Group

Members:
The Role
Strategy &

Rudy Alvarez
Implementation
April Book
Dana Carmouche
Moise Essounga

University of Texas Rio Grand

Dr. David Sturges, Professor
Flash Report 11C01
Summer Module 2015 I MGMT 6330

Table of Contents
I.

II.

III.

IV.

V.
VI.
VII.

ODT Overview | Map............................................2-3

Introduction.........................................................4-5
a.Motivation of Problem......................................5-6
b.Problem Defined.................................................6
c. Argument..............................................................
Strategy & Implementation Frameworks
a.Conventional Strategic Planning
b.Issue Based Strategic Planning
c. Organic Strategic Planning
d.Real-Time Strategic Planning
e.Alignment Model of Strategic Planning
f. Inspirational Model of Strategic Planning
Strategic Planning Process
a.SWOT Analysis......................................................
b.PEST Analysis.......................................................
c. Avoid Errors in Financial Analysis..........................
d.Green Strategies...................................................
e.Demise of Strategic Planning................................
Organizational Strategy & Execution........................
Conclusion................................................................
Reference.................................................................
OUTCOME DIRECTED THINKING

Outcome Directed Thinking (ODT): Thinking that is focused towards

driving positive results, which differentiates between Outcome Focused
Thinking & Problem Focused Thinking. The main focus of an OTD map is
the motivation and solution steps that are necessary to achieve the desired
outcomes. The below OTD map reflects both the group and individual
processes devised to ensure a positive outcome for FR06 assignment. The
steps are inclusive of collaborating on a positive impact statement that was
1 | The Role of Strategy & Implementation

Passing this course will help us with our ultimate goal of graduating from the MBA program.

satisfactory for the team coupled with an in-depth discussions surrounding

the processes utilized to achieve our desired outcome statement. Initially,
we communicated via email in order to validate correct information for all
group members. Then we were able to have virtual meetings to determine
the assignment responsibilities for each portion of the project. As indicated in
the map below, there was an identifying of strengths and balance of power
to ensure that the desired POSITIVE OUTCOME was achieved.
We utilized the resources put forth in the
learning modules along with previous
skills acquired via the scenarios in VLeader
to gather information for our flash report.
There were several outcomes that caused
us to be motivated, some of which are a (1)
good grade in the course, (2) exemption
from exams, (3) and lastly one step closer to obtaining our degrees.
Additionally, there were external factors that attempted to impede our
progress towards completion, such as (1) different time zones, (2) navigating
Blackboard for this course and (3) achieving the desired score on our Final
Flash Report. Ultimately we overcame the challenges in order to achieve the
positive outcome and complete the assigned project.

Outcome Directed ThinkingBecause

Map of the various time zones and t

2 | The Role of Strategy & Implementation

Obstacles that preve

INTRODUCTION TO ROLE OF STRATEGY & IMPLEMENTATION

{Leadership and learning are indispensable to each other}
President John F. Kennedy

STRATEGY AND IMPLEMENTATION FRAMEWORKS

It is perceived that a person(s) formal position denotes his or her
level of power (Pierce, J tool which brings about both positive and negative
outcomes contingent upon its use.

STRATEGIC PLANNING PROCESS

3 | The Role of Strategy & Implementation

The strategic planning process consists of six steps that upper

management can utilize in order to communicate to the rest of the
organization. An organization might implement a strategic planning process
if it is implementing a new policy or procedure or if an initiative is being
executed on a corporate level and the process needs to be communicated
across the organization.
Below are the steps taken in the strategic planning process and a brief
explanation of each:
MISSION
An organizations mission is the foundation of the organization.

It

should reflect the culture and purpose of the organization; it should also be
supported and reflected by the individuals employed.
OBJECTIVES
Objectives are goals that the organization hopes to achieve within set
attainable parameters such as time, fiscally or socially.
SITUATION ANALYSIS
Once an organization has established its objectives, the next step is to
look at three key factors which are the current situation, the macroenvironment and the micro environment. The macro-environment includes
large scale items such as political, economic, social and technological
advances.

The micro-environment includes items closer to home such as

company culture, operational strengths and weaknesses, current market vs.

future market and current competitive advantages.
4 | The Role of Strategy & Implementation

STRATEGY FORMULA
Once the organization has a clear picture of its current environment, a
formula which includes alternatives can be devised. As identified by Michael
Porter, these alternatives include cost leadership, differentiation and focus.
These alternatives should be used independently of one another and should
not be combined.
IMPLEMENTATION
This is a key piece to the strategic planning process as this step will
affect the entire organization and whether or not said plan is integrated
smoothly.

The main step to implementation is communication; how the

information is communicated and in what language it is shared.

CONTROL
Whenever carrying out a new plan throughout an organization, there
should be a way to measure its success. Therefore benchmarks should be
determined prior to implementation, measured during the integration
process and then evaluated to see if the plan was a success or not. This
process is but an outline.

An organizations environments are constantly

changing, therefore processes and procedures can also be constantly

changing. It is important for an organization to be fluid with these processes
as it may need to adjust to more than one change at a time and it may need
to adjust quickly.
SWOT ANALYSIS

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When looking at an organizations environment, both internal and

external, an overload of information can be collected.

One way for an

organization to sort all of the information collected is by utilizing a SWOT

Analysis.

The analysis divides the information into four categories:

Strengths,

Weaknesses,

Opportunities

and

Threats.

Strengths

and

Weaknesses focus on the internal environment and the Opportunities and

Threats focus on the external environment.
A SWOT Analysis allows managers to see not only four separate areas
of the organization but also how these areas can influence one another. For
example, strengths of the organization can lead to potential eye opening
opportunities, where weaknesses can show the organization potential areas
of threat.

Though the analysis can be helpful for an organization,

management needs to remember not to over simplify or over complicate any

one of the four areas. Doing so could lead to potential misdirection.
PEST ANALYSIS
The PEST Analysis focuses on external influences to an organization,
specifically Political, Economic, Social and Technological.

There are many

external factors that could impact an organization, however these four are
completely out of the organizations control and may need to be reactive as
opposed to proactive.

Below are a list of examples of each of the four

categories:
POLITICAL:
Trade regulations and tariffs:
Taxation
Wage legislation
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Industrial safety regulations

ECONOMIC
Skill level of workforce
Labor costs
Inflation rate
Exchange rates
SOCIAL
Education
Demographics
Attitudes
Leisure interests
TECHNOLOGICAL
Recent technology developments
Impact on cost structure
Technologys impact on product offerings
Rate of technological diffusion
AVOID ERRORS

IN

FINANCIAL ANALYSIS

In the article Eight Ways to Critically Evaluate a Forecast, Adam Gordon

points out that forecasting is at its core a prediction of what might occur
next.

Forecasts may seem like an odd process for an organization to

participate in as no one knows the future, but it would also be a competitive

disadvantage for an organization not to participate.

Gordon gives eight

questions an organization should ask itself in order to avoid errors while

forecasting.
WHAT

IS THE PURPOSE OF THE FORECAST?

By looking at past history, the forecaster may be able to see a trend

and thus is able to create a potential benefit to the organization. Benefits
may include monetary savings, a quicker process or an increase in sales.

7 | The Role of Strategy & Implementation

Is the forecast telling you what will happen or trying to make

something happen?
Forecasts can be categorized in one of two ways, either a forecast is
future-aligning or future-influencing. Future-aligning means the forecaster is
attempting to be proactive about the situation in order for the organization
to adjust quickly and accurately. Future-influencing means the forecaster is
attempting to effect the outcome.
Is there too much certainty?
When attempting to predict short term goals, it seems reasonable that
a forecaster would have many current factors at hand. However, for long
term goals, there should be more ambiguity to the forecast as there are less
factors in place.
Does the forecast rely on experts?
Experts have a lot of knowledge on a focused area; that is why they
have earned the title of an expert. However there are times when additional
factors come into play and an experts knowledge may be too concentrated
to help in the forecast.
Are blocking forces identified and fully accounted for?
There are times when forecasters will come up against what the article
terms, blockers and turners.

Change does not agree with these

individuals. A forecaster must be able to direct the predicted outcome to

overcome any barriers and the forecast must be flexible enough if and when
it is challenged.
8 | The Role of Strategy & Implementation

Is a machine doing the thinking?

In simplest terms a forecast is supposed to take present conditions and
show potential future outcomes. There are times when technology can be a
great benefit, however technology does lack the ability to use common sense
and insight when it comes to potential outcomes.
Is the data real or a projection?
At times before processed into information, data can be overwhelming.
A forecaster needs to present grounded data, which are historical numbers,
and projected data which are based on historical numbers but are not
grounded.
Is the forecast jumping on the bandwagon?
When forecasting the ultimate goal is to have all information support
the end goal. However one must tread lightly to ensure that the information
being presented is indeed based on a true foundation and not just
coincidence.
GREEN STRATEGIES
There are several benefits for an organization to head in the green
direction. The first is that it is socially responsible. The social responsibility
can then be used as marketing leverage for the public to see that the
organization is going green. For example, the article Green Strategies are a
Go by David Myron, mentions Trader Joes. This company allows customers
to bring in their own bags which allows those who are also green to

9 | The Role of Strategy & Implementation

exercise their beliefs.

This has created a loyal customer base not only

because of the products the store offers but because of its practices.
Another benefit for organizations to go green is that it can influence
sales.

Again the article mentions Best Buy who promotes recycling old

electronics. There is a list of items that Best Buy will accept for recycling.
Not only does this encourage individuals to be socially responsible as well,
but it also gets them in the door to replace the electronic they are looking to
get rid of in one stop. The benefit to that now socially responsible individual
is convenience, which for Best Buy leads to sales.
DEMISE

OF

STRATEGIC PLANNING

As presented, the strategic planning process can seem simple and

easy to implement. However being able to truly implement a corporate wide
initiative

takes

planning

and

lots

of

communication

between

both

departments and individuals.

It is easy for organizations to look at short term goals rather than
focusing and planning for long term goals. This results in a decline of longterm planning amongst corporations.
In order to properly execute an organization wide plan it takes not only
the necessary time to implement, but also the budget and man power.
Managers need to be willing to put in the time to work on implementing the
plan not only in their own departments but also be part of the larger picture.
They need to be willing to have multiple meetings where they not only

10 | The Role of Strategy & Implementation

assess the current situation but also attempt to answer any questions or
overcome any obstacles.
Another hurdle in strategic planning is being able to work as a team
and as a group come together to understand the end goal, and what that
end goal looks like. Communication here is key as everyone has different
viewpoints and opinions on matters.
Lastly, no one likes to own up to decisions they make that do not end
up working out. It is more difficult for individuals who face the public eye as
they can be portrayed as poor leaders.
Therefore it is important to take the time to think through various
scenarios so that the process that is implemented ends up having a positive
effect on the organization.
Organizational strategy and execution
The strategy paradox states that many approaches are constructed on
beliefs about a future that cannot be predicted. The strategies that may lead
corporations to success may be the same that lead them to complete
disaster (1). However the paradox lies in the fact that the commitments an
organization takes now often depend on the circumstances of the future with
results in uncertainty. As a result, the strategy is that a corporation may need
to commit to a strategy regardless of the uncertain future. An organization
can reduce this uncertainty by developing strategic flexibility to actively
anticipate potential scenarios, create ideas/options for each scenario, to
build data about the best options and operate those options.
11 | The Role of Strategy & Implementation

It is our position that corporations who desire to succeed will build on

long-term commitments to strong strategic principles. As a result, one of the
costs of this commitment is less flexibility, but good strategies may be often
difficult to redirect or change. Further, adaptability is a response that
universally must be present in any corporation and should not be considered
a competitive advantage. Flexible strategies include asking the appropriate
questions that demand critical thinking over options and uncertain future
and time frames. Further, the dimensions of uncertainty and its should be
defined and measured. Reducing scenarios by eliminating inconsistencies
and identifying probabilities of options needs to be undertaken.
Four primary management practices
Companies who succeed keep focus on their strategy, their primary or
core line of business through an articulated delivery that includes:
1. Offer customers value in their purchase, understanding the need of
the customer and the capability of the company.
2. Develop strategy through feedback of customers and investors and
not on instinct.
3. Monitor market and adapt to trends
4. Communicate strategy with stakeholders and customers.
5. Grow core business. Winners grow their core before pursuing other
ventures (2).
Further, companies with good operations consider meeting customer
expectations. While the product may not necessarily be the best, the
12 | The Role of Strategy & Implementation

company addresses the need or expectations that the customer holds which
results in a relationship of trust. Empowering employees to respond to the
needs and address customer concerns is also crucial. Finally, companies who
focuse on processes that meet the customer expectations address the
concept of cutting the red tape. For example eliminating processes of
waste or inefficient processes that have customers work extra to get to the
desired outcomes should be eliminated.
The culture in a successful firm requires maximum performance and
serving customers in the following
1. Making a organization environment where every employee is
responsible for corporate success by allowing employees to make
decisions to improve on operations.
2. Raising

expectations

constantly

and

rewarding

achievement

through recognition and monetary compensation.

3. Creating a friendly and fun environment that challenges employees
to perform while avoiding high-anxiety or high-stress environments.
4. Articulate

clear

vision,

values,

while

communicating

with

employees.
The structure of an organization that matters is its simplicity to reduce the
bureaucracy and build on cooperation and sharing of resources and
information while putting the employees who serve customers in a frontline
position in a role that allows them to make decisions that make a difference.
(3)
13 | The Role of Strategy & Implementation

1.

Raynor,

Michael.

(2007).

The

Strategy

Paradox:

Why

Committing to Success Leads to Failure (and What to do about

it). New York: Currency Books.
2.

Joyce, William. (2003). What (really) Works: The 4+2 formula

for sustained Business Success. New york: Harper Collins.

3.

Cascio, Wayne. (2003). Responsible Restructuring: Creative and

Profitable Alternatives to Layoffs. San Francisco, CA: BerrettKoehler.

CONCLUSION
.

14 | The Role of Strategy & Implementation

References
Pierce, J. L. 2011. The Managers Bookshelf: A Mosaic of Contemporary Views.
9th Ed.
Upper Saddle River, N.J.: Prentice Hall, Print.
McNamara, C. (n.d.) Basic Overview of Various Strategic Planning Modules.
Retrieved from
http://managementhelp.org/strategicplanning/models.htm#one

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