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