- Original Poster
- #1
Strategy and strategic planning must be quite familiar words for the visitors to this forum, but it would do no harm to revisit the issue and add my own inputs to it.
Let's start with strategy first. A strategy is a long term plan of action designed to achieve a particular goal, most often "winning". This plan of action would be arrived at by attuning the style of thinking to that particular goal after a conscious and deliberate process followed by an intensive implementation system. This way strategy is art & science of ensuring and thereby securing future success.
This conscious thinking behind formulating a strategy is strategic planning. On the whole strategic system consists of two major parts:-
The Mission: The mission acts as interface through which the leader of the business, the people working in business, and the customers interact seamlessly to take the organization to the goal. The mission statement should not just adorn the walls of an organization; it should be instilled in the thought process of the members of the organization.
Let me give an example to illustrate how an organization can stand united in its mission:
President Kennedy during his visit to NASA bumped into a "cleaner" in one of the corridors, he asked him, "What do you do here?" The man replied, "Mr. President I am putting a man on the moon". Well now, this is an organization with a mission which is shared by everyone who works in it in particular and with the nation in general.
The Climate: The climate is about recognizing the change in the business environment, and about lapping up the opportunity inherent in that change. This change is usually the source (or catalyst) for creating a strategy for the business to help it succeed and flourish.
The Ground: The ground is where you choose to compete. There is both difficult and easy ground; there is also intersected ground and a dangerous one too.
Choose your ground carefully, and evaluate where to compete wisely; choose the ground where your strength matches your competitors' weakness - This will create the necessary competitive advantage you will need in order to win.
The Leadership: Your leadership should be on the right and in focus, to make your people and your customers follow you.
Leadership should be caring enough to show genuine concern for its people and customers alike; it should be intelligent enough to sniff the change and opportunities and act accordingly besides being courageous and trustworthy.
The Methods: The methods are the means you employ to achieve the goals. The methods can be strategy, IT Systems, processes, sales and marketing tactics anything which takes the organization closure to the stated goal.
This is just a glimpse of what a sound strategic system might constitute. Business strategy and its formulation is a vast and complex area and it cannot be possibly covered in one post or article.
A wonderful opportunity has presented itself where experts would expound on how to craft and execute winning strategies in a on the issue in February and April, 2008.
Let's start with strategy first. A strategy is a long term plan of action designed to achieve a particular goal, most often "winning". This plan of action would be arrived at by attuning the style of thinking to that particular goal after a conscious and deliberate process followed by an intensive implementation system. This way strategy is art & science of ensuring and thereby securing future success.
This conscious thinking behind formulating a strategy is strategic planning. On the whole strategic system consists of two major parts:-
- Deciding the strategic position (strategic planning)
- Planning the course of action to advance that position (strategy)
The Mission: The mission acts as interface through which the leader of the business, the people working in business, and the customers interact seamlessly to take the organization to the goal. The mission statement should not just adorn the walls of an organization; it should be instilled in the thought process of the members of the organization.
Let me give an example to illustrate how an organization can stand united in its mission:
President Kennedy during his visit to NASA bumped into a "cleaner" in one of the corridors, he asked him, "What do you do here?" The man replied, "Mr. President I am putting a man on the moon". Well now, this is an organization with a mission which is shared by everyone who works in it in particular and with the nation in general.
The Climate: The climate is about recognizing the change in the business environment, and about lapping up the opportunity inherent in that change. This change is usually the source (or catalyst) for creating a strategy for the business to help it succeed and flourish.
The Ground: The ground is where you choose to compete. There is both difficult and easy ground; there is also intersected ground and a dangerous one too.
Choose your ground carefully, and evaluate where to compete wisely; choose the ground where your strength matches your competitors' weakness - This will create the necessary competitive advantage you will need in order to win.
The Leadership: Your leadership should be on the right and in focus, to make your people and your customers follow you.
Leadership should be caring enough to show genuine concern for its people and customers alike; it should be intelligent enough to sniff the change and opportunities and act accordingly besides being courageous and trustworthy.
The Methods: The methods are the means you employ to achieve the goals. The methods can be strategy, IT Systems, processes, sales and marketing tactics anything which takes the organization closure to the stated goal.
This is just a glimpse of what a sound strategic system might constitute. Business strategy and its formulation is a vast and complex area and it cannot be possibly covered in one post or article.
A wonderful opportunity has presented itself where experts would expound on how to craft and execute winning strategies in a on the issue in February and April, 2008.
