28.7 Strategic management in practice

Strategic management is an approach, a way of thinking. Strategy is primarily synthesis, not analysis. It must not be a cumbersome procedure with a lot of paperwork and endless meetings. If it turns into bureaucracy, or if it becomes the guarded province of specialized planning units, line management and professional workers will lose interest in it. Consultants advise clients to prevent such a degeneration of strategic planning, and they must avoid this pitfall themselves. This, however, does not preclude the use of a structured strategic assessment and planning methodology, if the consultant is versed in one and has had good experience with it. There are quite a few on the market.

Self-assessment

A thorough and honest self-assessment is a necessary starting-point irrespective of the procedure and methodology chosen. It is sometimes called a “strategic audit” to emphasize the focus and purpose of the exercise. Many consultants will be able to undertake it themselves, although it is never easy to be detached and