Here's the skinny on Roger L. Martin. He's a Canadian business strategist, author, and professor who has written extensively on the topic of integrative thinking. His creds are extensive given he's the former Dean of the Rotman School of Management at the University of Toronto and the former Director of the Institute for Strategy and Competitiveness at the same institution.
Here I look at his last book, which was actually written some 14 years ago. In it he  argues that traditional business thinking is too focused on either strategy or execution, and that this creates a false dichotomy that limits our ability to make effective decisions. He proposes a new framework for thinking, called integrative thinking, which combines strategic and operational thinking to create a more comprehensive and balanced approach.
He offers four key frames of thinking that are essential for integrative thinking: the purposeful frame, the innovation frame, the execution frame, and the learning frame. Each frame provides a different lens for viewing a problem or opportunity, and they can be used together to create a more holistic understanding of a situation.
Martin argues that integrative thinking is essential for managing paradoxes, which are situations where two or more opposing forces are simultaneously present. By understanding and reconciling these competing forces, organisations can find solutions that are both effective and sustainable.
I think we can all agree, if we work in SEO, that our day jobs are full of paradoxes, whether that's trying to work out why a site ranks well if all the signals we have sugests that it fails E-E-A-T principles or its tech SEO is rubbish. So that's why this book is such an interesting read as it helps us deal with that.
So here's a chapter-by-chapter look at the book.
Chapter 1: The Two Axes of Thinking
In the opening chapter, Martin introduces the two axes of thinking: strategic and operational. He argues that these two types of thinking are often seen as opposing forces, but they are actually complementary and necessary for effective decision-making.
If we agree with this concept then SEOs can benefit from understanding the distinction between strategic and operational thinking. Strategic thinking involves taking a long-term view of SEO and developing a plan to achieve overall business goals. Operational thinking focuses on the day-to-day tasks and activities that are required to implement the SEO strategy. Through a practical lens this may be how you process the ask to drive in-week sales improvement as well as supporting long-term initiatives such as replatforming.
Chapter 2: The Purposeful Frame
This chapter introduces the concept of the purposeful frame, which is a mental model that helps to guide decision-making. A purposeful frame has four components:
Purpose: What are we trying to achieve?
Values: What principles are we committed to?
Feasibility: What is possible, given our resources and constraints?
Risk: What are the potential consequences of our decision?
SEOs can use a purposeful frame to make more informed decisions about their SEO campaigns. By considering their purpose, values, feasibility, and risk, they can ensure that their efforts are aligned with their overall business objectives and that they are taking calculated risks.
Chapter 3: The Innovation Frame
This chapter discusses the innovation frame, which is used to generate new ideas and solutions. The innovation frame has five components:
Customer insight: What do our customers need or want?
Technology: What new technologies are available?
Partnership: Who can we collaborate with?
Mindset: What are the barriers to innovation?
Resources: What resources do we have available?
SEOs can use the innovation frame to identify new opportunities to improve their rankings and attract more traffic. By understanding customer needs, exploring emerging technologies, building partnerships, fostering a growth mindset, and leveraging available resources, SEO teams can develop innovative strategies that drive results.
Chapter 4: The Execution Frame
This chapter focuses on the execution frame, which is used to turn ideas into reality. The execution frame has four components:
Plan: What steps do we need to take?
People: Who will be responsible for the work?
Process: How will we coordinate the work?
Measurement: How will we track our progress?
SEOs can use the execution frame to ensure that their SEO campaigns are implemented effectively. By creating a clear plan, assigning responsibilities, establishing processes, and monitoring progress, SEO teams can optimise their chances of success.
Chapter 5: The Learning Frame
This chapter discusses the learning frame, which is used to continuously improve and adapt. The learning frame has four components:
Feedback: How will we learn about our results?
Experimentation: How will we test new ideas?
Action: What changes will we make based on our learning?
Continuous improvement: How will we sustain our learning process?
SEOs can use the learning frame to refine their strategies based on data and feedback. By collecting and analyzing data, experimenting with new techniques, implementing changes based on insights, and continuously striving for improvement, SEO teams can adapt to changing search engine algorithms and user behaviors.
Feel free to check out the book at Amazon (aff).