Strategic Management
The time is ripe
to combine the positive attitude of hoping for the best with a plan of
action. It is time for organizations to
revisit their vision, mission and goals and determine their commitment level to
the strategic management process. No one has a crystal ball and the experts
can only predict future outcomes. Now is
time to prepare for the upswing. Now is
the time to revisit how you do business, your leadership philosophy and the
effectiveness and efficiency of your operational processes. Now is the time to invest in your strategic
management process.
Strategic
management is a primary responsibility for any organization and its
leadership. While many people use the
generic term strategic planning when discussing their process of organizational
review and improvement, strategic planning is just one component of the
strategic management process. Strategic
management involves strategic thinking, strategic planning
and strategic momentum.
Strategic thinking, strategic planning and strategic momentum are
familiar activities for most. Let’s
review the role each plays in everyday activities and ultimately reaching
long-range organizational goals.
Strategic
Thinking
Strategic
thinking is the intellectual process of seeing the big picture, the
organization as a whole. It also
involves seeing the many parts of the organization and the actions or
activities associated with those parts by clarifying how they support or
inhibit the mission of the organization.
Strategic
Planning
Strategic Planning is a structured process designed to provide
clarity, focus, direction and continuity in moving the organization to
bottom-line results. The goal of strategic planning should be to create
internal processes that sustain or create distinct business advantages. It is
recommended as one solution for developing and communicating the direction of
the organization and involving key stakeholders in this process. One benefit of involving stakeholders in the
strategic planning process is to reach consensus among stakeholders and gain
their buy-in. This will create a sense
of ownership in goal achievement and the overall direction of the organization.
Often seen as an event, such as a one, two or three-day management retreat,
strategic planning is a combination and series of meetings, discussions and
evaluations that lead to organizational transformation and occurs over time.
Strategic
Momentum
But now
what? You have invested time and energy
into producing a nicely bound strategic plan with charts and graphs, printed in
color of course and have it predominantly displayed. The flip side is that a group of stakeholders
met, jotted down a few ideas or developed a written plan but it is
somewhere….maybe in this drawer….no maybe in this drawer….no maybe it’s at
home…You get the idea. Too often clients have told me they participated in a
management retreat, collaborated on developing a strategic plan and then
returned to their respective jobs, only to return a year later to start the
process over again because “nothing really happened”. Aah, then the finger pointing begins. Their explanation almost always included
stories about how the other person, team or department didn’t do their part or
there was a budget problem or …..
Strategic
momentum, the third component of strategic management, involves the day-to-day
activities required in managing and implementing the strategic plan. Ongoing strategic thinking and planning
become a natural part of what everyone does from top leadership to entry level
employees.
Can you answer yes to the following?
I am a
strategic thinker.
We have
a sound strategic plan.
Momentum
is great!
If so,
Then you are
ready to move forward in a positive direction in reaching your goals and
creating a distinct advantage for your organization.
Contact Management Training
Systems, Inc. at 623-587-7644 or info@trainingperformance.com
For more theory and case studies on: http://expertresearchers.blogspot.com
For Premium Academic and Professional Research: jumachris85@gmail.com
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