From measuring clouds to active listening

This article describes an action research case study based on a UK boat-building company that was in serious difficulty, with the managers 'stuck' as to what was their best course of action. The application of traditional strategic management approaches to this case was inappropriate, so another method was developed in order to liberate the managers from their inaction. The outcome was the formulation of a successful strategy that was effectively implemented. The managers agreed that the method was useful for resolving their predicament and it may be relevant in other cases where traditional strategic management is either not suitable or is rejected by practitioners.