Introducing the Alstradev Cycle: A More Fluid Approach to Strategy

It is no secret that the pace of change in our world is accelerating. Changes, many of which not necessarily good nor in the best interests of the majority— primarily the greedy, power-hungry and entitled. Yet, despite this, egotists in positions of power and our inept governments push such things upon us with a baseless argument that these modifications to integral aspects of society are ‘in our best interest.’ Thus, we are told to accept change as an inevitability rather than a possibility.

Why do we tell you this?

It is important to understand that any change, whether for our benefit or to our detriment, does not matter; what does matter, however, is our level of reply and ability to create and enact contingencies so that we may successfully navigate through and beyond such circumstances. And so, it becomes exceedingly more evident that in this age of rapid transformation, organisations must secure their futures by formulating and executing strategies which are not only robust but also highly adaptable.

This is where the Alstradev Cycle comes into play. It is a framework designed to be protean, i.e., versatile, and adaptable. Its purpose is to empower strategists and organisations alike to pivot, shift, reorganise, and refine if necessary, all while ensuring pertinence to customer needs and competitiveness in a dynamic world.

What We Mean By “Protean”

By describing the Alstradev Cycle as protean, we signify that the framework contains a high degree of flexibility and adaptability. In a world of political upheaval, economic uncertainty, societal evolution's, and technological innovation, among other challenges, rigidity spells disaster.

Increasingly, organisations need frameworks that allow for continuous transitions in the methods of attainment and a clear pathway to refinement. A protean strategy knows that for growth, progress and sustainability to be possible, an organisation has to remove itself from the shackles of a static course.

The Alstradev Cycle’s adaptability makes it particularly suited to these volatile environments. By integrating mechanisms for real-time feedback, ongoing analysis, and the ability to modify tactics, the cycle ensures that organisations can respond swiftly and strategically without losing sight of their long-term desired outcomes.

Guiding Principles: The Bedrock Of The Alstradev Cycle

The effectiveness of the Alstradev Cycle lies in its three guiding principles—alignment, relevance, and unification—which ensure its integrity and coherence throughout the process.

Alignment: Every decision, action, and adjustment must conform to the organisation’s values and remain aligned with an overarching, desired outcome. This principle ensures the strategy stays sharply focused even amidst modification and remedy.

Relevance: To sustain advantageous positions and uphold strong customer relationships, the strategy must remain attuned to the external environment while continually leveraging and enhancing internal capabilities. This principle ensures that decisions are based on current realities, avoiding reliance on outdated assumptions.

Unification: All parts of the organisation must work cohesively. Strategy formulation and enactment cannot exist in isolation; they must be integrative, and involve stakeholders at every level.

Together, these principles serve as the cycle's bedrock, ensuring its flexibility and adaptability do not lead to a loss of focus or fragmentation.

The Structure of the Alstradev Cycle

The Alstradev Cycle contains five key components, categorised into two critical stages: Formulation and Enactment. Understanding the importance of these two stages is vital to crafting and implementing an effective strategy.

1. Formulation: This stage is essential for building the foundation of your strategy and consists of three components:

• Judgements and Choices: This initial phase guides organisations through critical inquiry, forming sound judgements and making integrative, informed choices, tailored to the specific level or category of strategy — corporate, business, functional, political, etc. This phase facilitates the convergence of creative theorisation and pragmatic analysis enabling organisations to evaluate, prioritise, and discard potential alternatives. This process culminates in the formulation of a cohesive and adaptive strategy.
• Declaration: In this phase, the strategy and the organisation’s intentions are clearly communicated to all relevant stakeholders. This declaration conveys the organisation’s desired outcome and strategic direction while determining roles and responsibilities across the organisation. It serves as a compass, providing clarity for subsequent actions and decisions.
• Allocation and Positioning: This phase focuses on effectively distributing resources and strategically positioning individuals, teams, and ultimately, the organisation where opportunities can be best seized and exploited. This phase requires foresight and a deep understanding of individual strengths, competitor dynamics, and the optimal utilisation of resources.

Even with the vision to become a “protean” organisation, the formulation stage (especially initial formulation) should not be taken lightly. This stage is, and will always remain, crucial as it lays the groundwork for future action. Without a robust and well-informed strategic formulation, all execution will be unfocused and ineffective.

2. Enactment: This stage brings the formulated strategy to life through implementation and assessment, comprising two key components:

• Action: This is the phase where strategy transforms from concept to tangible measure through tactics. Each move, informed by the insights gained in the formulation stage, is deliberately implemented with skill, precision and purpose to transform knowledge and theory into concrete results.
• Analysis: Continuous assessment of actions taken, and the outcomes they yield, is essential in this phase. Analysis transforms information and data into intelligence, providing valuable insights that inform future decisions and necessary refinements.

The Enactment stage is vital for translating strategic intentions into reality. Effective execution ensures that formulated strategies are implemented, monitored, and refined, allowing organisations to remain agile and responsive to change.

Informed Progression: The Power of Feedback Loops

One of the most powerful aspects of the Alstradev Cycle is its emphasis on informed progression. Unlike many other frameworks, which underline execution as the final step, the cycle understands that strategy never ends so long as there is an active player in the game. As such, it continuously loops back allowing insights gained from the Analysis phase to inform future decisions. This continuous feedback loop ensures that strategy formulation and enactment are not linear or disconnected processes but part of an ongoing, adaptive cycle.

This is where the protean nature of the Cycle truly shines. The insights gained from the analysis enable organisations to adjust tactics (short-term modifications), reallocate resources and reposition strategically (medium-term adjustments), or, if truly necessary, undertake a full strategy overhaul (long-term adjustment). These feedback-driven refinements prevent stagnation, ensuring agility in the face of unexpected disruptions, while also providing the opportunity for proactive action in response to anticipated shifts.

Counter-Argument to Protean: The Case for Stability

A common counter-argument against the protean approach is that constant adaptation can lead to instability and perplexity. Critics claim that too much flexibility risks diluting focus, making it difficult for organisations to commit to long-term outcomes and build maintained momentum. From this viewpoint, businesses that frequently pivot may struggle to establish a strong, consistent identity — both in the marketplace and internally with employees. This inconsistency can undermine trust in the organisation’s vision, leading to uncertainty among stakeholders and a loss of confidence in leadership.

Supporters of traditional strategy argue for prioritising long-term stability through rigid plans. They believe this approach provides a sense of direction and allows for deeper investment in core areas, building a strong foundation capable of weathering disruption without the need for frequent re-calibration. To them, maintaining the course, rather than adapting to every change in the environment, seems a more reliable way to ensure strategic success.

Why Not Being Protean is a Mistake

While stability offers comfort, it neglects the realities of volatility and disruption we see today. To assume that a long-term, rigid strategy would be sufficient to safeguard against our changeable world is preposterous and empty-headedness at its best. Admittedly, a fixed approach works well in the short term, but strategy is not a short-term game. Eventually, this level of thinking opens you up to an array of vulnerabilities: missed opportunities, competitive disadvantage and external threats when the environment shifts; to name a few.

What many critics overlook when criticising protean strategies, such as the Alstradev Cycle, is that these frameworks do not promote reckless or random adjustments. On the contrary, considerable forethought and analysis go into determining if, when and how one should adapt. Protean strategy isn’t about abandoning direction but maintaining strategic foresight while allowing for the necessary flexibility to adjust when circumstances change.

Overall, protean strategies understand that today’s methods, more than ever, require agility, but with purpose.