The Power of the 2 x 2 Matrix

By studying the work of hundreds of the most original and effective business minds, the authors present a common architecture that illuminates exceptional analysis and creative performance. 2 x 2 Thinking is characterized by a fundamental appreciation for the dynamic and complex nature of business. The best strategists go out of their way to tackle dilemmas rather than merely solve problems. They use opposition, creative tension, iteration and transcendence to get to the heart of issues and involve critical others in finding the best solutions. The authors demonstrate how to apply the 2 x 2 approach to a wide range of important business challenges.

Foreword xiii
James H. Gilmore and B. Joseph Pine ii

Acknowledgments xvii

The Authors xix

Introduction 1

Part One: 2 x 2 Thinking

1 The DNA of Great Problem Solving 9

2 Form, Method, and Mastery: 2 × 2 Thinking as Dialectical Process 24

3 The Eight Archetypal Dilemmas 37

Part Two: 2 x 2 Practice

4 Designing 2 × 2 Matrices: Making Intuition Explicit 61

5 2 × 2 Thinking in Action: Fujitsu FTXS Tackles Level 2 Dilemmas 69

Part Three: 2 x 2 Frameworks Inventory

6 Strategic Frameworks 91

Beyond Customer Led 95

Discontinuity and the Life Cycle 99

Customer as Value Manager 105

Customer Value Analysis 107

Scenarios 115

Gartner Magic Quadrant 121

Portfolio Analysis 125

Problems and Solutions 127

Dialectical SWOT Analysis: Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats 129

Market Tipping 131

Corporate Strategy 134

Generic Strategy 139

E-Business Opportunity Matrix 144

Global Product Planning 146

Generic Network Strategy 148

Mass Customization: The Four Approaches 151

Attentionscape 156

Managing Customer Loyalty 158

Likelihood to Buy 161

Revenue and Profitability 163

BCG: Product Portfolio Matrix 169

Impact-Uncertainty Matrix 173

Entrance and Exit Strategies 177

7 Organizational Frameworks 180

Good to Great Matrix of Creative Discipline 184

Employee Motivation 188

Alliance Drivers 190

Team Types 193

Situational Leadership 195

The Four Power Players in Knowledge Organizations 199

T-Group Leadership 202

Seci 204

Human Capital 210

Differentiation and Integration 215

Means and Ends 219

The Change Grid 221

Learning and Change 223

Similarities and Differences 225

The Four Realms of Experience 228

Make versus Buy 233

Four Square Model 236

Product and Supply Chain Architecture 238

Telematics Framework 244

The Virtue Matrix 246

8 Individual Frameworks 250

Johari Window 255

Myers-Briggs Type Indicator 261

Learning Styles Inventory 267

I’m OK, You’re OK: The Four Life Positions 269

Conflict Mode 271

Social Styles 274

Getting It Right 279

Leadership Coaching 281

Career Transitioning 283

Prisoner’s Dilemma 286

Urgency and Importance 290

Influence and Concern 292

Notes 295

Index 303

Alex Lowy is an internationally recognized thought leader specializing in the creation of innovative work, learning, and information systems. He is the cofounder and past president of Digital 4Sight, a global technology think tank and strategy consulting firm with headquarters in Toronto, Canada. He has coauthored two best-selling business books, Digital Capital: Harnessing the Power of Business Webs (2000) and Blueprint to the Digital Economy (1998) with Don Tapscott and David Ticoll. In 2003, he formed the Transcend Strategy Group.

Phil Hood is one of Silicon Valley’s most thoughtful voices on the development and use of multimedia and pervasive computing technologies. He is the former executive editor of NewMedia magazine, and a contributing columnist to Wired. For two years he was chief executive officer of Digital 4Sight. He is a senior consulting associate to Stanford Research International (SRI), and a partner with Alex Lowy in the Transcend Strategy Group.

The Power of the 2 x 2 Matrix is a gold mine of ideas and tools for the business problem solver. Draw from the book’s collection of 56 outstanding frameworks applied by leading business thinkers such as Michael Porter, Stephen Covey, and Igor Ansoff. These tested frameworks will help you tackle the thorniest of issues and learn how to apply 2 x 2 Thinking--the strategic orientation of the most successful and innovative problem solvers.