Business Strategy
Exploring Corporate Strategy Using M.O.S.T. Analysis
How M.O.S.T. Analysis can help your business achieve goals
One of the key tools used in exploring corporate strategy and Strategic Planning is the M.O.S.T. Analysis. This helps to clarify where the business intends to go (Mission), they key goals which will help to achieve this (Objectives), analyses what options there are for proceeding forward (Strategies) and how these strategies are going to be put into action (Tactics).
The key is for this whole process to hang together from top to bottom and also in reverse. From the top, clarifying the mission drives the objectives which creates strategic options which forces tactical actions to be taken. From the bottom, every action at tactical level should help to make the strategies work, all strategies should help to achieve the objectives, and all the objectives should take the business towards the mission.
Businesses fall into many traps by attempting to tackle strategy internally -
- Getting distracted from moving the business forward by day-to-day actions or demands from customers, suppliers and competitors
- Failing to clarify where it wants to get to and in what timescale
- Omitting to get Board and management agreement to this mission
- Not clarifying the key objectives that need to be reached (and in what timescale) for the mission to be successful
- Not getting external and objective assistance in analysing the strategic options available to satisfy the key objectives
- Missing out the strategy stage altogether by going straight from objectives to tactics which leads to a lot of "dead ends"
- Not ensuring that everything done at tactical level helps to ensure success of the strategies
- Failing to properly define timescales, responsibilities, monitoring and control procedures to ensure that implementation moves forward at the necessary speed
External Strategic Planning helps companies avoid these traps and keeps the business moving forward with a sense of urgency and in a clear direction which "hangs together" from Director to shop floor level.
Listen to John Courtney's podcast on business strategy which covers Strategic Business Planning in general as well as SWOT and MOST analysis.
"CSF Group Plc have grown to 200 staff across three UK locations and annual revenues in excess of £60m.
John Courtney and Strategy Consulting Ltd have advised CSF Group Plc for over four years. The various aspects that they advised on include:
* Advising the Chief Executive on the structure of the Group's Strategic Business Plan.
* Coaching Divisional Directors and Senior Managers in strategic thinking, analysis and decision-making. I personally use the methodology that he passed on to us to this day and recommend it whenever I can.
* Leading a successful two day workshop on Business Strategy for Directors and Senior Managers.John's ongoing advice and assistance have been invaluable to both me and CSF Group Plc and accordingly I would like to highly recommend Strategy Consulting Ltd."
Mike Cohen
Joint Managing Director
CSF Group Plc
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Strategy Consulting — Simplifying Success
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