Many years ago, a friend and colleague of mine mentioned that I was a "leaf on the wind." Initially I did not internalize what he meant, since I was successful at my job. I interpreted his observation as: I could adapt easily and “go with the flow.”

It took me years to realize what my friend meant: I was taking the “safe” route, being directed by external influences. That although people thought of me as a hard and reliable worker, I never took a stand on anything. That I had lost my identity in the chaos.

Well, that’s no good…

The Identity Dilemma

The Windows Mobile story is a great metaphor of this "identity issue" applied to a product. Since the beginning, Windows Mobile tried to be everything to everyone. Even though its devices were focused on business use cases, Windows Mobile tried to be a full, standalone Windows OS—but with a phone bolted onto it. It didn't fully address the needs of consumers, and was a dismal user experience.

While their efforts may have been noble, the Windows Mobile team just hadn’t rolled out their product, or addressed consumers, in a strategic way. As a result, Windows Mobile lost its identity. Nobody notices it.

Enter stage right: iPhone.

No Risk, No Reward

Most the time, losing identity—whether we're talking people or products—results from not having a plan. From not creating a strategy, being assertive, or taking a risk.

We always hear: “With no risk there is no reward.” Sure this is an oversimplified cliché, but there is a ring of truth to it. Thinking strategically can help us take intelligent risks, and create and execute a plan. Being strategic also improves the odds of a positive outcome.

If Windows Mobile had chosen to target a specific niche (such as business or consumer) and thought through the user experience, maybe they would have been more successful. But that would have meant taking the risk of reducing purchases or alienating one audience.

Think Strategically

I just finished reading Learning to Think Strategically, by Julia Sloan. It was a very informative and enlightening read.

Sloan’s advice is to employ an iterative process in three stages: preparation, experience, and evaluation. Then, repeat the process to refine to the plan. The book provides tools, guidelines and cites real world examples that neatly exemplify her writing.

Strategize Yourself

What does thinking and planning strategically mean for me? It means having a purpose by need or desire. It means defining the problem or goal and studying, focusing, accepting and coping with the unknowns. It means coming up with a plan to navigate and bring order to chaos. It means taking risks. It means validating my plan through dialogue with others: inviting criticism and feedback from peers and external influencers who can help me improve.

And by the way: I'm happy to say that just today (10/06/09), Windows Mobile announced the release of Windows 6.5. This release consciously targets consumer needs and is a huge step toward addressing their identity dilemma. It seems that they now have a good working strategy in place. Congratulations guys.

Have you felt as though you were powerless over the chaos in your world or domain? Have you found an effective and successful way to engage and address it? Let us know by leaving a comment. And if you tweet, follow us on Twitter to learn about new content, opinions and articles.