Strategy Development and Implementation

Details: Category: Professional Consulting Services; Last Updated: Tuesday, 27 October 2015 11:08

Derek Hendrikz specialises in the field of strategy development and implimentation.

View Strategy Development Proposal in PDF

This service provides a complete solution in the development of organisational strategy. The strategy development process will consist of four phases. These phases are:

Strategy Audit with Report and Recommendations
Buy-in from all Stakeholders and key participants to the Strategy Session
Facilitation of Strategy Development Session
Documentation for Strategy with final Report and Recommendations

Our strategy development approach is a practical one, whereby we translate the client organisations strategic thinking scientifically, layer by layer, to ensure optimal operational functioning. Each step in the process has been tried and tested and groomed to perfection.

We understand the uniqueness of every client and will customise the project phases and methodology accordingly. This document therefore only serves as a generic introduction to what and how we usually approach the development of Strategy.

Aim and Objectives of the Strategy Development Project:

The aim of this strategy development project is to empower and focus the organisation towards achieving its strategic intent.

We will achieve such through the following objectives:

To understand the organisational context, its internal and external environments as well as current and past strategic initiatives;
To ensure that all stakeholders agree to the strategy development process and outcomes; and
To produce a measurable world-class strategy document.

The Process...

Phase 1: Strategy Audit with Report & Recommendations.

This phase will form the foundation of the strategy development project. Our aim is to understand the client organisation in terms of their environment as well as the driving and restraining forces that govern their strategic process. Within this understanding we will grade their current strategic process and provide recommendations to enhancing and improving the current process.

A weighting system with the following criteria points re used to assess the client organisations current strategic initiatives:

Effectiveness of the strategic frame within which the organisation operates (is there well defined mission, values beliefs and assumptions that drive organisational strategic thinking?)
The tension between the organisations current and desired reality (does vision effectively energise and drive strategy?)
Quantification of current strategic initiatives (can the strategy be measured?)
Translatability of strategy to action (does the strategy translate strategic ideas to reality?)
Cross mapping of environmental analysis to strategic initiatives (does the strategy resolve SWOT Analysis issues?)
Inverse relationship with organisational processes (is there a healthy relationship of what we want to change strategically and how we must perform operationally?)
Execution success (how much of the strategy has been successfully executed?)

The methodology used to conduct the strategic audit is the following:

Research to the organisation, its mission and outcomes;
Research on rules that govern the strategic process (laws, regulations, etc.)
Investigate all current strategic documentation and other supporting documentation;
Electronic questionnaire to all relevant managers;
Interviews with executives and other relevant managers;
Report with recommendations to client organisation; and
Agreement on way forward.

This phase will also determine the influence that the organisation currently has with its external environment. The strategic fit between organisational purpose, values, assumptions and beliefs will be compared with those of the environment. We will aim to specifically understand the environment which has to sponsor the continued existence of the organisation. A strategic fit between the organisation and its external environment will be defined and will form the basis for the rest of the strategy development process.

Phase 2: Buy-in from all Stakeholders and Key Participants to the Strategy Session

This phase ensures that all stakeholders and key participants buy-into the strategy development session outcomes and process. This is crucial since time during the strategy session will be limited and task focus is of essence. The phase includes the following:

Developing and distributing a workshop plan;
Holding a skype or phone conference with stakeholders and key participants to ensure that all agrees to the workshop objectives and plan.

Phase 3: Facilitation of a Strategy Development Session

During this session we will lead the process of strategy development, but the content creation will stay the participant’s responsibility. At this point a lot of work has been done…

Research on past strategic initiatives with its strengths and weaknesses have been done;
Environmental analysis has been done and is summarised;
All stakeholders have been briefed and agrees on the strategic format and process.

Any risk of resistance and possible conflict during the retreat has thus been minimised and the context for smooth process is therefore created.

The process of facilitating the strategy development session will take the following format:

We will agree on vision;
We will process the environmental analysis and develop solutions;
We will determine the operational / strategic ratio and its associated risks;
We will address the environmental analysis with strategic objectives and process adjustment; and
We will quantify the strategy document to enable measurements and execution control.

Phase 4: Documentation of Strategy with Final report & Recommendations

On completion of the strategy development workshop, we will document the strategy and submit it to the client organisation with a full project closure report and recommendations. The project is finalised when the client organisation signs of the project closure report.

Read Derek's articles & blog posts on strategic leadership, strategy development and implimentation...

Generic Project Schedule:

Phase:		Method:	Duration:
1	Strategy Audit with Report and Recommendations	Off-site research Document Investigation Questionnaires Interviews Report	10-hours 16-hours 10-hours 30-hours 08-hours
2	Buy-in from all Stakeholders and key participants to the Strategy Session	Cyber meeting or telephone conference Workshop plan	03-hours 08-hours
3	Facilitation of Strategy Development Session	Workshop Administrative assistance	32-hours
4	Documentation for Strategy with final Report and Recommendations	Documentation of strategy Report	10-hours 08-hours
	Total:		135-hours

The above estimated durations are based on our general experience and this will be adjusted after consultation and estimation of client exact needs.

Please note that Derek does not agree to all projects. If he can not make a difference, he will decline the project!
When taking on a consulting assignment, Derek and his team will strive for perfection, work towards functionality, and execute with passion!!!