Bottom-up Strategy

A bottom-up approach to strategic thinking and adaptation begins not with fixed goals or problems but with surfaced tensions experienced in the flow of real work. It reframes strategy as an emergent, collective act rooted in lived experience rather than top-down intent.

The process starts at the edges: noticing micro-tensions (e.g. via 1-minute journals) and moving through shared sensemaking (Tension Search, Sorting Circles, Relational Terrain Mapping). From there, tensions are interpreted, named, and made visible as patterns. The constellation then supports action and coherence using strategic probes (Probe Storming, Strategic Beta Canvas) and ongoing reflection tools (Reflective Relay, Learning Rhythm Map, Coherence Mapping).

This constellation enables organisations to:

• Recognise and hold systemic tensions

• Inquire into values, beliefs, and relationships

• Generate experimental actions without pretending to know

• Develop strategy that is adaptive, plural, and grounded in reality