The world today is much more complex and dynamic than it was. The challenges and opportunities facing organizations are greater than ever now.

The conventional approach to strategic planning with just operational effectiveness to customers are getting obsolete in the intensely competitive and turbulent 21st Century business environment now. We need new innovative approach and formulation in

Strategic Repositioning to implement the strategies.

INTRODUCTION TO STRATEGIC THINKING

INTRODUCTION TO STRATEGIC THINKINGLack of strategic thinking by management staffs has been identified as a major shortcoming in organisations. Concepts in management and psychology had been drawn and used to remedy this situation. Strategic thinking needs to be

addressed at two different levels: the individual level and the organisational level.

Organisations that successfully integrate strategic thinking at these two levels will create a critical core competency that forms the basis of an enduring competitive advantage.

PART A: INTRODUCTION TO STRATEGIC THINKING Strategic Thinking Versus Strategic Planning Strategic Management Process The Purpose of Vision and Mission (Team Activity) PART B: THE BEGINNING OF THE STRATEGIC FORMULATION JOURNEY Auditing General Environmental Influences Thinking Tool for External Evaluation (Team Activity)

This 2 day hand-on practical program consisting of 5 parts is specially designed to focus on creating stretch and interconnectedness :

DAY 1

PART D: EXPLORING CURRENT STRATEGIES Value Chain and Activity Chain Analysis Using SWOT - How comprehensive are our current strategies? Relevancy of Structural Analysis Customer Intelligences (Team Activity) PART E: LATERAL THINKING WITH STRATEGIC POSSIBILITIES Concept of Value Pioneering

PART C: EXPLORING THE INTERNAL ENVIRONMENT Resources, Capabilities and Competencies Thinking Tool for Internal Evaluation (Team Activity)

DAY 2

The workshop activity focus on creating stretch and interconnectedness to encourage Participants to:

think out of the box in connecting the dots in strategic formulation. creatively think through possible issues that might crop up in multi-level analytical process of formulating and implementing strategies. to assume the role of senior management. to look forward to making strategic decisions both as an individual and as a team member.

This workshop is participatory based on a combination of interactive short presentation of key concepts/tools, group discussions and team activities applying knowledge to practice in real organizations.

‘intra-preneurial’ thinking in formulating strategies difference between strategic planning and strategic thinking skills and concepts needed to effectively formulate and efficiently implement strategies importance of performing environmental audit and assessment in the formulation of strategies and evaluation of strategic choices various analytical matrices and tools for conducting strategy assessment and options selection

Upon completion of the workshop, participants should be able to gain and have better understanding of:

PART A: INTRODUCTION TO STRATEGIC THINKING Strategic Thinking vs

Strategic Planning Strategic Management Process The Purpose of Vision and Mission (Team Activity)

Strategic thinking is a process that defines the manner in which people think about, assess, view, and create the future for themselves and others. 

 Strategic thinking is an extremely effective and valuable tool. One can apply strategic thinking to arrive at decisions that can be related to your work or personal life.

Strategic planning is an organization's process of defining its strategy, or direction, and making decisions on allocating its resources to pursue this strategy.

It may also extend to control mechanisms for guiding the implementation of the strategy.

The strategic management process means defining the organization’s strategy. It is the process by which managers make a choice of a set of strategies for the organization to achieve better performance. Strategic management is a

continuous process that appraises the organization business and industries involved; appraises it’s competitors; and fixes goals to meet all the present and future competitor’s and then reassesses each strategy.

Components in Strategic management process

Strategic management process has following four steps:

Environmental Scanning- Environmental scanning refers to a process of collecting, scrutinizing and providing information for strategic purposes.

Components Strategic in management process

It helps in analyzing the internal and external factors influencing an organization. After executing the environmental analysis process, management should evaluate it on a continuous basis and strive to improve it.

After conducting environment scanning, managers formulate corporate, business and functional strategies.

Components Strategic management processStrategy Formulation- 

Strategy formulation is the process of deciding best course of action for accomplishing organizational objectives and hence achieving organizational purpose.

Strategy Implementation- Strategy implementation implies making the strategy work as intended or putting the organization’s chosen strategy into action.

Components Strategic management process

Strategy implementation includes designing the organization’s structure, distributing resources, developing decision making process, and managing human resources.

Strategy Evaluation- Strategy evaluation is the final step of strategy management process. The key strategy evaluation activities are:

Components Strategic management process

appraising internal and external factors that are the root of present strategies, measuring performance, and taking remedial / corrective actions. Evaluation makes sure that the organizational

strategy as well as it’s implementation meets the organizational objectives.

Strategy Evaluation- These components are steps that are carried, in chronological order, when creating a new strategic management plan. 

Components Strategic management process

Businesses that have a strategic management plan take steps to make essential changes per the situation’s requirement.

Importance of Vision and Mission StatementsOne of the first things that any organization should have is a vision and mission and its statement.

Studies have shown that organizations that have lucid, coherent, and meaningful Vision and Mission Statements return more than double in shareholder benefits when compared to the those that do not have.The importance of vision and mission statements is

such that it is the first thing that is discussed in management strategy.

The Purpose of Mission and VisionStrategic plans often mean a change in organizational structure or a move toward change. Change can be a difficult process and sometimes requires time but it is important with the decision making process.

This can be articulated through the mission and vision statement of the organization. Articulating and repeating the positives of the move toward change will help employees stay engaged and motivated in the process.

Change in Strategic PlanningChange is an essential component of strategic planning. This involves moving the organization forward to create or change something.

Plans are created out of the need for the organization to move in a certain direction, and other plans develop organically.

Mission and vision statements helps communicate the goals of the plan to employees and the public.

Mission Statement

Strategic plans may involve changing the mission statement to reflect a new direction of the organization. Highlighting the benefits of the change and minimizing the deficits will help employees and the public buy into the change.

A mission statement is a short and simple statements which outline what the organisation's purpose is. It is used as a way to communicate the purpose of the organisation.

Vision StatementA vision statement is a company's road map, indicating both what the company wants to become and guiding transformational initiatives by setting a defined direction for the company's growth.

Vision statements give direction for employee behavior and helps provide inspiration. Strategic plans may require a marketing strategy, which could include the vision statement to also help inspire consumers to work with the organization.

Strategic planning do have its successes and failures. Leaders should celebrate the successes when meeting objectives, which are part of the mission and vision statement.

Mission statement helps measure whether the strategic plan aligns with the overall goals. Vision statement helps provide inspiration to employees.

Employees who feel invested in the organizational change are more likely to stay motivated with higher levels of productivity

The Purpose of Mission and Vision

Workshop (Team Activity) Write a Mission Statement which outline the organisation's ‘Purpose’ . – A sentence that describes the end result the organization seeks

the reason it existswho are you, as an organization?why do you exist? what do you do? who do you serve?

(Tips. Purpose statements usually include two phrases)§ An infinitive that indicates a change in status, such as -to increase, to decrease, to prevent, to eliminate § An identification of the problem or condition to be changed.

PART B:THE BEGINNING OF THE STRATEGIC FORMULATION JOURNEY

Auditing General Environmental Influences Thinking Tool for External Evaluation (Team Activity)

Strategy formulation:- process of choosing the most appropriate course of action for realization of organizational goals and objectives to achieve organizational vision. 

Auditing General Environmental Influences

Six main process steps of Strategy Formulation and easily followed in this order.

1.Setting Organizations’ objectives 2.Evaluating the Organizational Environment 3.Setting Quantitative Targets 4.Aiming in context with the divisional plans 5.Performance Analysis6. Choice of Strategy

-key component of any strategy statement, the long-term Objectives. Strategy is a medium for realization of organizational objectives.

1.Setting Organizations’ objectives

Factors influencing selection of objectives must be analyzed before the selection and once Objectives have been determined, strategic decisions is made easy.

Objectives stresses the state of being there. Strategy stresses the process of reaching there.- fixes objectives & medium used to realize it.- the manner of deployment of resources to achieve the objectives.

-the general economic and industrial environment in which organization operates, - the organizations competitive position, its qualitative and quantitative existing product line.

2.Evaluating the Organizational Environment

- purpose: discover important factors for competitive success in market, to identify own strengths, weaknesses & competitors’ strengths and weaknesses.-to keep track on competitors’ moves and actions to

discover opportunities of threats to its market or supply sources.

 - to practically fix the quantitative target values for some of organizational objectives.

3.Setting Quantitative Targets

-to compare with long term customers,- to evaluate contribution that might be made by various product zones or operating departments.

-identify contributions of department or division or product category and do a strategic planning for each sub-unit accordingly.

4.Aiming in context with the divisional plans

This requires a careful analysis of macroeconomic trends.

-discover and analyze the gap between the planned & desired performance. -evaluate the past performance, present condition and the desired future conditions.

5.Performance Analysis

-identify the degree of gap between actual reality and the long-term aspirations. -make an attempt to estimate its probable future condition if the current trends persist.

- the ultimate step in Strategy Formulation. The best course of action is chosen after considering:

6.Choice of Strategy

organizational goals, organizational strengths, potential and limitations & the external opportunities.

The overall purpose is to build a shared framework for strategic thinking that encourages diversity and sharpens perceptions about external changes and opportunities. …

WORKSHOP (Team Activity) Turning Your Organizational Imagination

into Action The black swan theory or theory of black swan events (developed

by Nassim Nicholas Taleb) is a metaphor that describes an event that comes as a surprise, has a major effect, and is often inappropriately rationalized after the fact with the benefit of hindsight.

The Black Swan Events

WORKSHOP (Team Activity) 1. Identify one thing in your business that

seemingly cannot fail.2. Imagining the impact of things (through extreme failure) and what would you prepare to respond to these events.3. Choose a strategy to implement the course of action focusing on Creativity, Innovation in Strategic Thinking.

Consider these in mind: organizational goals, organizational strengths, potential and limitations & the external opportunities.

Be Blessed!

Principal Consultant for Lean Management. Certified Kaizen & TPM Specialist with 30 over years

working experience. Provides Technical Consulting Services on Lean

Cellular system & Moonshine set up. An Innovator with Mechanical background that

adopts Green Living by Recycling and Reusing Idle resources to add Value, eliminating waste to promote Green.

Founder of Tim’s Waterfuel, an alternative HHO Fuel supplement using Water that adds power ,saves fuel and reduce Co2 emission on automobiles.

An NGO Community worker for Prison, Drug Rehabilitation and CREST North (Crisis Relieve & Training) Malaysia, an organization that respond to Crisis & Flood.

Timothy Wooi

Add: 20C, Taman Bahagia, 06000, Jitra, KedahEmail: timothywooi2@gmail.com H/p: 019 4514007 (Malaysia)