Strategy: A Transformational Way for Businesses

Júnior Rodrigues, MSC, PMP is a Project Manager, Senior Consultant and Professor in Rio de Janeiro.

  Strategy  

The concept of strategy is old and has high influence in the corporate world, and has always been directly linked to the top management of organizations. It was originally thought in terms of military strategy (see The Art of War by Sun Tzu), being influenced by several fields of study, regarding matters relating to organizations.

Wright et al¹ (apud Mintzberg et al, Strategy Safari: A Guided Tour Through the Wilds of Strategic Management) defines strategy as such: "Senior management plans to achieve results consistent with the missions and objectives of the organization." Although it is a widely used concept, Mintzberg says that the definition of strategy is broader, based on five important items:

1. Plan: a direction, a desired strategy, a course of action
2. Standard: a consistency of actions, observe held strategy
3. Position: certain products in certain markets, uniquely
4. Perspective: key way of doing things
5. Trick: a bluff, a ploy to deceive the competition

Thus, the concept of strategy extends to the organization's ability to look forward, attentive to what has been accomplished. It notes a company’s unique position in the market and how it operates internally to achieve its goals without competitors to follow.

Mintzberg also highlights the need to …

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