How to Build a Strategy

How To Build a Strategy

Prepared for

June 14, 2017

Dr. Lydia Kostopoulos

Website: Lkcyber.com

Twitter: @LKCYBER

Linkedin: linkedin.com/in/lydiak

Defining Strategy

Strategy is a high level plan to achieve one or more goals…

(more often than not)

…under conditions of uncertainty

“How To Build A Strategy” Dr. Lydia Kostopoulos Lkcyber.com

Vision

Analysis

Target

Plan

How to Build a Strategy

Dr. Lydia Kostopoulos


Twitter: @LKCYBER


Building a strategy in an organization requires clear

communication, expectation management and

teamwork.

One way to ensure that everyone is on the same page is to

check in with key stakeholders throughout the process.


Vision

• Acquire guidance on the vision from supervisory authorities of the strategy. (Establish a vision if no supervisory authorities exist)

• Determine the purpose of the strategy.

• Confirm what the internal financial, political and non-monetary resource support for the strategy entails.

• Understand the why of the new direction.(especially when the new strategy amends/replaces an old one)


Analysis

• Assess the existing strategy (when one exists) and identify gaps in fulfilling the new vision.

• Review existing goals and determine if they need to be reworded or amended in anyway.

• Examine success/failure of efforts taken so far and resources that have been leveraged.

With this in mind…


Analysis

• Assess the existing strategy (when one exists) and identify gaps in fulfilling the new vision.

• Review existing goals and determine if they need to be reworded or amended in anyway.

• Examine success/failure of efforts taken so far and resources that have been leveraged.

With the above and the vision in mind,extend the analysis to:

Core Reinforcement

Growth Investment


Analysis

Core Reinforcement

Growth Investment


Make a purposeful effort to outline what core strengths the organization has, and what its legacy and core mission, business, services, offerings are.

Assess how the “core” can be reinforced and leveraged to adapt to the new vision and direction.

Identify areas where the “core” may be disrupted by changing trends and take mitigation measures.

Assess and examine peripheral strengths within the organization (ie: skills, services, products, reputation etc)

Identify if/how these could be strengthened to bolster the high level vision, as well as create new areas for strategic growth.

With the new direction and key trends in mind, develop new products, services, performance models that can be weaved in. (more often than not this involves a paradigm shift)

Analysis

Efforts Taken

Existing Goals

CurrentGaps

Situational awareness, which provides parameters to develop targeted goals.


Growth Investment

Core Reinforcement

Core Reinforcement

Growth Investment

Target

• Determine specific goals/outcomes to achieve. For each goal describe lines of effort to achieve it.

• Identify suitable tactical approaches given resources (political, financial, non-monetary)

• Identify metrics (where possible) to measure progress and success of efforts.(Keeping in mind that there are both tangible and intangible measures to measure progress, effectiveness and success of a strategy.)


Plan


• Prioritize efforts based on criticality to the achievement of the goals. (For optimized and effective use of time and resources the goals should be prioritized as well.)

• Create a timeline with projected dates for executing and accomplishing tactical efforts and achieving goals. (Keeping in mind political, financial, resource and support constraints.)

• Identify all key stakeholders who need to be notified of the progress, and the specific way in which they should be notified.

! Be ready to be creative and agile….

No plan survives contact with the enemy…

“”


Helmuth Karl Bernhard Graf von MoltkeGerman Military Strategist

In preparing for battle I have always found that plans are useless but planning is indispensable.

“”Dwight D. Eisenhower

34th President of the United States

TrendsAffecting industries

across the board

• Generational Technology & Education Gaps

• Longevity & Demographic Changes

• AR / VR / Mixed Reality

• AI decision support and the externalization of knowledge

• XaaS: Everything as a Service

• Dynamic value creation

*** Not a comprehensive list ***

• Disruptive: Tech / Processes / NouveuAuthorities

• Technological Unemployment & HR Turnover


Concluding Thoughts

When building a strategy it is important to:


Have structure in thought processes and efforts,

Maintain focus on the overarching vision,

Communicate clearly and effectively, and

A pulse on dynamic changes in trends that have impact on operations and strategy.

Thank you!

Questions? Comments?


Twitter: @LKCYBER



Business

How to Build a Strategy