Strategy

by Harvard Business School

• ISBN13: 9781591396321
• ISBN10: 1591396328
• Edition: 1st
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2005-07-31
• Publisher: Harvard Business School Pr

Summary

The Harvard Business Essentials series is designed to provide comprehensive advice, personal coaching, background information, and guidance on the most relevant topics in business.Whether you are a new manager seeking to expand your skills or a seasoned professional looking to broaden your knowledge base, these solution-oriented books put reliable answers at your fingertips.Implementing StrategyStrategic execution drives business success. This book covers strategy from the ground up, explaining what strategy is, how to put together a strategic plan, what tools and resources are necessary to execute it, and how to measure results.

Table of Contents

Introduction	xi
1 SWOT Analysis I	1	(16)
Looking Outside for Threats and Opportunities
External Analysis	3	(10)
Porter's Five Forces Framework	13	(2)
Summing Up	15	(2)
2 SWOT Analysis II	17	(12)
Looking Inside for Strengths and Weaknesses
Core Competencies	18	(5)
Financial Condition	23	(1)
Management and Culture	24	(1)
A Method for Evaluating Internal Strengths and Weaknesses	25	(2)
Summing Up	27	(2)
3 Types of Strategy	29	(18)
Which Fits Your Business?
Low-Cost Leadership	31	(5)
Differentiation	36	(2)
Customer Relationship	38	(4)
Network Effect Strategy	42	(3)
Summing Up	45	(2)
4 Strategic Moves	47	(14)
The Mechanisms of Success
Gaining a Market Beachhead	48	(2)
Market Entry Through Process Innovation	50	(2)
Applying Judo Strategy	52	(2)
Market Entry Through Product Differentiation	54	(1)
Create and Dominate a New Market	55	(2)
Buying Your Way In	57	(2)
Summing Up	59	(2)
5 From Strategy to Implementation	61	(16)
Seeking Alignment
People and Incentives	66	(2)
Supportive Activities	68	(2)
Organizational Structure	70	(1)
Culture and Leadership	71	(4)
Summing Up	75	(2)
6 Action Plans	77	(18)
The Architecture of Implementation
From Strategic Plan to Unit Action Plans	78	(2)
Set Goals	80	(2)
Agree on Performance Measures	82	(2)
Formulate Action Steps	84	(1)
Determine the Resources Needed	85	(1)
Identify Interlocks	86	(4)
Estimate the Financial Impact	90	(1)
A Sample Action Plan	90	(2)
Summing Up	92	(3)
7 How to Stay on Course	95	(14)
Sensing and Responding to Deviations from Plan
A Model for Staying on Course	96	(2)
Progress Review	98	(3)
Informal Checks	101	(1)
Common Causes of Implementation Failure	102	(4)
Develop Contingency Plans to Handle Potential Setbacks	106	(2)
Summing Up	108	(1)
8 The People Side of Implementation	109	(12)
Getting the Right People on Board
Enlist the Support and Involvement of Key People	111	(2)
Support the Plan with Consistent Behaviors and Messages	113	(1)
Develop Enabling Structures	114	(1)
Celebrate Milestones	115	(2)
Communicate Relentlessly	117	(3)
Summing Up	120	(1)
9 Strategy as Work-in-Progress	121	(16)
Keep Looking Ahead
How Well Is Your Strategy Working?	123	(7)
Warning Signs	130	(4)
Leading Strategic Change	134	(1)
Summing Up	135	(2)
Appendix: Useful Implementation Tools	137	(4)
Notes	141	(4)
Glossary	145	(4)
For Further Reading	149	(8)
Index	157	(4)
About the Subject Adviser	161	(1)
About the Writer	162