Strategic Plan Strategic Planning Business Strategy Strategic Planner Mission Statement Vision SWOTs Strategy Development The Vision The first step is to develop a realistic Vision for the business. This should be presented as a pen picture of the business in three or more years time in terms of its likely physical appearance, size, activities, structure, scale offerings etc. Answer the question: "if someone from Mars visited the business, what would they see (or sense)?" Consider its future products, markets, customers, processes, location, staffing etc. Here is a great example of a vision: I will come to America, which is the country for me. The Mission The nature of a business is often expressed in terms of its Mission which indicates in a factual way the purpose and activities of the business in terms of operations, (unique) characteristics, functions, customers, offerings, sectors/segments, scale/scope/penetration, methodologies, technologies, resources etc. Intel's original plan, written on the back of a menu (view copy), is an excellent example of a hard statement:
Crash Bang Wallace Spectator David Nicholson: should he resign as head of the NHS? Photo: Martin Rickett/PA Wire As the Mid-Staffs tragedy unfurls, it becomes more and more apparent that contrary to the insistence of former Labour Ministers and Prime Ministers, this was not an isolated case, but an appalling example of problems evident throughout the NHS. Indeed, back in 2008, the then Labour Government received reports from respected international health consultants warning of a culture of fear and compliance within the NHS; a place where the emphasis was on ‘hitting the targets, but missing the point’ and patient safety came second to presenting a set of statistics suitable for dispatch-box delivery. Ironically, these reports had been commissioned to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the NHS, but far from presenting something to celebrate, the reports laid bare the same problems existing across the NHS that Francis described in his report on Mid Staffs, five years later.
Dvorak Uncensored Blog A bill proposed this week by Assemblywoman Pamela R. Lampitt (D., Camden) would impose a fine of up to $50 and possibly 15 days in jail for pedestrians caught using their cellphones without hands-free devices while walking on public sidewalks and along roadways.If the bill becomes law, “petextrians” – people who text while walking – would face the same penalties as jaywalkers in New Jersey.“I see it every single day,” Lampitt said Friday. “Maybe they will think twice about it.” Since 2009, pedestrian fatalities have increased by 15 percent to 4,735 in 2013, the report said. In a world populated with idiots, the banning of risky behavior has its downside.
What are strategy maps? | Balanced Scorecards Strategy maps are diagrams that allow you to quickly visualize the performance of your balanced scorecards. If you don’t know balanced scorecard terminology yet, it’s a good idea to start there first. The main idea is that each objective in your balanced scorecard is represented by a shape, usually oval or square. These shapes are then grouped by perspective and lines are drawn to show the cause and effect chain. Here are some example strategy maps from around the web: (source) (source) (source) (source) (source) (source) (source) (source) (source) (source)
The Melangerie DAILY MAIL No Agenda News Network While the nuclear crisis in Japan unfolds a continent away, Mormon-dominated communities in the western United States say the disaster overseas is bringing close to home a lesson about preparing for the worst. Leading epidemiologist says increasing taxes on salt, alcohol, sugar and saturated fats could pay a third of the NHS bill Bangladesh | A plan is underway to approve Genetically Modified (GM) crops in the country to boost food production and cut alarming overuse of pesticide across the rural areas, officials said Sudanese protesters took to the airwaves on Saturday after failing via the Internet to mobilise anti-government marches like those in neighbouring Egypt and Libya. The study, commissioned by the nonprofit group Wider Opportunities for Women, looks at how much income it takes to support a basic standard of living for an American family--and finds that many of the jobs of the future won't pay enough to provide that. Why aren't Americans being told the truth about the economy?
Enterprise Architecture, People, Process, Business, Technology, Institute For Enterprise Architecture Developments (IFEAD) A growing number of consultants and academics are looking at complexity theory, once the domain of the biological and physical sciences, to help managers improve the way they lead organizations. What is complexity theory? One way to understand it is to look skyward to the avian maneuverings of birds. A lone bird follows simple rules of behavior, such as when and what to eat. However, a group of birds flying together exhibit complex, unpredictable, creative behaviors that emerge naturally from the interactions of individual birds. For example, a flock in v-formation is able to fly farther and faster than an individual bird. Complexity theorists argue that managers should allow creativity and efficiency to emerge naturally within organizations rather than imposing their own solutions on their employees. Several researchers and companies are examining how an understanding of complexity theory can apply to businesses. How to manage business complexity? What about organizations?
Tim Worstall