TY - JOUR AB - Successful strategies allow organisations to win ‐ in terms of beating their competition. Thus, aping the competition is not likely to be effective in the longer term. Future, long‐term success must rest in distinctiveness. Distinctiveness itself comes from imagination and innovation ‐ although this may be grounded in hard work and analytical thought. This slightly whimsical piece draws a theory of innovation from a set of ideas raised within a real conversation. VL - 47 IS - 4 SN - 0043-8022 DO - 10.1108/00438029810222478 UR - https://doi.org/10.1108/00438029810222478 AU - Wrennall William PY - 1998 Y1 - 1998/01/01 TI - A strategic conversation T2 - Work Study PB - MCB UP Ltd SP - 128 EP - 129 Y2 - 2024/09/22 ER -