Most of us recognize this ‘annually recurring ritual’ in the company planning cycle which in most cases is based on an inside view. It becomes a breeding ground for all sorts of biases that subconsciously give more weight to facts that back management’s view than inconvenient ones that don’t. Being inwardly-focused and not anticipating competitors’ moves is remarkably superficial and is another breeding ground for competitive surprises. To overcome this, management is forced to think ‘strategically’ and needs evidence-based strategic intelligence.