Strategy Development is much more than prediction. It is not consensus. It is a bet. Every strategic decision is a wager on what will matter, what will shift, and what will win. The best organizations are not the ones that get it right every time—they are the ones that understand what kind of bet they are making, and why.
Strategic Planning turns these bets into systems. It makes the implicit explicit. It aligns resources, creates targets, builds accountability. But planning alone is never enough. It tells you what you want to do and not what your organization will actually do.
This is where the 5 Ps of Strategy Framework, developed by Henry Mintzberg, adds real muscle. It explains not just what strategy is supposed to be, but what it often becomes. It frames strategy not as a blueprint, but as a set of perspectives.
The framework breaks down strategy into:
- Plan
- Ploy
- Pattern
- Position
- Perspective
Source: https://flevy.com/browse/flevypro/5-ps-of-strategy-framework-9568
The 5 Ps of Strategy model is not a process. It is a tool for sensemaking. For evaluating intent, behavior, context, tactics, and corporate culture. Most importantly, it tells you whether your strategy is balanced or dangerously skewed.
Why the 5 Ps Matter More Than Ever
Leaders are operating in compressed timeframes, dynamic markets, and blurred categories. The 5 Ps help make order out of that chaos. They allow for deliberate planning while leaving room for improvisation. They enable precision without rigidity.
The value lies in what it reveals. Most strategies fail because the plan does not match the pattern. Or because the perspective no longer fits the market. Or because the position has eroded, but no one noticed. This framework is diagnostic. It catches what PowerPoint misses.
It also levels the field. Strategy conversations often get hijacked by abstractions or opinions. The 5 Ps offer a shared vocabulary—grounded in reality, applicable across industries, and relevant at every level of the organization.
And yes, it is scalable. Use it for annual planning. Use it in Merger & Acquisition (M&A) due diligence. Use it to reframe why a three-year transformation is stuck. You will find something worth fixing.
How the Ps Work Together
The strength of the model is in the mix.
Use Plan to clarify goals and direction. Use Ploy to disrupt the market in moments that matter. Use Pattern to validate what has actually worked. Use Position to define your relevance. Use Perspective to align the organization’s soul with its actions.
Over-rely on one, and the strategy becomes brittle. Blend all five, and the strategy becomes durable.
Let’s discuss the first two Ps in a bit of detail for now.
Plan
This is the classic strategy play—articulated through goals, roadmaps, and structured priorities. It is long-term, often formalized, and typically cascaded down through teams.
The benefit is clarity. Everyone knows what is being done and why. But clarity without flexibility is fragility. Plans age fast. When market conditions shift, overly detailed plans become anchors, not guides.
Ploy
This is what most organizations forget to leverage. A ploy is a targeted maneuver—short-term, precise, often competitive. It is what you deploy when the stakes are high, and time is short.
Think about the early days of Netflix announcing streaming before the infrastructure was fully in place. That was not an accident—it was a ploy to force the industry to pivot. These moves are powerful. But if used without a long-term view, they erode trust.
The right ploy changes behavior. The wrong one creates noise.
Case Study
Adobe is a masterclass in applying the 5 Ps Framework without ever mentioning it. Let us break it down.
Plan: The organization shifted from boxed software to cloud-based subscription. That transition required an intentional roadmap and bold investment in infrastructure.
Ploy: While transitioning, Adobe continued to release legacy products. It kept competitors in the dark and customers calm.
Pattern: A consistent focus on user experience, integration, and pricing flexibility emerged across business units.
Position: Adobe redefined its space—not just as a design tool, but as an enterprise creative platform, spanning analytics, AI, and content workflows.
Perspective: The belief that creativity is a competitive advantage permeates the organization. From brand messaging to product updates, the values are embedded.
Adobe’s strategy was not perfect. But it was layered, thoughtful, and balanced. The 5 Ps were all at work, some formally, others culturally. That is the point. Strategy does not always announce itself. Sometimes, it just shows up in results.
FAQs
Is this framework academic or operational?
It is highly operational. Use it in strategy reviews, planning sessions, leadership offsites, or post-mortems.
How do you apply the framework across business units?
Start by mapping each “P” for the business as a whole. Then do the same for each function. You will see where alignment breaks down.
What if our organization lacks a clear “Perspective”?
This is common. Perspective is built through leadership behavior, internal narratives, and value-driven decision making. It is not always explicit—but it is always present.
How often should we review our strategy using the 5 Ps?
At least quarterly. Strategy should be treated as a living process—not an annual event.
Can this model guide innovation?
Yes. Use “Ploy” and “Pattern” to explore what can be done quickly. Use “Perspective” to decide what innovations are culturally viable.
Strategy Is Culture, Behavior, and Intent—Not Just Planning
The 5 Ps Framework brings strategy down to earth. It does not try to impress. It tries to reveal. If your strategy is failing, this model will show you where. If your strategy is working, it will show you why.
This is not a glossy template. It is a thinking tool. One that forces humility and encourages rigor. It is uncomfortable at times—that is its value.
Use it to sharpen your bets. Clarify your intentions. Align your decisions. And most of all, use it to tell the truth about what your organization is actually doing—not just what it claims to be doing.
Because strategy is not what you write down. It is what people do when the PowerPoint is over.
Interested in learning more about the other Ps of Mintzberg's 5 Ps of Strategy? You can download an editable PowerPoint presentation on the 5 Ps of Strategy here on the Flevy documents marketplace.
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