Geostationary orbit to sidewalk
By: Charlie Ursell
Every strategy process carries the same hidden risk: People are thinking at different altitudes and don’t realise it.
When that happens, the work slows down, conversations feel harder than they should, and a simple misunderstanding can masquerade as a fundamental disagreement.
At TidalCo:, we see this pattern everywhere — in mining companies, Indigenous–Crown governance tables, community planning, and executive teams. And it has nothing to do with capability.
It’s the natural friction of a system that hasn’t named the level of detail it’s speaking from.
To make this visible, we use a metaphor we call “Geostationary Orbit to Sidewalk.”
Five Strategic Altitudes — and Why They Matter
1. Geostationary Orbit — Purpose, Beliefs, Future
This is the farthest view.
From orbit, you’re looking at the whole system:
organisational purpose
long-term vision
deep values
the future you’re designing for
This orientation is essential. It shapes the kind of ancestor you want to be.
2. Airplane View — High-Level Strategy
Here you see shape and direction:
strategic pillars
multi-year priorities
what matters most
This is the altitude where leaders set the big commitments.
3. Mountain-Top — Annual Plans
Drop a little lower and you start seeing pathways:
budgets
timelines
resourcing
sequencing
This is where strategy becomes planning.
4. City Street — Short-Term Coordination
Now you’re inside the neighbourhood:
this quarter’s deliverables
cross-team alignment
what’s urgent vs. important
Most “strategy friction” lives here.
5. Sidewalk — Daily Reality
This is the closest view:
deadlines
operational constraints
day-to-day tasks
the practical reality of people’s work
This is where strategy either comes alive or dies quietly.
Why Strategy Falls Apart
When someone on the sidewalk says,
“I just need to know what you want me to do tomorrow,”
and someone in orbit replies,
“We need to evolve our culture to reflect our long-term purpose,”
…no wonder it feels like conflict.
But it isn’t conflict.
It’s a mismatch in altitude.
This is one of the core challenges TidalCo: was founded to solve: breaking down the silos that trap people in different levels of detail.
The Real Work of Strategy: Moving Together Between Altitudes
Strategy only becomes meaningful when it can:
lift people up to see the long arc
bring them down to see what needs to happen this month
and connect today’s tasks to tomorrow’s purpose
Great strategists don’t stay at one altitude.
They move — and help others move — through all five.
And great strategy processes create the conditions for that movement to happen:
shared language
shared altitude
shared ownership
shared understanding
This is why we design strategy with people, not for them.
Because people love what they design and own what they create.
A Reflection for You
In your current strategy process:
What altitude are you speaking from?
What altitude is the rest of the group speaking from?
What altitude does the conversation actually require?
These three questions alone can unblock weeks of tension.
If you’re stuck between orbit and the sidewalk, we’d love to help you bridge the distance.
At TidalCo:, we co-create collaborative processes to help organizations and communities navigate complex challenges. If you’re ready to turn collective intelligence into lasting impact, connect with us.
