The strategic approach as applied to management including planning: a generic model

(Frank Owarish, Ph.D.)

Introduction

The strategic approach has to do with finding that ‘smart’ way to do things; that ‘clever’ way. You are able to outsmart the situation and/or your competitors. The game of chess provides a useful analogy. In business, it has to do with coming up with that smart product and /or smart process (use of CAD in developing and testing several designs); think of Apple and the iPod onto to the iPhone.

A generic model

Different organizations define and apply the needed steps differently. Think of the way the Israelis deal with security matters; think of the way they have converted the deserts into productive lands; clever people; smart people. There are many other examples of smart people; the Japanese and now the South Koreans, the Singaporeans etc., etc.

The practice is diverse and so is the literature. However it is possible to conceive of a generic model and the steps there for are outlined below.

Step 1: making a commitment to work together to find and carry out the needed strategy

Step 2: review the mandate of the entity concerned;  there may be legal constraints, boundaries and  limits or these may not be real)

Step 3: define the mission statement

Ste 4: conduct an internal review (strengths, weaknesses to be remedied)

Step 5: conduct an external review (what is going on in the outside world; is it possible to define the state of the art; the competition)

Step 6: define strategic issues

Step 7: define a strategy with a vision translated into a plan with specific targets to be achieved (with results indicators)and the step(tactics ) to be followed and the performance indicators; there are timeframe and resource considerations; develop an action plan to translate intention into action

Step 8: proceed to implementation with appropriate tracking/reviewing of performance (monitoring and benchmarking)

Step 9: evaluate results achieved compared to intended results

Step 10: from step 9, perform a feedback loop analysis to all the initial steps to draw lessons learned and derive good practices; this step may lead to revisions to the other preceding steps; the basic idea is to be involved in a process of continuing improvement (case in point Honda, Toyota)