DK Essential Managers: Strategic Thinking

DK Essential Managers

by Andy Bruce

Learn how to plan, develop, and implement dynamic business and team strategies with Strategic Thinking. This concise and informative guide shows you how to identify the route to success by gathering and analyzing key information, setting short- and long-term objectives, developing your team-leadership skills, predicting future trends, and maintaining a flexible approach. It covers the essential tools of strategic management, from SWOT analysis and feasibility studies to budgeting forecasts and contingency plans, to help give youa competitive edge in today''s fast-moving business world. The Essential Managerhave sold more than 1.9 million copies worldwide! Experienced and novice managers alike can benefit from these compact guides that slip easily into a briefcase or a portfolio. The topics are relevant to every work environment, from largecorporations to small businesses. Concise treatments of dozens of business techniques, skills, methods, and problems are presented with hundreds of photos, charts, and diagrams. It is the most exciting and accessible approach to businessand self-improvement available.
Learn about brainstorming, systems, logic, precedents, action plans, and goals.

Genres: Business, Management, Leadership

101 pages, Kindle Edition

First published August 1, 2000

Reviews

[Sean · Rating 4 out of 5]

Planning is not a dirty word. Its just hard work. This book demonstrates the value of thinking issues through intentionally and purposefully and indicates how planning effeectiely is a key skill in ejoying desired goals. The contexr here is business but aspects of the book could be related to other areas. A good summary of a big area.

[Hung Duy · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book is totally not for a beginner. Besides, the ideas and structures was poorly presented and arranged. I had to scroll most of the time and recall literally nothing after reading this book. Maybe it is not for me at the moment.

[Junaid · Rating 2 out of 5]

Great for beginners venturing into Strategic Thinking for business or in general, brief and short, not for those trying to cover the theory and technical knowledge of strategic thinking and strategy for both business and general strategy.

[Paulo · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting book about how to use strategy at work.

It is very short and it is not a WOW book: just a few hints and tips about your work.

Well, just my 2 cents :-)

[Abdullah Shams · Rating 2 out of 5]

Too rudimentary

[Duaa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Take-Aways

Strategy maps out the future, setting out which products and services you will take to which markets and how.


a)understanding strategy

1- defining strategy, why have a strategy, looking to the future, involving the team.
2- examining the process, analyzing throughly, planning strategy, implementing strategy.
3- thinking short- and long-term, knowing the pitfalls, achieving balance, working strategically.
4- preparing for strategic success, involving key people, involving others, gaining commitment, getting the right facts, avoiding guesswork, brainstorming ideas.
5- looking to the future, reviewing decisions, avoiding pitfalls, staying ahead.



b) analyzing your position

1- examining influences, looking at the economy, examining trends in technology, understanding legal and political changes.
2- understanding your customers, identifying buying criteria, defining the ideal, prioritizing criteria.
3- analyzing competitors, examining competitors,envisaging the future, assessing opportunities, identifying threats.
4- assessing your skills and capabilities, examining internal business processes, accessing information, reviewing team skills.
5- summarizing the analysis, create SWOT summary, documenting findings, sharing the summary.



c) planning a strategy

1- staging the process, setting out the stages, checking the strategy.
2- defining your purpose, considering aims, discussing with colleagues, creating a purpose statement.
3- determine a competitive advantage, starting a review, summarizing competitive analysis, determining enduring advantages.
4- setting boundaries, improving effectiveness, targeting markets and customers
5- choosing strategic emphasis, grouping products and services, segmenting markets and customers, establishing priorities, agreeing emphasis, changing emphasis, resolving problems
6- estimating budget, forecasting revenues, estimating costs, calculating margins.
7- integrating strategy, identifying potential conflict, making processes compatible, aligning strategies
8- testing the strategy, building a business case template, using business cases.
9- communicating clearly, keeping stakeholders informed, getting feedback, gaining commitment.



d) implementing a strategy

1- prioritizing change, listing improvements identifying gaps, setting priorities
2- planning change, moving forward, defining objectives, allocating responsibility, setting milestones, setting time targets, recording progress
3- assessing the risks, predicting problems, assessing impact, avoiding trouble, contingency planning,
4- reviewing operational targets, setting new targets , ensuring realistic targets, making improvements
5- motivating peoples, reviewing roles and responsibilities, investing in training, rewarding people.
6- monitoring performance, organizing reports, assessing the progress of others.
7- holding reviews, reviewing progress, resolving issues, reviewing strategy
8- being flexible, expecting the unexpected, altering course , retesting strategy.

[Melissa Omolo]

This was the first book I ever read on strategy and I am thankful it broke down to me on what strategy is all about...Strategy is the only tool you need at this time and age to stay ahead of the pack...In this highly competitive world....foreseeing the future and actually ensuring whatever you do right now compliments the future is the only way out....One of the best statements I found on strategic thinking was on page 65 which says..."Strategic thinking is all about keeping up to date and improving all the time..." #WORD Being strategic is all about instilling a spirit of excellence in all you do and ensuring that you are one step ahead in anticipating your customer's needs.Being strategic is all about being proactive in every way...:-)

[Sean · Rating 3 out of 5]

Essential Basics

A brief introduction to the basics of strategic thinking. There’s enough here for the uninitiated to get an idea of strategic planning and perhaps a quick reminder of the basics for the experienced.

[Karen Jett · Rating 2 out of 5]

Mini DK Essentials book. Good overview but little that can be applied on a practical basis to help you do strategic planning.

[Mohei El-din · Rating 3 out of 5]

It is a good book

[Muhammad Ali Bin Shahid · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good run down through the basics.