By Mike Cline, VP Operations, Venturist, Inc.
Most of us that are older than 15 probably know where the Balkans are, in some context or another. The former Yugoslavia experienced a tragic war of disintegration and genocide in the 1990’s and many pundits and politicians in America and Europe thought we should stay out of the Balkans for any number of legitimate tactical and strategic reasons. But that’s not the thrust of this post. Stay Out of The Balkans is a Cardinal Rule of Strategy. If you are in business, oversee an association or run a government agency, do you know where your Balkans are so that you can stay out of them?
“Stay Out of the Balkans” is an oft used mantra or cardinal rule of strategy and strategic planning. It is useful vocabulary to help you identify those expensive energies devoted to things of less than strategic value. The following history from World War II illustrates the Balkan’s concept well.
In October 1940, Italy, an ally of Germany invades Greece expecting a quick victory. The Greeks however were reinforced by the British. This allowed Greek forces to hold their own and later attack the Italians in Albania. Germany, partly because Mussolini asked and partly because they were uncomfortable with the British in Greece, successfully occupied Greece in April 1941 kicking the British off the peninsula. To do so and sustain their occupation of Greece, they needed to forcefully establish extensive supply lines in Yugoslavia. This did not sit well with the Yugoslav citizenry who proceeded to wage guerrilla warfare against the German forces. Within months of the occupation of Greece, Germany was forced to reinforce and deploy over 1,000,000 men in Yugoslavia to protect German supply lines. They hold the Balkans until almost the end of the war. However, there was a consequence. Two months after the successful occupation of Greece, Germany embarked on one of the monumental invasions in modern history—the June 1941 invasion of the Soviet Union from the West—Operation Barbarossa. However, as we all should know, that invasion was unsuccessful. The Germans failed to take their first strategic objective of the campaign—Moscow. Because of weather, some of the worst winter weather in decades, the Germans fell 19 miles short in December 1941. By January 1943 they were in full retreat and the rest they say is history.
So why is this bit of history important to your business? Consider the following:
German planning to move and support 1,000,000 troop in the Balkans effectively delayed the planned invasion of the Soviet Union by several weeks. It was a distraction that was aggravated by unforeseen winter weather. One can never tell if the Germans would have taken Moscow had they started Operation Barbarossa in the spring instead of the summer of 1941. But this much is clear, they would have been able to devote a far greater amount of planning and resources to operations against the Soviet Union had they not been pacifying the Balkans.
Where’s the lesson here? Ask yourself these three questions?
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Had the Germans completely and successfully pacified the Balkans (As they did) in 1941, does that ensure they win World War II? NO
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Had the Germans been unsuccessful at or unwilling to pacify the Balkans, do they lose World War II? NO
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If the Germans are unsuccessful with a monumental invasion of the Soviet Union, are they likely to lose World War II (As they did.)? YES
Balkans, metaphorically, are endeavors that are not strategically important, yet they consume command time and resources without any regard to their real value. All organizations have them—Balkans.
Too many times, organizations are like the Germans and become mesmerized with projects or operations which in themselves are fine, but which have no true connection with the strategic aims of the organization. Spend some time thinking about the projects your organization is working on that have little or no real connection to strategic objectives. The first step in withdrawing from these projects is recognizing them for what they are–good in themselves perhaps and with people working very hard on them, but simply not relevant when measured against organization strategy and resources.
The true Strategic Thinker is quick to recognize the Balkans, acknowledge them and quickly refocus energy and resources on strategic objectives.
Stay out of the Balkans! (And if you are already in them, get out!)
Are there Balkans in your organization? Why are they Balkans and what are you doing about them? I want to hear from you.