Strategy lessons from Shahbagh

Photo: AMRAN HOSSAIN

The events unfolding in Shahbagh consume a significant portion of our attention these days -- and rightly so. Most of our thoughts naturally revolve around the political, human, legal, and, at times, inspirational dimensions of what Shahbagh represents. But what about the lessons that Shahbagh can bring to light for organisational strategy?
There may be several lessons on strategy here. This article highlights only two of them:

Responsiveness and adaptability
Both are important characteristics of any successful initiative. Shahbagh protests began the same day when the unpopular verdict on Abdul Quader Mollah had been announced. It did not take weeks or even days for the first set of response to start. This allowed a platform for the public discourse on the subject to initiate and galvanise almost instantaneously.
On the 11th day, the organisers announced their plan to hold protests from 3-10pm every day at Shahbagh, cutting down from the 24-hour round-the-clock programme they had previously followed.
However, at the news of blogger Rajib's death, they reverted back to their round-the-clock schedule and made the necessary announcements within hours of hearing the news. This sent a strong signal: Shahbagh is in close touch with the events on the ground and it is able to adapt to any situation -- come what may.
From an organisational strategy-lens, responsiveness and adaptability are qualities that separate the leading organisations from the rest of pack. This requires at least three separate capabilities to work effectively.
First, it requires a "scan" capability: being able to monitor what's happening on the ground on a continuous basis and having a proper escalation process for things that require attention.
Second, it requires a "response strategy" capability: being able to quickly identify what remedial or opportunistic steps are needed to address the issues identified through the escalation process.
Third, it requires the capability to execute the strategy. Examples of organisational responsiveness to adverse situations include: Toyota recalling nearly 14 million vehicles last year to fix its hybrid car's "unintended acceleration" problem; and various airlines cancelling flights to New York in October 2012 after cyclone Sandy and re-routing passengers to the extent possible.

Keeping dogged focus on a single topic
Shahbagh's focus has been single-minded from the start: bringing all war criminals to justice. There are many challenges that Bangladesh faces today. From inadequate healthcare services and mal-governance to abject poverty and human rights abuse, the list of issues that could have given rise to many a Shahbagh-like protests is long.
Moreover, once the Shahbagh platform had been established, the organisers could have used this platform to raise voice on many of these and other issues. But they have been assigned to keep a sharp focus on the war criminal's justice issue. This has allowed the protests to resonate more profoundly among the population.
From an organisational strategy-lens, companies typically have a portfolio of products or services that they offer. However, those organisations that promote a single product at any given time tend to materialise greater returns on their investments. This requires an internal prioritisation capability and the ability to remain focused on the number one opportunity for a certain period of time.
Needless to say, the priorities can shift over time. For example, when Apple launches a new version of iPhone, its complete energy focuses on this new product for weeks and months, as opposed to also promoting other products, such as laptops or desktops, at the same time. While some may argue that this approach has the risk of potentially cannibalising the remaining products in the portfolio, if such a strategy is designed and executed right, the cannibalising effect, if any, can be kept at an insignificant level for the duration of the campaign.
Shahbagh has catalysed our thoughts and actions in a very profound way. How long will Shahbagh continue? Will the judicial system be moved by the public sentiments? Should the judicial system allow public sentiments to influence its decision making capacity? When and how does Shahbagh end? Will the monumental energy generated from Shahbagh be channeled elsewhere? How? The questions are endless.
But in whatever way the Shahbagh events happen to unfold, the process it has undergone can impart many lessons. Just the same way that the 1952 Language Movement events have imparted lessons that primed the 1971 Liberation War events; the lessons from those two historical events have informed many actions during the Shahbagh events.
The lessons from Shahbagh can not only inform future mass movements, they can also be applied in more direct and immediate ways for crafting organisational strategies, may they be for a non-profit, for-profit, social, or governmental organisation, or even for a nation.

The writer is Managing Partner at pi Strategy Consulting.