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One of management's
most important roles is determining what the organization will do in the
future. Strategic planning is the discipline used for that determination,
and includes a unique blend of analytic and creative skills. An important
part of that discipline is setting and articulating a vision of the organization
at some future point in time. It provides the proverbial North Star. The
vision is a word picture of what the organization will look like, what
its products/services will be, its markets will be, its customers will
be, and what core competencies will be necessary to develop the new products/services,
markets and customers.
Greaver and Associates
has provided consulting services to work closely with management, to explore
the future within a given industry, facilitate development of the strategic
plan/vision result, and articulate it within the organization. For a listing
of strategy reference materials, click
here.
Once the strategic
plan/vision has been developed and articulated, then the annual business
plan objectives and resulting activities (of the various processes, functions
and factors of production) to achieve it should be reviewed. Everyone
and everything needs to be working towards the same goals with coordinated
teamwork. There is no place, for example, for mixed messages, different
agendas, distracting projects, inappropriate organizational structures,
etc. - success requires organizational alignment.
Greaver and Associates
has provided consulting services to identify and evaluate the existing
problems, design the organizational alignment solution, and implement
that solution. For a listing of strategy reference materials, click
here.
The current profile
is the foundation for the annual business plan, serving as a baseline
for future activity and performance measurement. It is similar to a competitive
analysis - but it is done on the organization itself. It is particularly
important to work primarily with staff (as opposed to executives), customers
and suppliers, in order to gain unbiased insights as to how things actually
are (as opposed to how executives hope they are). It also focuses on the
"people" side of the capabilities equation. This exercise is valuable
in the business planning process, in determining the gap between the current
profile and the vision, when setting the objectives to achieve the vision.
Greaver and Associates
has provided consulting services to interview staff, customers, and suppliers,
analyze and evaluate the current profile, recommend objectives to bridge
the gap to achieve the vision. For a listing of strategy reference materials,
click here.
Typically, organizations
see their possibilities for competitive advantage in marketing terms,
as their marketing position in their industry and the price and performance
of their current product/service offerings, and this important. But smart
organizations are also competing for current core competencies that underlie
the organization's strategies, as well as for those core competencies
that will be necessary to gain future competitive advantage. How fast
can the organization acquire and develop these core competencies and at
what cost? Their ability to successfully do this and integrate them into
the organization are what will determine their ability to deliver future
products/services, their future scope, the degree of differentiation,
the costs, the price the market will pay, etc. This core competency competition
must be the focus of the marketing leadership position and is one of the
organization's most strategic positions.
Greaver and Associates
has provided consulting services to identify and evaluate the current
core competencies, project future core competencies, and recommend activities
necessary to bridge the gap. For a listing of strategy reference materials,
click here.
Organizations do not
operate in a vacuum; they have competitors. Competitive analysis is the
study of these competitors, their current and future anticipated strategies,
products/services, customers, markets, core competencies, etc. This analysis
also explores how the industry operates. It must go well beyond "published
information", and accordingly, interviews and research must be conducted
directly with those in the industry, and their customers. The objective
is the search for competitive advantage and strategies to achieve it.
Greaver and Associates
has provided consulting services to identify and evaluate the competitors,
explore the future competitive environment, and develop the information
necessary to set competitive strategy. For a listing of strategy reference
materials, click here.
Innovation is broader
than just product/service innovation. It must include technological changes,
scientific discovery, process innovation and emerging management tools.
It is now a necessary element of any organization's strategy. Without
it, competitiveness is lost. Innovation requires investment and focus,
and it requires individuals who are not invested in the old paradigms.
Innovation is seeing the same things others see and thinking differently.
It is breaking old paradigms.
Greaver and Associates
has provided consulting services to identify existing paradigms and recommend
how to break them, facilitated discussions, research and development that
spawned innovative solutions to existing problems, and provided frameworks
for different thinking and decision-making. For a listing of strategy
reference materials, click here.
Prior to beginning
strategy initiatives, it can be quite valuable to get all of the participants
to a common understanding level with training, for several reasons. First,
different adults learn new information in different ways, for example,
some learn by reading, listening, debating, observing, doing, and seeing
the big picture (through use of metaphors, case histories, etc.). If no
training is provided or training using only a few of these techniques
is used, then different individuals will advance at different paces, which
will slow or derail the project. Second, training seminars give the participants
a common learning experience and reference point. This can be particularly
important when tackling somewhat controversial subjects, such as the organization's
future direction - strategy.
Greaver and Associates
has provided training services to identify and evaluate the existing knowledge
level, design the appropriate training solution, and implement that solution.
For a listing of strategy reference materials, click
here.
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