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
Scripts for the Issue
Management Forum
Chapter 4
Ackermann & Eden, Making Strategy:
Mapping Out Strategic Success
© Colin Eden and Fran Ackermann: Lecture Notes
For Making Strategy: Mapping Out Strategic Success, Sage, 2011
Strategic Management is
about agreeing which
strategic issues to
practically focus energy,
cash, effort, emotion
© Colin Eden and Fran Ackermann: Lecture Notes
For Making Strategy: Mapping Out Strategic Success, Sage, 2011
Script for The manager-client needs to feel comfortable
Tasks:
1) Craft the ‘starter question’ (focal point) to be addressed to start the
forum: 15-20 minutes
2) Agree whether to focus on a specific time horizon and, if so, what the
time horizon is to be: 10-15 minutes
3) Agree participant composition: 20-25 minutes
Deliverable: Starter Question and Participant List
Script Timing: Minimum 45 minutes, expected 60 minutes
Refer to p67
© Colin Eden and Fran Ackermann: Lecture Notes
For Making Strategy: Mapping Out Strategic Success, Sage, 2011
Script for Managers become aware of the bigger picture
Tasks:
1) Setup for the forum: 5 minutes
2) Introduce the issue management forum process and carry out the first
phase of issue surfacing: 15-25 minutes
3) Review material and conduct another round of issue surfacing: 10-25
minutes
4) Develop and review thematic clusters: 15-20 minutes
5) Consider issues from different stakeholder positions (optional): 10-20
minutes
Deliverable: A printout of issues surfaced and the emergent strategic
themes
Script Timing: Minimum 55 minutes, expected 95 minutes
Refer to p70
© Colin Eden and Fran Ackermann: Lecture Notes
For Making Strategy: Mapping Out Strategic Success, Sage, 2011
Script for Strategic Issues are not independent, they impact on
another
Tasks:
1) Explain the causal linking process to participants: 5 minutes
2) Carry out initial linking and capturing of argumentation: 20-30
minutes
Deliverable: A messy, partially structured issue map
3) Tidy the messy map: 10-15 minutes
Deliverable: A printout of the refined linked map of the issues
Script Timing: Minimum 35 minutes to expected 50 minutes
Refer to p81
© Colin Eden and Fran Ackermann: Lecture Notes
For Making Strategy: Mapping Out Strategic Success, Sage, 2011
Script for Strategic thinking demands understanding the character
of the network of interacting and interconnected strategy arenas
Tasks:
1) Carry out analyses of the issue network and refine the map: 2030 minutes
2) Agree priority strategies: 20-30 minutes
Deliverable: A printout of the summary map of priorities
Script Timing: Minimum 40 minutes, expected 60 minutes
Refer to p89
© Colin Eden and Fran Ackermann: Lecture Notes
For Making Strategy: Mapping Out Strategic Success, Sage, 2011