Organizational Transformation through Strategic Dialogue: The Amsterdam Airport Schiphol Case

A well-founded strategy is no longer sufficient for a business. Experience has taught us that it is usually not implemented, even though that is why it was formulated in the first place. We believe that the complex problems that confront business and government demand a different approach to strategy development: one that guarantees that the organization will actually change. We have developed the concept of Strategic Management from Below, and since 1990 we have been gaining experience with its use in business and government. Since that time, the concept has developed into a participative approach that enables an integral transformation to be realized within a very short period of time. The Strategic Dialogue in cross-sections of the organization forms the centerpiece of the concept. This article discusses the application of our approach to the creation of the long-term strategy for Amsterdam Airport Schiphol. How have the principles of the concept of Strategic Management from Below, and the Strategic Dialogue in particular, contributed to a successful, rapid transformation under extremely turbulent conditions?