The idea
Positioning is selective preparation for the transitions that matter, not an attempt to stay ready for every future. It can be worth accepting a cost in the current state to avoid being badly placed after an important change. As information arrives, preparation should give way to commitment.
Situation
The next state is uncertain, but waiting to see what happens may leave too little time to respond.
Useful when
Preparing for a project to change direction after an experimentAllocating capacity before customer demand is clearDeciding which failure transitions deserve protectionChoosing when to stop preparing and commit
Watch for
Preparing for too many futures can spread resources too thin. Reassess the position as information arrives, and commit when preparation no longer justifies its cost.
Where this came from
Football