The Strategist's Handbook: Tools, Templates, and Best Practices Across the Strategy Process
Tim Galpin
Senior Lecturer in Strategy and Innovation | Saïd Business School University of Oxford | Best-selling author | Non-Executive Director | Advisor to Boards and Senior Management
Strategy, an ancient pursuit, has evolved through the centuries and in today's business environment applies to all organisations, across all sectors and geographies. It is one of the key building blocks of organizational success.
The Strategist's Handbook is a collection of the best materials, insights, tools, and templates that comprise the core Strategy course taught in the undergraduate, MBA, Executive MBA, and Post-graduate Diploma programs at the Saïd Business School, University of Oxford.
Each of the best practices, pitfalls to avoid, tools and templates presented in this book has been field-tested and refined for over three decades while working with for profit, not-for-profit, and government organizations, across multiple industries around the globe to help them develop and implement their strategies. The guidance and tools can be applied in small, mid-sized, and large organizations; their application just needs to be scaled accordingly.
While this is a practical "how to" book, the tools and approaches presented are based on a solid foundation of well-established theory and extensive research that is also highlighted within each chapter.
The contents can benefit those new to "strategy" as well as seasoned strategy professionals, current and aspiring senior managers, middle- and front-line managers, functional experts, and strategy consultants.
Table of Contents
Introduction: Strategy in Theory and Practice
I. STRATEGY FORMULATION
1. Predicting the Future
2. Building Strategically Valuable Resources
3. Selecting High-Impact Strategies
II. STRATEGY EXECUTION
4. The Best Strategy Is the One You Can Implement
5. Managing Strategic Transformation
6. Communicate Even If There Is Nothing to Tell
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7. Your Best Players Will Find a New Team First—Retain and
Re-Engage Them
8. Your Strategy Needs a Nudge—Aligning Organizational Culture
with Strategy
III. BEYOND BUSINESS STRATEGY
9. Nonmarket Strategy
10. How Corporate Parents Add Strategic Value
11. Pursuing Alliances, Joint Ventures, Mergers, and Acquisitions
12. Shareholder Activism and Restructuring
Appendix A: The Oxford Strategy Insights Project
Appendix B: Strategy Workbook