Deals with the strategies that organisations employ to survive in an increasingly unpredictable environment. This compilation consists of a number of articles, written by leaders in the field, that reflect current wisdom and contemporary thought on aligning businesses with their environments.

Business.

Strategic Planning is a comprehensive new title, offering practical information on how to develop and implement successful, revenue-generating strategies within your business. In addition to this, the book serves to provide ideas and guidance for producing strategic business plans for your company. Strategic Planning explores the thinking surrounding strategy, and explains concepts such as value based management, the strategic environment, strategies to suit products, establishing strategic strength and gaining competitive advantage. This thorough guide then goes on to demonstrate how to implement and evaluate strategy, how to manage your team and how to manage future risks to your business. Including key questions, pro-active workshops, useful tips and further reading, Strategic Planning is an essential guidebook, whether you are looking for advice about factors to consider when putting together a business plan - or whether you are responsible for the overall strategic direction of the business.

If you’re starting a new business or planning your business’s future, there are plenty of things you should take into account. Strategic Planning For Dummies covers everything you need to know to develop a plan for building and maintaining a competitive advantage — no matter what business you’re in. Written by Erica Olsen, founder and President of a business development firm that helps entrepreneurial-minded businesses plan for a successful future, this handy guide covers all the basics, including: How a strategic plan is different than a business plan Establishing a step-based planning process Planning for and encouraging growth Taking a long-view of your organization Evaluating past performance Defining and refining your mission, values, and vision Sizing up your current situation Examining your industry landscape Setting your strategic priorities Planning for unknown contingencies If you’re in business, you have to plan for everything — especially if you intend your business to grow. Whether you’re planning for a small business, large conglomerate, nonprofit, or even a government agency, this book has the planning specifics you need for your organization. Step-by-step, you’ll learn how to lay the foundations for a plan, understand how your plan will affect your business, form planning teams, discover what your strengths are, see where you are, and, finally, plan where you’re going. And there’s much more: Learn to analyze business trends that will determine your business’s future Set measurable, realistic goals that you can plan for and achieve Make strategic planning a habitual part of the organization Prioritize multiple strategies that you can implement simultaneously Set a defining vision for the organization that guides all your planning and strategy This friendly, simple guide puts the power of strategic planning in the palm of your hand. For small businesses that can’t afford to hire strategic planning consultants, it’s even more imperative. Careful, constant planning is the only way to handle an uncertain business future. With this book, you’ll have all the step-by-step guidance you need to ensure you’re ready for anything that comes.

Describes in detail how to create a strategic plan to identify and meet the requirements of any organization. A solid survey of the techniques of the subject. --Long Range Planning "I′ve finally had an opportunity to read through (this) remarkable guide to strategic planning. (It has) indeed captured the critical elements of this important if messy process. All of this is, of course, applicable to universities, and some of it could even be done without causing riots and revolutions. Every one of us who does university administration should probably read your book, if only to recognize what we are not able to do for lack of good data and good analytical tools." --John V. Lombardi, President, University of Florida "Dr. Kaufman′s approach to strategic planning is new, different, and innovative . . . the target audience of middle managers and executives should find the book an important informational source for achieving organizational and societal objectives. Furthermore, it will probably provide some interesting dialogue at strategic planning sessions." --Melvin T. Stith, Ph.D., Dean, College of Business, Florida State University "Just when the detrimental effects of trendy, short-term, process-oriented management practices are beginning to dramatically weaken altogether too many organizations, along comes Strategic Planning Plus. This book is a solid, reality-based management guide. It is filled with helpful advice and procedures that can improve your odds of doing the right things and doing them well. Reading it will give you a new perspective on the importance and value of planning for organizational success. Putting it to work in your organization can be a driving force in your long-term success." --Wess Roberts, Ph.D., Author, Leadership Secrets of Attila the Hun "A fresh approach to a timeworn subject . . . I believe planning is something all managers would like to do better." --Peter Economy, Director of Administration Horizons Technology, Inc., San Diego, California Current strategic planning and development is often too myopic, and much more must be considered before practical planning is accomplished. Filled with fresh, new ideas and proven methods, Strategic Planning Plus covers strategic planning at three levels--micro, macro, and mega--and describes, in detail, how to create a strategic plan to identify and meet the requirements of any organization. This book shows how to identify the direction an organization must take, gives a six-step process for identifying and solving organizational problems, and provides methods for evaluating progress and revising strategic plans. Strategic Planning Plus also contains handy checklists, flowcharts, procedures, and case studies.

In today's complex world of business, strategic planning is indispensable to effective management. Ever since the mid-1950's, when American companies began to develop formal long-range planning systems, wise managers have understood the importance of knowing where their firm was headed and how it intended to get there. To function effectively in a modern, planned operation, every manager must have a practical understanding of how the planning process works. That's exactly what this book offers: a step-by-step guide to strategic planning. George A. Steiner, a well-known expert in the field of management, provides a concise, jargon-free handbook that avoids abstract theory and takes you straight to the how-to of planning. Whether you're designing and implementing a new plan or working with a plan that's already in operation, Strategic Planning puts the information you need at your fingertips. It takes you through every stage of the process, from idea to execution to evaluation. (And explains Fifty Common Pitfalls you'll need to know about.)You can plug your own data into the lucid charts, tables, and checklists for a valuable start on getting organized and evaluating your planning needs. And there's plenty of penetrating discussion about the questions and quandaries you're likely to meet along the way. For example: * How do you identify, evaluate, and implement strategies? * How do you design a planning system to fit the unique characteristics of you and your company? * Can an intuitive manager do formal strategic planning? * What are some ways to develop clear objectives? * What human behavior factors can endanger planning and how can managers overcome them? * How, and when, should a situation audit be made? * What do you need to know about computer models? * How can business planning lessons be applied to not-for-profit organizations? * How can managers apply lessons of planning experience to the planning of their own careers? You don't have to get an advanced degree to make strategic planning a part of your management style. All you need is the expert advice in this idea-packed handbook. (As a bonus the book includes a glossary of the terms, tools, and techniques of strategic planning.)

The foundation of a successful information systems strategic plan is the recognition that business direction and requirements must drive the IS strategy and computing architecture. A Practical Guide to Information Systems Strategic Planning, Second Edition outlines a systematic approach to guide you through the development of an effective IS plan t