Toscano Management Consulting - Strategy Development Workshops

Strategy Development Workshops

A frequent misconception is that the development of strategies requires complex, esoteric models. Nothing is farther from the truth. The word strategy comes from the Greek, strategos, and it means "the work of the colonel". The work of the colonel is to fight the enemy and win the battle. To fight the battle successfully, he needs to develop an effective strategy. So a strategy in simply "the action plan required to achieve the objective". This straightforward approach to defining a strategy identifies the two basic elements required to develop an effective strategy:

An objective to be achieved (to win the battle)
The barrier or barriers that stops us from achieving the objective (the enemy forces)

Developing the strategy consists then identifying the alternative plans of action required to overcome the barriers and selecting the most appropriate one. No sophisticated academic models or theories are needed to develop a strategy. The strategy development process consists of these simple steps:

Clearly establishing the objective(s) to be achieved
Identifying all the existing barriers (internal and external to the company)
Developing the possible strategic directions (the courses of action that could overcome those barriers)
Selecting among those alternatives the best strategic direction
Establishing the plan of action required to implement the selected strategic direction (activities, resources, schedule, responsibilities)

The Strategy Development Workshop uses the Interactive Planning Methodology to implement these basic concepts. The full management team and the key professionals responsible for achieving the objectives participate in the Strategy Development Workshop, typically between 10 and 30 persons. The Workshop is usually completed in two or three days of full-time work, at the end of which the client has a fully documented strategy, including objectives, barriers, strategic direction and action plans.

A typical agenda for a Strategy Development Workshop is:

Definition of the objectives
Establishing the interrelationships of the objectives utilizing the Interpretive Structural Modeling (ISM) methodology
Identifying the internal and external barriers utilizing the Metaplan methodology
Developing the possible strategic directions
Selecting by consensus the best strategic direction(s)
Formulating the action plans required to implement the direction(s), specifying activities and resources required, responsibilities and dates

38 Rolling Hills Lane, Harrison, New York 10528-1712 Phone 914-777-1901 E-mail: mail@toscano-consulting.com

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