COMM5010
Strategy Meets the Problems
Week 2
Greta Sharples g.sharples@unsw.edu.au
Do you have a company for your 1st Assignment?
• To look at megatrends and drivers
• it is easier to do so in context
• Understanding how these contexts impact the future is critical
• Why do some companies thrive and others faulter?
• How can companies be the disruptor?
To understand trends you need to understand the
drivers


5 Generally accepted megatrends
Future proofing and Next Big Things
• Remember an NBT is not currently happening
• Do not consider a government or sector à it is too big
• Identify the drivers and how they will impact the business
• How can the future proof
• Look beyond the obvious and think beyond AI and VR
• Always link to Megatrends and Drivers
Are you Confident?
• Ready to start your assignment?
• What do you need to know/ find out to get started?
• This is a mini report you need to clearly demonstrate
• You understand the management issues
• The strategy
• Issues affected by megatrends and drivers
What is Strategy?
• You have 5 mins to explore what you already know about
strategy
• There is a difference between strategy and plans
• What is this?
Strategy is
• How you will decide
Plans are
• How you will implement the strategy
What is your business about?
• What is it truly good at?
• What are the core capabilities?
• Who are the customers?
• How will you reach them?
If it doesn’t align to the strategy
• Don’t DO IT
• Revisit your strategy
• Yesterday’s hero is tomorrow’s normal
The differences between…
• Strategy, vision and how you will make your decisions going
forward
The differences between
• Strategic thinking, hard facts based, knowledge – megatrends
based, questions assumptions, indirect and unexpected,
unwilling to expend resources
The differences between
• Strategic planning, allocates and controls resources, more
immediate, product trends on current data
• Strategic sweet spot, meeting customer needs in a way your
competitors cannot
• Generic strategies ( Porter, McKinsey, three horizons)
• Tools like SWOT and PESTLE
• Specific strategies
• HR, marketing, internationalisation etc
Where are you at
• Stop
• Take a Breath
• Observe
• Proceed
Porter’s generic strategy
McKinsey 3 horizons
The Assignment
• Due Friday June 17, 1pm – Sydney time
• There is a declaration to complete first - allow time
• You must discuss a company, megatrend and drivers, considering the
company strategy and any management issues as part of this
• It must be credible – show how you know and use sources
• Questions to your tutors or Heather or I
Are you in a team for your group assignment
• Use the signup sheet on Moodle
• Only 3 in a team
• Watch the client video on Moodle
• The wikis will be set up next week
• You MUST work in the wiki
For Next Week
• Look at the resources on Moodle
• Watch them, read them, make notes about them.
• Come to class ready to explore what these trends will mean
for our ‘client’
• Remember you are the consulting team; your job is to
consider what is keeping them awake at night and how they
can be proactive for the future