1.5 - About University

strategy clarification. Having said this, there is always still room for creativity and informedhunches. After all, strategy evolves as much as or even more than it can be made deliberate.Nonetheless, even creative and highly improvised strategies work best when grounded in realisticdata.WEB WORKSHEETA SWOT is often carried out as a preliminary step to strategy clarification. SWOT data doesn’thave to be 100 percent factual and objective—avoid analysis paralysis—but it should be basedon some form of footing (e.g., experience, group consensus, survey data, market trends, and soon). In preparation for a SWOT meeting, ask the members of your workgroup to independentlycomplete this matrix.Strengths(clearly listed and with data as needed)Opportunities(clearly listed and with data as needed)Weaknesses(clearly listed and with data as needed)Threats(clearly listed and with data as needed)Copyright McGraw-Hill 2000. Original purchasers of this book are permitted to photocopy or customize this worksheet by downloading it fromwww.books.mcgraw-hill.com/training/download. The document can then be opened, edited, and printed using Microsoft Word or other word processingsoftware.R ELATED LEADERSHIP TOOLS1.9 Paradigms 3.2 Sigmoid Curve 3.5 Strategic Resourcing3.1 Strategy 3.4 Business-Unit Strategy 3.8 Strategic AlliancesF OR FURTHER ASSISTANCEDrucker, Peter. Managing in a Time of Great Change. Truman Talley Books, 1995.Hiam, Alexander. The Vest-Pocket CEO: Decision-Making Tools for Executives. Prentice Hall, 1991.Ulrich, David, Jack Zenger, and Norman Smallwood. Results-Based Leadership. Harvard Business School Press, 1999.78 SECTION 3 TOOLS FOR STRATEGIC THINKING