superior Positioning is a strategic myth:

• Markets are dynamic and non-continuous
• Static positions (monuments) lead to decline
• Examples of failure: IBM mainframes, Kodak, Nokia
• The moment you think you've arrived, you begin to fall behind

3. Destroy and Shift

Apply the "Build and Destroy" principle:

• Actively break your current framework or hypothesis
• Don't wait for the market to shift you—shift yourself first
• Adopt "Change or Die" mindset
• Your current structure is a tool for analysis, not a final state

4. Find New Axes

Identify new competitive dimensions for innovation:

• Move beyond current competitive axes
• Example: Toyota introduced "Time" as a competitive axis vs. Ford's "Scale"
• Ask: What dimension is not currently being competed on?
• Look for orthogonal or new spaces

5. Continuous Cycle

Maintain the ongoing cycle:

• Structure → Analyze → Destroy/Shift → New Structure
• Continuously ask: "What next?" and "How to move?"
• Never stop iterating on your strategic position
• Treat each framework as temporary

Output

Generate a strategic roadmap that emphasizes continuous disruption and repositioning rather than static defense.