Plan to think strategically
Strategy is, very simply, an outline of how a business intends to achieve its goals. The goals are the objective; the strategy sets out the route to that objective.
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In the early stages, business objectives are usually fairly simple: to survive, and to achieve growth targets. Strategies are correspondingly simple as well, and are often not even committed to paper; it is enough that everyone in the company understands where it is going and how it will get there. But as the business grows, so does the need for co-ordination. Accordingly, there is a need for a mutually agreed and accepted strategy for the business.
Some theorists, such as Alfred Chandler, the business historian, would say this is the wrong way to go about it. A strategy should be developed first, and then the organisation tailored to meet the requirements of the strategy. But this is easier said than done. Strategy is also constrained by the company's capabilities.
Following privatisation in the 1990s, several British gas and electricity companies branched out into retail operations, selling domestic appliances in high-street shops. Most of these shops quickly closed when it transpired that the companies had no experience or expertise in retailing. This was not a matter of organisation, but of the wrong companies doing the wrong things.
Strategy, then, is the art of the possible, and needs to take account of time and resources available. Many managers like to have a formal strategy, a written document to which managers and staff sign up and which sets out everyone's responsibilities in meeting the company's goals. This formal approach has its critics, notably the Canadian guru Henry Mintzberg, who believes that most companies evolve their strategy as they go along. “Emergent” strategy adapts continuously to changing circumstances and environment.
Another possibility is that managers adopt a mixture of both methods, with a formal strategy document creating a framework within which managers respond toevents as they arise and make ad hoc decisions.
There is an old adage that “everything in strategy is very simple, but nothing in strategy is very easy.” One of the first things the novice manager learns is that strategic plans are almost never executed as intended.
No matter how careful the planning process has been, there will always be unknown factors and unforeseen events. Known in the jargon as “turbulence” or “friction”, these build up until they threaten to derail the original plan. This usually means that the original plan must be adapted, or in extreme cases, scrapped and a new plan developed instead. Flexibility is key to good strategic thinking. Is it better to go through obstacles, or round them?
There is a perception in some quarters that strategy is somehow the preserve of senior managers, who carry out the strategy while everyone else puts their heads down and gets on with the job. This is a mistake. Everyone in the business contributes to the execution of the strategy in some way, even if only indirectly. Every department has its role to play - even the cleaning staff and the post room help to contribute to the success of the strategy, by ensuring that offices are clean and communications keep flowing, leading to greater efficiency. If there is a group or department that is not contributing the strategy, then it is wasting resources and should be dispensed with.
Once the company's goals have been established, every ounce of energy should be devoted to carrying out the strategy to reach those goals. This does not mean that the strategy, and indeed the goals themselves, will not change. Change ebbs and flows, and it takes quick and creative thinking to recognise the need for it and adapt the existing strategy accordingly. Ultimately, strategy is not a matter of formal documents and plans, but a way of thinking.
企业生命周期系列: 启动你的战略思维
简单地说，战略是一份纲领，说明了企业希望以怎样的方式实现其目标。目标(Goal)也就是目的(Objective)。战略则是达到这一目的的途径。
在企业发展的早期阶段，目标通常很简单：首先是生存，然后实现增长。战略也同样很简单，通常都不用写在纸上。只要企业里的每个人都知道企业在走向什么地方，在怎样走向这一地方，这就足够了。但随着企业的发展壮大，协调变得越来越必要。相应地，就得有相互认同、共同接受的企业战略。
有些理论界人士，比如商业历史学家阿尔弗雷德?钱德勒(Alfred Chandler)等或许会说，这种思路不对。企业应该先制定战略，然后再发展出符合战略需求的组织。但这话说来轻巧，做起来却难。战略也是受制于企业的能力的。
在1990年代的私有化运动之后，一些英国的燃气和电力公司开始多元化发展，进入零售业，在大街上开设店铺，出售家用器具。但这些商店不久就关门歇业了。这时候大家才意识到，这些企业并无零售业的经验和专长。这不是组织的问题，而是错误的公司做了错误的事。
战略是一种关于可能性的艺术，它需要考虑到可以利用的时间和资源。很多管理者希望有一个正式的战略，能形成书面文件，让所有经理和员工签字，从而把实现公司目标的责任落实到每个人。对这种正规方法提出批评的不乏其人，特别是加拿大管理大师亨利?明茨伯格(Henry Mintzberg)。他相信，大部分公司的战略都是边发展边成型的。“自发式”战略(“Emergent” strategy)是根据条件和环境的变化，不断调整适应的。
另外一种可能是将两种方法混用。管理者将正规的战略形成文件，作为框架。在此框架之内，管理者可以对事态的发展作出反应，采取针对性决策。
有一句古老的格言称：“战略事事简单，却又事事不易。”新入门的经理人最早学到的教训之一，就是战略规划几乎从来不能按预期的设想实施。
不管规划过程是多么周全，总会有一些未知因素和不可预知的事件。按专业的说法，它们是“动荡因素”，是“摩擦事件”，它们逐渐积累起来，最后有可能让原计划偏离轨道。这就意味着，原计划必须调整，甚至在极端的情况下，可能需要将原计划扬弃，重新起草新的计划。良好战略性思维的一大关键，就是灵活性。在各种障碍面前，是与之正面交锋，还是另辟蹊径，绕开它们？
有些人持这样的看法，认为战略只是高层管理者的任务，他们这些人自会去制定战略，其他人只要埋头苦干就行了。这种说法是不对的。企业里的每个人都以这样那样的方式，为战略的执行作出贡献，哪怕只是间接的贡献。每个部门都扮演着一定的角色，就连清洁工和邮件收发室也对战略的成功有所贡献，比如，他们可以保证办公场所的整洁，保证沟通的顺畅，从而可以提高工作效率。如果有哪个部门对战略毫无贡献，那就说明，该部门只是在浪费资源，应该将其裁撤。
一旦公司的目标确定了，为了达到这些目标，全部能量都必须用来执行战略。这并不意味着战略(其实是目标本身)会一成不变。变化如潮，总有起有伏，人们必须有迅速的反应，有创新的思维，才能认识到变化的必要性，并对战略作出相应调整。从根本上说，战略并不是正规文件和规划的问题，它是一种思维方式。
