Strategic Planning |  Leadership Quality Planning Ability

Strategic leadership focuses your strategic planning

Strategy implies long term directional approach. It involves the commitment of a substantial portion of one’s resources, and is determined by one’s philosophy and values. While each one of us has to develop his or her own strategy based on the circumstances, the resources available, the goals and objectives one has set, and one’s own philosophy and values, there are tried and tested techniques and procedures which are useful in this process. Strategic Planning for Managers and Professionals Executives who are at the core for developing the strategic plans for their organization can apply the concepts given above. But most executives are not directly involved in strategy development. What, then, is their role in the process? It is no doubt the responsibility of senior management to make sure that their strategies are communicated and understood at the appropriate levels. It is the responsibility of the others to implement them.

For example, a strategy of good after-sales service must be backed up by adequate resources in terms of trained personnel, adequate stocks of spares, and good repair facilities.

Strengths of strategic planning

Three factors contribute to one’s strengths; via

Ability, which is the resultant effect of attitude, knowledge, and skill.

Resources available, which may be physical or financial.

Weakness of the competition, or the opposing could become one’s strength. Strengths are relative.

Ability

Geographical coverage: Apart from the local market is the ability adequate for entry into the national, or the world market?

Versatility: Is one able to adapt to various situations and an ever changing environment?

Growth: Ability normally follows the cycle of growth, stability and decline. What is one’s position on the development curve? Can the status of stability or decline be changed to one of growth?

Weaknesses of strategic planning

One’s own weaknesses are determined through failures, defeats and losses. There are three possible outcomes to the analysis of one’s deficiencies. There are

Correction – An identification of a defect can lead to an action plan for correction.

Protection - Cover-up and prevention are strategies that can be adopted to reduce the exposure of one’s weaknesses.

Aggression - This is another technique that is used to divert the attention from one’s weaknesses; e.g., external threats are used to divert attention from internal economic issues.

Effective implementation means action, meeting the specified quality standards at the least cost. Strategies must, therefore, be converted into action plans which will be put into operation in the field. It is the responsibility of those who implant strategy to provide the feed-back as to the effectiveness of the Strategy in meeting its objectives in terms of time, cost and quality. For Example, after-sales service should not become a post manufacturing operation to rectify defects not corrected in the first place on the shop floor. In a dynamic, fast-changing environment, strategies cannot be static. Flexibility is the order of the day. While all cannot be involved in strategic planning, everyone can be involved in strategic thinking.