The Advantages of Strategic Intent Thinking Essay
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Many people fulfill lifelong goals when they become a member of a certain profession. Perhaps you had a dream of being a business professor or operating your own business from a young age. You may have admired a teacher or a business owner who kindled your ambition. Despite having an idea of what you wanted to accomplish early on, you likely had little knowledge of the steps you would take to achieve your goal. As you learned about what was required to reach your ultimate goal, you set short-term and medium-range goals that aligned with your long-term goals. Short-term goals may have included getting good grades each year while medium-range goals might have included getting into a good college or saving money for tuition. You likely adjusted short-term and medium-range goals to take advantage of new opportunities that may not have existed when you set your long-term goals, such as attending the DBA program at Walden. Organizations that operate with strategic intent employ a similar approach often with substantial benefit. However, adopting a strategic intent approach can also present challenges for organizations that have relied on more traditional strategies. As a scholar-practitioner in the modern global business environment, it is important that you understand the benefits and challenges of strategic intent and how the approach differs from traditional strategies.
To prepare, consider the similarities and differences between conventional strategic planning and strategic intent thinking.
Write 2–3 paragraph response (2 word document pages), that compares traditional strategic planning to strategic intent thinking.
Explain how the concepts are similar and how they are different.
Also explain the impact of strategic intent thinking on business strategy.
Finally, explain the implications of expanding business strategy to include different types of stakeholders and their viewpoints and relationships.
Extend the conversation by identifying implications for practice or research, as well as for your own research agenda, where appropriate. Be sure to integrate one or two new related, and engaging, questions that will extend the discussion about your paper in constructive ways. Try to think of a question(s) that will engage your peers in critical analysis and thinking about your organization,(Apple Inc.) which may provide insight for your use as you continue preparing your sections of the major Sustainable Solutions Paper (SSP) due in two weeks.
Resources
• Mintzberg, H., & Lampel, J. (1999). Reflecting on the strategy process. Sloan Management Review, 40(3), 21–30.
• Harvard Business School Press. (2005). Strategy: Create and implement the best strategy for your business. Boston, MA: Author.
SAMPLE ANSWER
The Advantages of Strategic Intent Thinking
Organizations adopt different strategies to ensure that they achieve their goals. Understanding the strategies strengths and weaknesses is important for the success of these entities. The paper compares conventional strategic planning to strategic intent thinking.
Traditional strategic planning also known as fit model of strategy making aims at finding the fit between the resources available and the capabilities and external threats and opportunities. Organizations that employ this model are limited in terms of their strategy as they limit their objectives and goals on the available resources and capabilities (Mintzberg & Lampel, 1999). Therefore, in case an entity faces challenges in resources, then it becomes difficult for such organization to achieve their goals. This strategy focuses on the means more than the end as opposed to strategic intent thinking. Furthermore, organizations that employ traditional strategic planning compare their level of performance to their competitors instead of focusing on what they want to achieve in the future (Harvard Business School Press, 2005). On the other hand, strategic intent strategy allows managers to focus on how they can create new capabilities in order to exploit future opportunities. Furthermore, strategic intent thinking aims at winning and is stable over time. The goals set under this strategy require personal effort and commitment to be achieved. This strategy is therefore a vision about what leadership position an entity admires and it provides a ground on assessing the success of an organization (Auburn, 2013). Employees share similar vision and focus on wining to emerge market leaders. Therefore, contrary to traditional strategy, strategic intent thinking is consistent over time; focus on short-term stability while allowing long-range flexibility to take advantage of future opportunities. Strategic internet thinking therefore focuses on the ends while means remains to be flexible hence there is room for open innovation and improvisation opportunities (Auburn, 2013). Similarities of the conventional strategic planning and strategic internet thinking are that they both require that organization have a vision that allows the entity to understand what it wants to achieve (Liedtka & Rosenblum 1996). Furthermore, allow the company to have a competitive edge over competitors.
Strategic internet thinking has an impact on business strategy. It allows an entity to achieve its objectives even if it encounters such challenges such as resource limitation. The company remains committed and focused until the objectives are met (Mintzberg & Lampel, 1999). It as well ensures teamwork and commitment by the members of the organization hence enhancing achievement of the business strategy. It as well fosters open innovation and a business strategy can be adjusted to ensure that the organization remain steadfast towards its objectives (Auburn, 2013). The future is more important and therefore any opportunities are taken seriously to enhance achievement of the business strategy.
Expansion of business strategy to include different types of stakeholders and viewpoints and relationships is healthy and essential. This approach allows the organization to have multiple options; hence, the likelihood of selecting the best option is high. It makes an entity to gain a competitive edge since it can access enough information from different perspective. Understanding market dynamics becomes easier hence giving an organization a competitive edge. Including different stakeholders as well shows that the organization trusts in them hence, they feel a sense of belonging which motivates them (Liedtka, 2011). The productivity or performance of an organization can improve due to this motivation. It is also important to note that involving these stakeholders and different viewpoints will delay the process of decision-making and this may affect business operations.
This discussion is essential on the practice as it provides valuable information on strategic planning and strategic intent thinking. Organization should adopt strategic internet thinking to ensure they remain competitive. The issues raised are also important for my own research since they provide a basis to understand the strategy that my organization has adopted and whether it is sustainable or not. This discussion can still be extended through questions to gain better understanding about business strategy. One question is, ‘Do you think that Apple Inc business strategy is sustainable?’ and the second question is, ‘What can Apple Inc do to ensure that it takes the market leadership in the future?
References
Auburn. (2013). Strategic intent. Retrieved from: http://auburn.edu/~boultwr/2sintent.pdf
Harvard Business School Press. (2005). Strategy: Create and implement the best strategy for your business. Boston, MA: Author.
Liedtka, J., & Rosenblum, J. (1996). Shaping Conversations: Making strategy, managing change. California Management Review, 39(1), 141-15
Liedtka, J. (2011). Beyond strategic thinking: strategy as experienced. Rotman Management,28-33
Mintzberg, H., & Lampel, J. (1999). Reflecting on the strategy process. Sloan Management Review, 40(3), 21–30.
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