Strategic Thinking - Resource Planning

After choosing objectives and planning the strategy, you need to review the cost for the objective and determine if it is worth paying.  Cross the feasibility of success against the cost.

A key principle to consider in planning for strategic operations is:  resources. 

You must understand your human and non-human resources:

• Strengths of the resources
• Weakness' of the resources
• Training level of the resources
• Experience level of the resources
• Morale or Motivation level of resources.

Then you must understand the resources of your opponent.  In business, you have competition.  In goal planning there are forces that fight against your success.  If you are negotiating for a raise you must understand the cashflow and resources of your employer.

While you are analyzing the resources of both sides both sides we are prone to underestimate our own resources and overestimate those of our opponent.  This is especially true when negotiating.

Protecting and establishing your supply lines, whether that is revenue, motivation, personnel, or training you have to establish it and then keep it.  Companies loose key people because competition recruits them away.

List all your resources with their answers to the issues above.  Then begin game planning how you can use these resources to accomplish the objective you mentioned and which resources you need to keep in reserve.

Next Entry will be a check list for anticipating the events of the battle or engagement.