Values and Strategic Quitting: The Power of Choosing
When making decisions, many variables are at play. It’s easy to get tangled up deciding which projects to start or initiatives to run, especially when they promise great outcomes for individuals, businesses or governments. Pursuing every initiative that might bring value—without making clear decisions—leads to problems. Initiatives often compete for the same resources or demand conflicting delivery methods. In the end, you’ll deliver mediocre results on initiatives that initially seemed promising.
As a strategic advisor working for the Colombian National government, I faced multiple situations in which there was a need to make difficult choices, especially when it came to allocating a short budget. While advising on higher education policy, we faced a difficult choice: provide fully funded ‘free’ education for a few, or widen access through hybrid (public and private) higher education and funding models like student loans. By prioritising coverage over fully subsidised public education, the country increased its gross higher education coverage rate from 20% to almost 50% in just 20 years. Both options were positive, but we couldn’t have it all—so we made a choice that delivered greater long-term impact.
So to deal with difficult choices, we can define clear decision-making frameworks. These frameworks help us decide upfront what's best for us. Two key elements in this process are corporate values and strategic quitting—tools that are particularly useful when making long-term or complex decisions, sometimes called strategic decisions (although we might overuse the "s" word).
What Are Corporate Values?
Corporate values are everywhere in business. We often hear about value-driven organisations and aligning personal values with company values. But when asked, "What are your corporate values?" or "What does 'values' mean to you?" the answers are often unclear.
In essence, corporate values aren’t just about choosing between good and bad—they’re about choosing between two good things. For instance, it’s easy to say "We value clarity over confusion", but what about choosing between safety and profits? Corporate values define which positive elements we prioritise over others. This requires openness and honesty about what we value most and often involves a journey to understand our true preferences. It's easy to claim we prefer customer satisfaction over profitability, but do our decisions reflect that?
Corporate values become particularly valuable when facing complexity and uncertainty. In the example image, the values illustrate this by showing that some elements are valued over others. This doesn't mean we ignore the elements after "over"; it means we value the ones before it more.
Goals and processes, stability, guidance and individual expertise are incredibly valuable. However, in this context, other elements are even more important. When they clash, these values help us move forward.
What Is Strategic Quitting?
Another crucial concept in decision-making is strategic quitting. Strategy is about deciding what to do—but also what to quit. When defining goals, resources, and ways of working, leaders and teams often try to do everything. They overcommit, spreading resources too thin across multiple initiatives This dilutes focus and impact.
Strategic quitting is about intentionally letting go. It involves deciding what you won’t do so you can fully commit to what matters most. Google's philosophy, “It's best to do one thing really well,” captures this approach perfectly. By quitting strategically, we create space to focus on the initiatives that truly drive success.
When building a strategy, it’s just as important to define what you’ll quit as it is to decide what you’ll pursue. Quitting is a deliberate choice to allocate resources where they’ll have the greatest impact.
Conclusion: Utilising Values and Quitting for Success
Here are three key principles to remember:
Prioritise between positive options: Understand that corporate values help us choose between two good things. By clearly defining which positive elements we value more—like safety over profits—we can make decisions that align with our true priorities.
Be open and honest about your values: Establishing corporate values requires transparency about what matters most to your organisation. This openness facilitates a shared understanding among team members, making it easier to navigate complex decisions.
Embrace strategic quitting: Recognise that strategy involves deciding not only what to pursue but also what to let go. By identifying and quitting initiatives that overextend resources or dilute focus, you can concentrate on what truly drives success.
By integrating clear corporate values with the practice of strategic quitting, you equip your team and organisation to make better decisions, efficiently use resources, and embark on a path to High Performance and Happiness.
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