So when we think about a robust strategic analysis, a number of observations.
First, it's fundamentally integrative.
The various tools in the tool kit are very helpful in providing
various pieces of the puzzle, various pieces of the picture.
The goal at the end is to bring all of those tools, all those insights together
to create an integrative narrative about what the company or
organization should do, moving forward.
I always tell students that the tools themselves are what we often refer to as
back office and by this I mean, they don't necessarily have to be front and
centre in your analysis at the end of the day.
What clients, or maybe your boss, would care about is the insights they provide.
They're there to help you walk through what are the various possibilities, and
what are the various concerns and issues,
we need to think through as we're moving forward, doing the strategic analysis.
One of the ways I think about strategic analysis is to think it on
three different levels.
At it's most basic level, a strategic analysis could be a consulting project or
a strategic planning exercise where you may have weeks or
even months to complete your analysis.
A second way to think about strategic analysis is what I would call
the overnight request.
The boss calls up and says we need to understand X by tomorrow,
some issue or maybe some change in the global economy.
How do you quickly run through the strategic
implications of that Issue in a reasonable but short period of time?