"I suggest a new strategy, R2:    let the Wookiee win." - C-3PO    Strategy without tactics is the slowest way to victory. Tactics without strategy is the noise before defeat. - Sun Tzu

It is designed from the top down and implemented from the bottom up. The discovery team asks itself, "What financial benchmarks must we achieve in order to reach the goal?"

Then it specifies what four or five benefits must we deliver to our key customers to fuel those financial targets. What changes do we need to make internally to provide that customer satisfaction?

And finally, what do we need to learn, what technologies do we need to master to make those internal changes happen.

The beauty of the strategy map is that it sets out in black and white the most important, measurable targets in each key area that have been engineered to meet the company's long-range goal. It is systematic, and it provides clarity of purpose for each and every individual in the organization.