Strategy via Substrate

STRATEGY VIA SUBSTRATE

• Cynefin determines the type of decisions that can be made by domain, but also focuses on changing the substrate by shifting between domains.

• Flexuous Curves identifies when new initiatives can enter a market and the options to manage that entry

• Estuarine mapping (which includes affordance and assemblage) determines the nature of the substrate and what is possible.

• WRAS(SE) brings all of that and more together in a portfolio approach to strategy

WRAS(SE)

The Welsh word for wrasse—a type of brightly colored marine fish—is gwrachen. It's a feminine noun and is used to refer to various species within the Labridae family, known for their thick lips and strong teeth.

Interestingly, the English word wrasse itself has Celtic roots. It comes from the Cornish word wrah, which is related to the Welsh word gwrach, meaning “old woman” or “hag”. So there's a linguistic twist: the name of the fish in English is indirectly tied to a Welsh word, but the actual Welsh term for the fish is different.