Strategery
Becoming a strategist means committing to a mental approach that out-thinks the competition, the opposition, or the critics and produces a distinctive or unique approach, series of steps, solution options, or choices of direction. - James Lukaszewski
Strategery – all things strategy with a little fun thrown in.
Strategy is a problem solving process that includes the considered relationship between ends, ways, means and associated risks. A process transforms inputs into outputs to achieve expected outcomes.
Ends. Objectives. What is it I want to do? What are the expected outcomes?
Ways. Methods, concepts, courses of action, systems/processes. What is the best way to use what I have to do with what I want to do? What are the expected outputs?
Means. Resources. What do I have or what can I reasonably get that might help me do what I want to do? What are the required inputs?
Risk. Probability of failure (things that can go wrong) in achieving objectives at an acceptable cost. Risk is an imbalance between ends, ways, and means. There are generally three ways to address unacceptable risk: Reduce the objectives, change the concepts, and/or increase the resources.
Three Criteria for Testing Strategy: Suitability, Acceptability, and Feasibility. A strategy must meet all three tests to be valid, but there is no upper limit on the number of possible solutions. The art becomes the analysis necessary to select the best or most efficient.
Suitability tests whether the proposed strategy achieves the desired end and if it does not, then it is not a potential strategy
Acceptability tests ways. Does the proposed course of action or concept produce results without excessive expenditure of resources and within accepted modes of conduct?
Feasibility tests means. Are the means at hand or reasonably available and sufficient to execute the proposed concept?
Levels of Strategy: Strategic, Operational, Tactical. The three general levels of strategy are: Strategic, Operational and/or Organizational, and Tactical. The levels are distinguished by variables that include time, levels of influence, scope, span of control, and competencies. Relevant to time, the strategic level considers the long-term, operational level the mid-term, and the tactical level the short-term. Indirect influence is more prevalent at the strategic level and direct influence at the tactical level.
Within organizations, senior or executive level leaders work at the strategic level. First line supervisors and the respective employees work at the tactical level and mid-level managers and employees work at the operational/organizational level. Within a family, parent (s) operate at all three levels.
Strategic Leadership is often perceived as being the type of leadership that occurs at the highest levels of the organization. By definition, an effective leader is a strategic leader. Leaders at the highest levels in the organization are strategic leaders executing at the strategic level.
Strategic Leader. Strategic Leaders optimize the transformation of inputs into outputs that achieve expected outcomes at the strategic, operational and tactical levels. Optimization is defined as achiving the maximum benefit for all stakeholders at minumum cost.
Reference: Guide to National Security Policy and Strategy. http://www.strategicstudiesinstitute.army.mil/pdffiles/PUB708.pdf
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