GAHZLY

Abstract The strategic planning process can take many paths. It can require months of preparatory analysis or simply use the collective knowledge of the management team. Either method requires that the company make decisions on its future course. In this paper we will show how to use Strategic Filters as a way to sift through the data and make the best decisions. Then, we will focus these decisions into a few Wildly Important Goals (WIGs) that will be resourced and completed. Strategic Planning: Strategic Filters & Wildly Important Goals Driving Force Filter – The Competitive Advantage you can Prove Emerging Trend Filter Customer Filter Wildly Important Goals Strategy Map Driving Force Filter The driving force is the key differentiator or competitive advantage of the company. The most important element of the driving force is the proof. If you want your employees and your customers to believe it, then you must find the data that backs up your claim. Here is a list of things t...

Before getting involved, make sure you understand all the ramifications. Planning and setting up a viable work at home career will entail a great deal of thought and consideration. For example, if you are currently employed outside the home on a full-time basis, you will have to devote your spare time to building your new business. As you plan for the time you will spend on your work at home, consider that you will need time to perform you day job and tend to family, and other household responsibilities. Also plan to research the market you are interested in, and investigate what your competitors are doing, in order to make your own plans. You’ll need to find out and complete any needed paperwork before embarking on your work at home career. You’ll need to know about the zoning requirements for your area regarding any home based business, as well as finding out if a business license or business bank account will be necessary. Making sure these types of issues are taken care ...

The New Basics of Business With unemployment continuing to rise, home prices falling due to a surplus of inventory, and small business lending at a standstill, this recession doesn’t seem likely to end soon. The recovery will be slow and Americans will certainly not enjoy the prosperity of a few years ago for a long time to come. It’s not just economists who think this way. “Half the population in [a] new ABC News poll thinks both job security and retirement prospects in the years ahead will remain worse than their pre-recession levels.” (“Poll: Less Job Security is the ‘New Normal,'” ABC News The Polling Unit, June 15, 2009, analysis by Gary Langer) This confidence, or lack thereof, is an integral part of an economic cycle. The analysis goes on to say, “Those diminished expectations – plus the pain of the current downturn – are fueling retrenchments in consumer behavior that could fundamentally reshape the economy.” Basi...

In developed market economics, well-managed businesses are expected to all have a strategic plan; whereas, in the Czech Republic (country in the middle of Europe with exciting history as well called as ‘heart of Europe’; capital Prague; population 10.5 million; area 78,864 sq km) and the rest of the post-communist countries, having such management tools in place is all too frequently overlooked and missing. Unfortunately, the above statement about management practices in the Czech Republic is an objective description of the current state of affairs. Times are changing however and the days when running a profitable business was a relatively simple task are long gone. This change had to come some day; but, with the arrival of the current economic crisis, this change has come about more quickly than many could have expected. Thus, the existing management and business planning practices of most Czech businesses are facing a major test. For those businesses that have entered this...

Panera Bread has an opportunity for growth within a challenging industry in two key areas – increased sales of specialty drinks and opening international locations – that will enable the company to spread its mission of fresh bread for everyone while increasing the bottom line for shareholders. By utilizing many frameworks for thought and projecting the estimated financials of the company, we are able to empirically show that these two strategies will be beneficial to the customer. Utilize Historically High Margins on Specialty Drinks to Drive Bottom Line Growth While Panera’s core business revolves around fresh bread, the style of the locations suggests that there is substantial revenue in selling coffee and related drinks, similar to Starbucks. Looking at the coffee market, estimated real growth is 2.7% or roughly 5.7% given a 3% inflation rate while the number of establishments, the actual coffee shops, is expected to grow only 1.6%, meaning that each shop on averag...

Risk management planning is a key to successful property development. Risk Management, the science of analyzing the risk areas as they have the greatest impact allows property investors assign resources appropriately and/or assess feasibility of property development projects. A clear understanding of the development process and the ability to quantify risk areas will provide investors with the competitive advantage they need to emerge from the pack in the new economy. Listed below is an outline of the levels of risk management due diligence key to property development and property planning. Level 1: Impacts Assessment 1.1 Industry Standards Assessment Analytical assessment enables property owners to compare existing facilities with business and industry standards. The evaluation of industry standards can be used as a baseline for planning physical building projects. 1.2 Socioeconomic Impacts Assessment Analytical assessment enables property owners to determine status of socioeconomic ...

This TQM article provides an insight of a typical Strategic Planning Process that was used in several organizations and proven to be very practical in implementation. the key processes of this typical Strategic Planning Process are lined up into 7 steps. Detail of each steps are illustrated below:- Step 1 – Review or develop Vision & Mission Able to obtain first hand information from various stakeholders (Shareholders, customers, employee, suppliers communities etc). You may use templates to evaluate how the stakeholders think about your organization. To find out whether their action are aligned with the organization’s objectives. To review or develop company’s Vision and Mission with the involvement of other stakeholders to ensure it is still current with the business changes and new challenges. Also use this session as a mean for communication. Step 2 – Business and operation analysis (SWOT Analysis etc) One of the key consideration of strategic planning is...

The majority of business owners and entrepreneurs struggle with their efforts to implement their unique ideas and eventually fail. There are a number of reasons for small business failures but poor planning is probably the most prominent one. Would you set off on a journey with no idea of how to get to your destination? Starting a business without proper planning is like starting a journey without a roadmap. A good business plan provides direction and serves as a guide for fulfilling business objectives. It also helps to clarify those objectives. If you are planning to start a new business or already have a business up and running, then here are a few simple steps to help you carry out an effective business plan: Setting goals and objectives The first step in business planning is identifying your goals and objectives. This will help you monitor your business progress and see if you are attaining what you have been aiming for. Your goals should be SMART – specific, measurable, acti...

The future is one of the most fascinating and talked about subjects today. You can see the future being practiced on a daily basis as people plan events and develop business ventures in a global dimension. Understanding the future is no longer achieved by performing magic or reading someone’s palm but is now recognized as a social science that can be identified as Strategic Foresight, Futures’ Studies, and Futuring (just to name a few), and becoming instrumental in developing new concepts and ideas in the fields of nanotechnology, neurotechnology, biotechnology, and electronics technology for the future. One of the tools derived from strategic foresight or planning is called Assumption-Based Planning (ABP). This tool can be used to help people and planners from all walks of life recognize and incorporate assumptions in a plan during times of great uncertainty.  James Dewar defines ABP as, “a tool designed for improving the robustness and adaptability of plans-redu...

Many small to medium sized businesses face a common struggle; a balancing act of plans, strategies, departments and decisions. All of the elements are present, all of the gears in working condition, but business isn’t exactly booming at the pace it had anticipated or forecasted for. What exactly does this growth and sustainability require? In a turbulent economy teeming with congested airwaves and aggressive business practices, it’s about standing out from the crowd. And surprisingly, your marketing strategy has a lot more to do with it than you might realize. Conflicted business owners can overcome the masses and draw the customers that are right for their product by executing a stellar marketing strategy, not by yelling louder than their competitors or using neon banners on their storefront (or banner ads on your website). My point is, you don’t have to be throwing yourself out there with a bunch of noise all the time. What you need to do is paint a vision for your b...

Effective project planning is often difficult for individuals with Asperger’s Syndrome. It can result in the following workplace difficulties: not knowing how to get started on an assignment, becoming stuck midway through a project, vastly underestimating how long something will take, discovering too late that important items have been omitted, or losing sight of the original goal. There are four basic steps to effective planning: 1. Establish a clear goal. 2. Create specific, manageable steps to reach the goal. 3. Organize the time needed to complete the steps. 4. Assemble required materials. The following planning template has been used by several of my coaching clients for both long-term projects and daily tasks. To show you how it works, I have included an example from one of my clients who used the template to plan the writing of a process manual. Planning Template 1. Describe the goal or task: Produce an internal process manual 2. Due date: One month 3. Steps and estimated t...

Strategic planning is a coordinated and systematic process for developing a plan for the overall direction of an organization and the allocation of resources to optimize future potential. Many businesses start out with only an idea and a desire to succeed. Sometimes it works; more often, it does not. According to the US Small Business Administration (SBA), the main reasons businesses fail are the lack of a solid plan and the lack of adequate capital. These two reasons are not unrelated, especially in tight economic times. After all, if you don’t invest in a good plan for your business, why would you expect someone else to invest in your business? Strategic and business planning is not just a box to check on your to-do list. Strategic planning is the foundation for everything: your business identity, your marketing and sales, your operations, your management approach, and your funding. However, excuses abound for not doing it. Even well established businesses need to stand out from...