[ Back Home ] The Language of Strategy Focus Strategic intent SWOT (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, threats) KSF (key success factors) Core competence / purpose Competitive advantage Mission Vision Target customer Implementation, tactics Critical capacity External / internal analysis Benchmarking Learning organizations Re-engineering Vision Values Dream Mission Strategic intent Business philosophy Culture Company Recipe Mental Model Frame of Reference Ralph Stacey suggests that these terms (in the above table) basically describe three concepts about strategy: The future state or destination of the business - a pattern of what is to be. The drivers or motivators of business behaviour - a pattern of becoming. The business philosophy, culture or shared beliefs about what the business is there for, what it is, why it is as it is, what makes it successful, and how people in it should behave - a pattern of being. (Source: Ralph Stacey. "Managing the Unknowable". Jossey-Bass. 1992) Strategic Doing the right things Formulation What Where Ends Vision Effectiveness Strategizing Nonstrategic Doing things right Implementation How How Means Plans Efficiency Planning Strategic Planning Emphasis on the environment Oriented toward change Vision directed Inductive and integrated Proactive Emphasis on doing the right things Art Open and external focus Anticipates changes Current decisions based on looking from the future Entrepreneurial and action originated even when there is ambiguity Emphasis on innovation and creativity Synergistic Enterprise's environment and context weaknesses are primary determinants of strategy/choices/direction Emphasis on opinions, intuition, and the qualitative Orientation toward effectiveness Patterns are in a stream of decisions Other Planning Emphasis on the enterprise Emphasis on stability Follows a blue print Deductive and analytical Reactive Emphasis on doing things right Science Closed and internal focus Extrapolates from the past Current decisions based on looking from the present Inaction when there is ambiguity Emphasis on the tried and tested Univariate Enterprise's strengths and weaknesses are primary determinants of strategy / choices / direction Emphasis on facts and the quantitative Orientation toward efficiency Decisions are made and carried out. (Source: Meredith, cope, and Lenning, 1987.) [ Back Home ]