Marty Neumeier - Scramble: How agile strategy can build epic brands in record time

SCRAMBLE

2018 by Marty Neumeier

All rights reserved

No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, whether mechanical, photocopying, electronic, recording, or otherwise, without prior written permission from the publisher, except by a reviewer who may quote brief passages in a review

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www.martyneumeier.com

Publisher: Level C Media
Design production: Jameson Spence
Cover design: Marty Neumeier
Editing: Zach Gajewski

ISBN 978-0-9974102-5-9

An audience of fifty executives leaned forward, listening intently. Id been invited to speak on the topic of leadership and creativity. My message was simple: in a time of accelerating change, leaders can no longer decide the way forward; instead, they have to design the way forward. Customers want more than products and services. They want meaning. Personal growth. A chance to reach their full potential.

Were not human beings, I said in closing, were human becomings.

The audience rose to its feet in heartfelt applause. I knew Id nailed it. When the clapping subsided and everyone sat down, a hand shot up. An usher hurried over with a microphone. A fortyish woman with flecks of gray in her hair stood up to speak.

I think I understand what youre saying: leaders need to be more creative today, she said, consulting her notes. We cant rely on old case studies for answers to new questions. We need to think about what could be, not just what is or what has been. The real innovation is the customer, not the product. We need to align our culture with the larger goals of customers.

She looked up. These seem like good tips. And the tools you gave us are easy to understand. But Im having trouble squaring the tools with my experience. Im not sure how theyd feel in my hands. Do you know what I mean?

Heads nodded vigorously around the room. I realized then that I hadnt nailed it. I attempted a response, but it sounded glib. I secretly thought, well, jeez, thats why you hire a company like ours. Did you really think you could learn everything from a talk? Yet I wanted to offer more than a sales pitch.

Theres a famous saying among authors: all books are failures. Thats because its extremely difficult to transfer knowledge or experience from one person to another. Nowhere is this truer than with business books. They tend to be tedious, humorless, headache-inducing, repetitive, and long. They promise a miracle at twenty-five dollars, but die on the nightstand with a bookmark stuck in chapter one.

Ever since I gave that talk, the question of how the tools would actually feel in my hands has haunted me.

A CEO friend of mine got me thinking. He said, What people really want is a realistic picture of how a new approach will work in their lives. Most business books are boring: theyre full of case studies, abstract principles, and disembodied tools. They leave out the experience of adopting a new approach: the emotions, the obstacles, the setbacks, the human interaction, the relentless pressure. They dont give you a feel for the tools. Couldnt you just skip the case studies and tell a story?

Thus was born Scramble, a fictional account of a young CEO in trouble. He and his team have five weeks to reimagine their company. If the board approves their plan, theyll live to fight another day. If not, theyll lose their jobs, their company, and everything theyve been working for.

The tools at the heart of the book are the five Qs of strategy and the five Ps of design thinking. These make up the basic principles of agile strategya faster, more collaborative approach to transforming a business. Agile strategy isnt rocket surgery. Its a commonsense approach that anyone can use for a wide range of business and organizational challenges.

Scramble is not just for leaders but for everyone involved in building a business or brand. Whether youre a strategist, marketer, designer, writer, researcher, project manager, accountant, consultant, instructor, or venture capitalist, youll find familiar challenges and recognizable faces in the book.

Youll also discover the ability to see your business in a new lightnot as a static set of requirements, but as a living opportunity, a becoming that responds to passionate purpose and focused creativity.

At the back of the book Ive included a Guide to Agile Strategy, a recap of the principles highlighted in the story. You can download a copy of the guide and other useful tools from my website, martyneumeier.com.

If you enjoy Scramble, please share it with the people you work with. Agile strategy functions best when every member of the team has a feel for the tools.

Marty Neumeier

Wednesday, December 1. The drizzle turned to rain, kicking up tiny spikes of water on the oily streets. David Stone pulled the handle of the Uber and piled into the back, slamming the door behind him. He flicked the button on his smartphone: 7:15 p.m.

A pair of heavy eyebrows rose up in the rearview mirror. Easy on the Prius, said the driver.

David apologized, still out of breath from his dash to the car.

Hells Kitchen? said the eyes in the mirror.

Right, said David, making a conscious effort to slow his breathing. BigSky headquarters. Across from the Bull Building.

Okaaay, said the driver. He swung the car in a sharp arc and pointed uptown. Angry horns blared from behind. The rain was quickening, and the windshield wipers beat frantically to keep up.

Davids superior, Andy Vineyard, had sounded strange on the phone. Brusque. Impatient. Why call David back to the office at this hour? What was so important that it couldnt wait for morning?

True, things hadnt been going well. Revenues were down. The companys valuation had slipped since David had taken the reins in January. There were headwinds, factors far beyond his control. The economy was faltering. People werent traveling as much. The country had turned inward. But he was doing his best; even Andy had said so. The two enjoyed a warm relationship: Andy, the avuncular mentor, and David, the promising young protg. Hed never have taken the top job at BigSky without the steady support of its well-regarded founder.

Excuse me for asking, said the driver. You in some kind of trouble? The eyes in the mirror again. You look, uh, distressed.

Drive, said David, falling back in his seat. He was allergic to talkative drivers, and this one looked like a real Chatty Cathy.

Just so you know, theres a demonstration at the Bull Building. Streets are blocked off.

Get me as close as you can, David said curtly. He checked his phone: 7:25. He told Andy hed be there by 7:40. Punctuality was hardwired in David.

Ever since last year, when Richard Bull won the presidency, the scene around the Bull Building had become one of constant chaos. Police cordoned off the nearby streets whenever Bull was back in town, and flash-mob protests erupted in front of the building every time he made one of his ill-considered pronouncements. It was an unkind trick of fate that BigSky was located directly across the street.

I recognized you right away, said the driver, looking in the mirror. CEO of the hotel company, right? Tough gig.

David considered whether to reply. Talk about a tough gig. This guys an Uber driver. He doesnt realize hell be booted out by bots in five years. Hes wasting his life on a career with obsolescence baked into it. But David decided to bite. What do you know about BigSky?