2. How Can the Business Be Positioned Through Strategic Thinking?

3. Overview Strategic management Your own strategic direction Tools for analyzing strategic direction Determining strategic alternatives

4. What is strategic management? Strategic management is all about anticipating, driving, and capitalizing on change: – Anticipating: seeing the future – Driving: shaping the future – Capitalizing: making the most of the future

5. What is strategic management? “If it ain’t broke... Don’t fix it.” “If it ain’t broke... You haven’t looked hard enough. Fix it anyway!” Tom Peters Thriving on Chaos

6. What is strategic management? In any strategic planning process, we must answer three key questions: – Where are we now? – Where are we going? – How will we get there?

7. The Performance Gap Time Gap Goal Current Path TODAY Outcome

8. How do we close the gap? Define our current position.... – with respect to customer needs, competitors, the general market situation Determine our goal.... – where should our firm be in 5, 10, …, years? Evaluate our firm and our market …. – Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats Start down the path that will lead to our goal – short - long-term action steps to move toward our target

9. What is strategy? – Operational effectiveness versus strategy – What is operational effectiveness?

10. What is strategy? “Competitive strategy is about being different.” “Strategy is the creation of a unique and valuable position in your industry.” “Activities are the basic units of competitive advantage.” – “Strategy is about combining activities.” – “Strategy is about creating fit among a company’s activities.” “Strategy is choosing what not to do.”

11. What is strategy? Strategy is…. – Looking longer term – Capitalizing on change – A stream of decisions – Focused on a purpose – Managing strategic risks – Creating a unique and valuable position – Choosing what not to do

12. The Strategic Management Process

13. Assessing the Situation Your Firm Vision Strengths Competitors Mission Objectives Market Conditions Goals Customers Opportunities Threats Weaknesses Strategy Implementation Core Strategy Functional Strategies ProductMarketing VolumeResources PurchasingFinance People Organization Social Operations Management The Strategic Management Process

14. Strategic Business Planning for Commercial Producers