Files mounted on the Making Strategy Sage web site
Six sets of PowerPoint slides:
Introduction to Making Strategy
Strategy as the Prioritisation and Management of Key Issues
Strategy as Purpose: Agreeing Goals and Aspirations for the Organisation
Strategy as Competitive advantage
Closure
These slides are intended only as a supplement to the book and do not represent a complete
picture of the theory, concepts, or practice that lie behind the approach to strategy. They
provide some further examples and pick out some main themes.
They have been designed so that they can be modified and added to. However, the copyright
of the material lies with the authors.
Four sets of PowerPoint slides that list the tasks for each of the four forums. These are
directly from the book and save retyping them if required.
A 2-page quick guide to the use of Decision Explorer. This guide provides the majority of
the ‘hot-key’ instructions that used extensively during the Making Strategy process.
Videos introducing the use of Decision Explorer in the issue management forum. This
provides a quick way of ‘getting the hang’ of using the software at a basic level.
© Colin Eden and Fran Ackermann: Lecture Notes
For Making Strategy: Mapping Out Strategic Success, Sage, 2011
Group Explorer
There is also available a Group Support System that allows participants to enter
statements and links directly in to a publicly displayed Decision Explorer model. The
system also allows for the rating of statements, and the indication of preferences about,
for example, options to focus on, undesirable options, leverage on goals, etc.
The significant benefits of the system are higher productivity, anonymity when
appropriate, the ability to monitor development consensus, and facilitator monitoring of
levels of participation and type of participation. The system has been used extensively
over the past 10 years by a number of Business Schools, managers, and consultants. It
has been used with top management teams of MNC’s as well as with pressure groups.
The system requires the purchase of the Group Explorer software from
Ackermann&Eden at Strathclyde Business School, a full copy of Decision Explorer,
Windows Server, and 2 laptop computers (one running Windows Server and the other
Windows 7).
See:
Ackermann, F. and Eden, C. Negotiation in Strategy Making Teams Group Support Systems and the Process of
Cognitive Change. Group Decision and Negotiation. 2011; 20(3)293-314.
Andersen, D.; Richardson, G. P.; Ackermann, F., and Eden, C. Using a Group Support System to Add Value to
Group Model Building. System Dynamics Review. 2010; 26(4)335-346.
© Colin Eden and Fran Ackermann: Lecture Notes
For Making Strategy: Mapping Out Strategic Success, Sage, 2011
Making Strategy
Assignment Details
© Colin Eden and Fran Ackermann: Lecture Notes
For Making Strategy: Mapping Out Strategic Success, Sage, 2011
Please note, these slides are
designed to be used in addition
to the book:
Making Strategy: Mapping Out Strategic Success.
by Ackermann & Eden, Sage, 2011


They are not designed to be used in a ‘stand-alone’
manner, or to replicate theory and practice presented
in the book.
The assignment design represents one possibility for
a 20 credit MBA course (thus each of the 4 parts
represents approx 5 credits + Closure).
© Colin Eden and Fran Ackermann: Lecture Notes
For Making Strategy: Mapping Out Strategic Success, Sage, 2011
Notes: Making Strategy
Please note it is NOT possible to achieve good
marks without having worked through the
‘essential’ introductory videos noted on the
Making Strategy intranet site
Attendance at all sessions is strongly advised,
and attendance at the Intensive seminar is
compulsory unless the assignment is to be
undertaken by following distance learning
procedures
© Colin Eden and Fran Ackermann: Lecture Notes
For Making Strategy: Mapping Out Strategic Success, Sage, 2011
Process Requirements (1):
You MUST:
Form a group from your MBA cohort of a minimum 3
persons (max 5 persons), and agree to tackle the
Strategy of the department/ division/ organisation
of one of your group members
If you do not attend the seminars then you are required
to undertake the assignment in a different manner
– see last slide of this pack
You will work through a number of strategy making
tasks that are related to chapters in “Making
Strategy: Mapping Out Strategic Success” (MOSS).
© Colin Eden and Fran Ackermann: Lecture Notes
For Making Strategy: Mapping Out Strategic Success, Sage, 2011
Process Requirements (2):
Your own copy of the assignment can, if you wish, be
different in some respects from the submission from
your group colleagues, but the strategy content
build-up must be the same (you may wish to add
your own inserted commentary on your separate
submission).
However, bear in mind that you may finish up with
lower marks than the rest of your group, as well as
possibly higher marks!
© Colin Eden and Fran Ackermann: Lecture Notes
For Making Strategy: Mapping Out Strategic Success, Sage, 2011
Process Requirements (3):
You are required to use ‘Decision Explorer’ (DE) for
conducting all of the tasks (except writing the
Statement of Strategic Intent, and your own
reflections).
The DE software can be downloaded from the Intranet
and installed on your own PC.
A Quick Start Guide and tutorials are available as well
as a very brief as well as short user guide (the full
user guide is available on the www.banxia.com)
Bring a copy of the brief guide along to all classes
Note: the Videos also provide an introduction to using
Decision Explorer for Making Strategy.
© Colin Eden and Fran Ackermann: Lecture Notes
For Making Strategy: Mapping Out Strategic Success, Sage, 2011
Making Strategy
in 4x~3hr workshops (2 days)….
Or single half day workshops

Workshop 1 – morning
• Strategy as the Prioritisation and Management of Key Issues
• Statement of Strategic Intent

Workshop 2 – afternoon
• Strategy as Purpose: Agreeing Goals and Aspirations for the Organisation
• Statement of Strategic Intent

Workshop 3 – morning
• Strategy as Competitive advantage
• Statement of Strategic Intent

Workshop 4 – afternoon
• Strategy as Stakeholder Management
• Statement of Strategic Intent

DELIVERABLE OVERALL:
• Statement of strategic intent (SSI) encompassing: issue management,
purpose, competitive advantage, stakeholder management
© Colin Eden and Fran Ackermann: Lecture Notes
For Making Strategy: Mapping Out Strategic Success, Sage, 2011
The assignment: notes (1 of 3)
Submit on one page A4 for each of 11 tasks (plus 1 extra map for each
of task 4 and 7), thus 13 pages of A4 in total
Each of tasks 1, 4, and 7 are to be submitted as Decision Explorer maps
1. Strategy as Issue Management
Issue map as tidied hierarchical map, with priorities marked (Chapter 3
and 4 of MOSS)
Ensure that the statements are action oriented
Direction of causality follows cause mapping guidelines/formalisms
It is expected that the map will include at least 25 issues however, remember in “real” workshops
it is likely you have over 50
Ensure that you go beyond the initial surfacing of negative situations and include some strategic
opportunities
2. Reflective Commentary focusing predominantly on negotiation process
– include examples (max 300 words)
3. SSI from Issue Management
CONTINUED….
© Colin Eden and Fran Ackermann: Lecture Notes
For Making Strategy: Mapping Out Strategic Success, Sage, 2011
The assignment: notes (2 of 3)
4. Strategy as Purpose
Emergent Goals system – 1st draft (Chapter 5 and 6 of MOSS)
Ensure that goals meet the definition provided in Chapter of PMS
The map has around 10-15 goals
That the system considers ‘negative goals’ when appropriate
Ensure you have conducted the final review of the goal system
2 pages are required: one page shows laddering upwards from at least one 3* priority, and the
other page shows the final goal system after imposing ‘published goals’ (showing goals
only)
5. Reflective Commentary focusing predominantly on negotiation process
– include examples (max 300 words)
6. SSI from Purpose
CONTINUED….
© Colin Eden and Fran Ackermann: Lecture Notes
For Making Strategy: Mapping Out Strategic Success, Sage, 2011
The assignment: notes (3 of 3)
7. Strategy as Competitive Advantage (Chapter 7 and 8 of MOSS)
Map of competencies with DC’s marked, and DC patterns shown on separate
maps – thus, 2 pages are required:
Ensure that all of the distinctive competencies are plausibly distinctive! Show which are Das, DCs,
or DCOs
Show basis for DC pattern
8. Reflective Commentary focusing predominantly on negotiation process –
include examples (max 300 words)
9. SSI from Competitive Advantage
10. Combine 1-3, 4-6, and 7-9 to produce an aggregate SSI (Chapter 12 of
MOSS)
11. Commentary on issues arising from combining: eg conflicts, analysis,
aggregation, etc
SUBMIT 13 PAGES IN TOTAL (5 MAPS + 8 PAGES OF TEXT) + PEER
ASSESSEMENT FORM
© Colin Eden and Fran Ackermann: Lecture Notes
For Making Strategy: Mapping Out Strategic Success, Sage, 2011
The Assignment Submission

1 peer assessment form (available on the intranet)
MUST be submitted per student and submitted under
separate cover and each form must be signed by the
person submitting it. Failure to submit a peer
assessment form will result in your assignment not
being marked and so given a mark of zero.

Only the required 13 pages required will be marked,
any additional pages will be discarded.
© Colin Eden and Fran Ackermann: Lecture Notes
For Making Strategy: Mapping Out Strategic Success, Sage, 2011
Undertaking Making Strategy
without attending the seminars

If you are unable to attend the seminars (including
local counselling sessions where appropriate) then
you are required to undertake the assignment as
follows:
• Form a strategy making group with at least 3 people.
• Develop a strategy using the Making Strategy book, Decision
Explorer and slides on the intranet
• The strategy may be, for example, for a community centre,
club, or for your own organisation (if the group members
are your colleagues)
• The assignment submission follows the guidelines included
above.
© Colin Eden and Fran Ackermann: Lecture Notes
For Making Strategy: Mapping Out Strategic Success, Sage, 2011