ACT Ready for Work
Podcast Episode 4

Getting Strategic about Doing
 

Guest Ed Morrison applies the approach of “Strategic Doing” to workforce and economic development. Applying this newer model of strategic planning opens the door to solve complex challenges through productive collaboration.

Founder of the Agile Strategy Lab at Purdue University, Ed developed a new discipline called Strategic Doing – to shift from old strategy approaches that were designed for hierarchies and don’t work well in modern-day networks. To develop a strategy under this new approach, two questions must be answered: Where are we going? How will we get there? 

Using Strategic Frameworks helps practitioners in workforce development take their domain knowledge further. It provides a framework for networks to make collaboration a powerful, effective process, and it shifts the conversation from answering to stakeholders to creating a network of shareholders.  

Ed answers the tough questions like:

  • For organizations who are accountable to multiple organizations and both internal and external stakeholders, how might we gain both clarity and consensus through the Strategic Doing process? 
  • Can Strategic Doing make our interactions more efficient? 
  • What research is available to demonstrate the benefits of the Strategic Doing model? 

Listen to Episode 4 for a new approach to complex collaboration. Learn how to build networks of people who want to work together. 

“An effective strategy has to give us clear and concise answers of where are we going and how will we get there.” 

- Ed Morrison 

Join the Conversation

Ed Morrison: @edmorrison 

Agile Strategy Lab: @agilelabpurdue

Jasen Jones: @JasenCJones 

ACT Twitter: @act 

ACT LinkedIn: ACT Workforce Solutions
#ACTReadyForWork #ACTWorkforce

Ed Morrison

About Ed Morrison

The founder of the Agile Strategy Lab, Ed’s work emphasizes the strategic value of focused regional collaborations and open innovation, and network-based models in today’s global economy. 

Ed developed a new discipline called Strategic Doing to accelerate these collaborations that is now widely used across the U.S. and is gaining attention internationally. His work won the first Arthur D. Little Award for excellence in economic development presented by the American Economic Development Council. 

Prior to starting his economic development work, Ed worked for Telesis, a corporate strategy consulting firm. In this position, he served on consulting teams for clients such as Ford Motor Company, Volvo, and General Electric. He conducted manufacturing cost studies in the U.S., Japan, Mexico, Canada, Italy, Sweden, and France. 

Ed started his professional career in Washington, D.C., where he has served as a legislative assistant to an Ohio Congressman, staff attorney in the Federal Trade Commission, and staff counsel in the US Senate. He holds a BA degree cum laude with honors from Yale University and MBA and JD degrees from the University of Virginia.