Principles of Strategy

Strategic decision-making involves thinking about the long-term course one will take through a broad competitive landscape. Strategy provides the direction for operations. Operational planning and decision-making, in turn, guide tactical decisions made in the heat of battle.

When strategy is in place, the organization sits in a position that Sun Tzu called shih.  Sun Tzu's army did not have a specific program or plan, but understood the compeititive landscape and all of its options.  As the battle begins, decision-makers high and low know what to do as each contingency plays out.

Strategy is, simply, the art and science of options.  It is a matter of understanding current options, creating new options, and choosing among them.

Tools and Tips for Strategists

The intent of the Strategic Thinking site is to maintain a knowledge base of information, ideas, methods and tools for use by leaders and facilitators of strategy-making. Please find links to "Tools of the Strategist" and "Impediments to Strategy" on the upper left hand side of this and every page.

The History of Strategy

Twenty four centuries ago, Sun Tzu explained that the strategist seeks the state of shih - the state at which his forces maintain a position of advantage over rivals. In that same era, the Greek historian Thucydides wrote that the events of the past "will at some time or other, and in much the same ways, be repeated in the future." For the next 24 centuries, he has been proven correct time and again. Please find links to key learning from the "History of Strategy" on the left hand side of this and every page.

Consulting &

Workshops

Mark and his associates provide a number of consulting and educational services, including:

·     Strategic Planning

·     Strategy Formulation

·     Team Building

·     Organizational Design & Development

·     Strategic, Market and Organizational Metrics 

 

Blogs and Communities of Practice

A community of practice is a group of people informally bound together by shared expertise and passion for a joint enterprise.  The Strategic Thinking site hosts a number of CoP's in the popular format called a Blog.  Please look for a community of thought that interests you and from the listing of blogs on the lower left side of every page.  We'd love to hear from you.