This article was well written, clear and easy to understand. It was very organized; flowed easily from one topic to another. This article seems logical as well as intuitive. This article focused on the process of strategic decision making. It was a conceptual discussion with practical examples. This article used the following companies as examples: British Petroleum, Dell, Mercury, R&D, Aspen, Venus, Jupiter, Microsoft NT, Mars, Copper, Neptune, Intel, and Targhee.
This article is actually very interesting in the fact that it focuses not on the decision but the process of reaching that decision and how so much time, which also equals money, is inefficiently wasted. In an attempt to solve this situation the author introduces a new approach to decision making and highlights some strategies that should effectively pave the way to coming to a strategic solution faster than most companies do now.
The definition of strategy used in this article was “Strategy as strategic decision making.” The essence of strategy was shown by the following statement. “Effective strategic decision makers…rely on extensive, real time information about internal and external operations.”
The three most important points the author makes is that collaboration is key, stimulate quick conflicts, and maintain disciplined pace.
This article ties in perfectly with the other schools we are learning about. It adds value to what we have been talking about and expounds further upon the principles we are learning in class.
This article relates to “Strategic Intent” in the sense that both have to be able to talk the members within the company; collaboration is key. This article ties in perfectly with the other schools we are learning about. It adds value to what we have been talking about and expounds further upon the principles we are learning in class.
This article did have a ring of truth to it. The author has certainly made his main points, with plenty of support. We are buying what this author has argued. We have come away from this article with a better understanding with various approaches to strategy as decision making.
Outline:
I. Effective strategic decision at several levels:
a. At the unit level – to improve business strategy
b. At the multi-business level – to create collective strategy and cross-business
c. And at the corporate level – to articulate major inflection points in strategic direction
II. 4 approaches effective decision makers create strategy by:
a. Building collective intuition that enhances the ability of a top-management team to see threats and opportunities sooner and more accurately
b. Stimulating quick conflict to improve the quality of strategic thinking without sacrificing significant time
c. Maintaining a disciplined pace that drives the decision process to a timely conclusion
Defusing political behavior that creates unproductive conflict and wastes time
This article ties in perfectly with the other schools we are learning about. It adds value to what we have been talking about and expounds further upon the principles we are learning in class.