From Impasse to PIVOT

Energy transitions follow recursive processes that are tentative, operating in systems under flux and subject to ambiguities. Notwithstanding this reality, managers and policy default to mitigating risks by reasserting predictability in outcomes rather than creating arenas to nurture emerging opportunities. As networks and resources are continually reconfigured, managers and policy err in employing static tools and mindsets to inform their strategic or policy moves. Perhaps, not surprisingly, outcomes deviate from what managers expect, while policy produces results opposed to its objectives. To remedy these paradoxes, a mindset transition, often ignored, would be needed. This enables managers to adaptively navigate the vagaries of interacting factors within dynamic markets, logistics, and technologies. To strategically respond to these challenges, managers can PIVOT. By informing their decisions with strategic insights, managers could repurpose resources, reframe strategic moves, and reconfigure processes and networks to outcompete rivals. By making these moves, managers could create arenas in which emerging opportunities could flourish.