Stategic management (strategic thinking) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Stategic management (strategic thinking) - Essay Example The notion of strategy holds its roots in military usage. According to Nickols, "In business, as in the military, strategy bridges the gap between policy and tactics. Together, strategy and tactics bridge the gap between ends and means" (2000, p. 1). Over the years, the definition of the word strategy has been interpreted in a variety of different ways by researchers and scholars. Nickols also claims that the concept of strategy consists of four rudimentary components: perspective, position, plan, and pattern. The official definition that he offers his readers after discussion the definitions proposed by others is that "Strategy is a term that refers to a complex web of thoughts, ideas, insights, experiences, goals, expertise, memories, perceptions, and expectations that provides general guidance for specific actions in pursuit of particular ends. Strategy is at once the course we chart, the journey we imagine and, at the same time, it is the course we steer, the trip we actually make" (2000, p. 1) Strategy can be difficult for a strategist because it often involves a lot of guesswork. No one can predict the future with full accuracy, so quite a few assumptions have to be made based on things such as past performance and experiences. Nonetheless, all strategies are based on goals, which mean managers have an ideal situation in mind to strive for, regardless of whether or not they know exactly how to get there. Strategy involves a lot of risk-taking, which also means that a lot of research has to be performed if it is to be as accurate as possible. Without a carefully made plan, an attempt at organizing a strategy can result in managers running around in circles, wasting money, and becoming quite frustrated (Nickols, 2000). Strategic decisions are made within an organization through a series of key steps. First of all, there is the communication stage where those with a vested interested gather together and exchange thoughts and ideas regarding a particular company's current situation versus where it could end up in the future. SWOT analyses are often conducted at this point. Once the desired end result has been determined, they are communicated continuously to those within the organization so that no one loses sight. Next, it is important that companies ensure a complete and thorough understanding of the desired end result through discussing issues related to it and gathering and observing feedback. One example of strategic decision making of this nature took place when Starbucks chose to redo their organizational structure around 2005, which is now relatively flat compared to the traditional organizational structure (Nickols, 2000). Strategic Thinking Mintzberg does an excellent job of providing advantages, disadvantages, facts, and folklores of strategic thinking in his literary works. Mintzberg claims that there are four myths regarding the job duties of a manager. First of all, people believe that managers tend to plan in a reflective manner, which is untrue since the often prefer to take action in a speedy fashion. Second, people tend to believe that managers are exempt from regular duties, but this is also untrue. Third, people tend to believe that managers always prefer concrete, paper evidence of information, when they in reality often prefer verbal

Adolf Hitler :: essays research papers

Adolf Hitler The Rise Of Adolf Hitler On the very eve of the birth of the third reich a feverish tension gripped Berlin. The Weimar Republic seemed obvious to almost everyone, that it was about to expire. For more than a year it had been fast crumbling. General Kurt von Schleicher, who like his immediate predecessor, Franz von Papen, cared little for the Republic and less for its democracy, and who, also like him, had ruled as Chancellor by presidential decree without recourse to Parliament, had come to the end of his rope after fifty-seven days in office. On Saturday, January 28, 1933, he had been abruptly dismissed by the aging President of Germany, Field Marshal von Hindenburg. And I, the leader of the National Socialists, the largest political party in Germany at the time, was demanding for myself the chancellorship of the democratic republic (I had sworn to destroy). Just before noon on Monday, January 29, I was having coffee and cake with fellow socialists. Hermann Goering, President of the Reichstag and second to me in the Nazi party, burst in and told Hitler that I would be named Chancellor. Shortly before noon on Monday, January 30, I drove over the Chancellery for an interview with Hindenburg that was to prove fateful for myself, Germany, and the rest of the world. From a window in the Kaiserhof, Goebbels, Roehm and the other Nazi chiefs kept an anxious watch on the door of the chancellery, where the I would shortly be coming out. â€Å"We would see from his face whether he had succeeded or not,† Goebbels noted. In a few minutes later they would witness a miracle. Me, the man with the

Coaching/Leadership Skills

Coaches have many diverse roles which can vary in importance according to the age group of the team. In simple terms, the role of the coach is to plan, act and review. This is an ongoing process aimed at improving the qualities of the coach and the performance of players. The basic roles of an effective coach are: †¢ Manager dealing with a wide range of players, officials and supporters. †¢ Leader assigned to organise training, match-day events and team morale. †¢ Teacher instructing football skills and team tactics. Mentor behind every successful person there is one elementary truth: somewhere, somehow, someone cared about their growth and development. This person was their mentor. †¢ Selector – involved in the planning and selection of the best team to represent the club. †¢ Communicator providing clear instruction and feedback to the team and individual players. †¢ Psychologist dealing with various individual personalities within the team. â₠¬ ¢Public relations representing the club at official functions and community activities. †¢ Studentcontinually seeking to upgrade knowledge of the game. Sports trainer – with a basic knowledge of injury prevention, care and management. †¢ Planner – annual integrated plan covering pre-season, competition, physical, technical, tactical, psychological, workload volumes and intensities etc. †¢ Motivator – including engendering players’ acceptance of own responsibility. †¢ Goal-setter – making sure that goals are achievable, challenging and measurable. †¢ Creating a successful learning environment – focusing on what you can control; recognising individual and group needs.MEASURING AND IMPROVING YOUR COACHING EFFECTIVENESS Australian Football is continually changing; rules change, techniques change, equipment is refined and coaching methods, including the application of sport sciences, evolve. Coaches must keep abreast of these changes and adapt their coaching accordingly. All coaches have to know if they are effective or ineffective, independent of the ability of the playing group. The following techniques can assist coaches in measuring and improving their coaching effectiveness. Coach self-reflectionUnless coaches can arrange for someone to observe and analyse them on a regular basis, the self-reflection method is the only method that can be used to confirm the effectiveness of their coaching. Self-reflection in coaching is a process where coaches compare their current practice against an ideal set of practices, using a systematic procedure to make comparisons between real and ideal. Video analysis Video analysis is another effective tool that assists in the self-reflection process because videotape provides permanent images that can help with in-depth analysis and evaluation.It can also help to identify areas in need of improvement and can also be used to plan for such improvement. Video self-an alysis is a six-step process: 1. Recording – videotape a coaching session. 2. Reflecting – review the tape to find a suitable segment, then analyse the segment against the ideal model. 3. Consulting – invite a mentor to ‘audit’ the analysis. 4. Planning – design a plan to improve. 5. Implementing – carry out the plan. 6. Follow-up recording – videotape a follow-up coaching session and check that the plan has worked. MentoringEffective coaches have often had the good fortune to have been coached by a very good coach. On becoming coaches themselves they may have imitated many of the coaching behaviours and methods used by their previous coaches. This process can be carried on into a coach’s current development through a mentor. A mentor is usually an experienced person who works individually with a less experienced coach. A good mentor is someone, chosen by a coach, whom the coach respects for their knowledge, attitudes and mentoring skills to assist them in their development.The mentor asks questions about the methods used and guides the coach toward a better understanding of his or her coaching. In selecting a mentor, a coach can reflect on who are the people in their field (not necessarily restricted to other coaches) they admire most, why they admire these people, and what are the admirable qualities they possesses. The answers to these questions will direct coaches to suitable mentors, with whom they can work formally or informally to develop their own unique skills and attributes.BEHAVIOUR MODIFICATION It is sometimes just as difficult to modify coaching behaviour as it is to modify player behaviour. Coaches who are attempting to modify their own behaviour should try the following strategies: †¢ Identify the behaviour to be modified. †¢ Establish the characteristics of the new behaviour. †¢ Look at models of the new behaviour. †¢ Assess how important the change is – ho w will it affect the coach’s effectiveness? †¢ Obtain feedback about the behaviour. †¢ Reassess the effects of the change on all coaching tasks.

Analysis Of The Stimulus Material Given I Saw A...

From reading the stimulus material given I saw a relationship between the disappearance of language and technological advancements. In the Self Portrait Along the Borderline Between Mexico and the United States by Frida Khalo a painting that shows the differences between Mexico and America in the 1900s, there appears to be a difference of culture between America and Mexico. America is more modern, as Mexico is more classic. America’s modernization is shown in the different factories in the background, and Mexico’s classicism is shown through the ancient Mexican temple in the background. As stated in â€Å"Vanishing Voices†, written by Russ Rymer, â€Å"As modern inventions like cars enters their world, the Seris tend to adapt their language rather than import Spanish words. Erica Barnett uses an abandoned car as a hothouse to grow mangroves to replenish an estuary† (21). Rymer is stating that with new technologies, people need to adapt. I believe that not only do people need to adapt, but also governments need to be more accustomed to advances in technology. With the introduction of the Internet many governments need to change. This change would come through passing different laws which would censor the Internet and in doing so, limit freedom of speech, because this is widely controversial in the US. I began to look at why this is so controversial. According to Andrea Leadsom, a Conservative Member of Parliament for South Northamptonshire, the Internet should be censored for the kids.Show MoreRelatedEurope Economic Crisis55278 Words   |  222 Pagesdemand through a coordinated injection of purchasing power into the economy complemented by strategic investments and measures to shore up business and labour markets. The overall fiscal stimulus, including the effects of automatic stabilisers, amounts to 5% of GDP in the EU. 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