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Although not a part of the strategic planning process, medium- and short-range planning as well as the implementation of the plans must be considered during all phases of the process. Control must also be provided for monitoring performance against plan. The importance of feedback is shown by the loops in the model.
Perspective
Top-management Choices
Top managers get paid for making tough decisions, and many of their decisions are strategic for the future of the company. Let us look at some examples of decisions that altered the course of the company.
General Motors: Roger Smith of general Motors saw the opportunities in the high-tech field and their importance for GM. Consequently, he decided to acquire Electronic Data Systems Corp., a large data procession company. But the resistance to the merger of these two companies (with very different organizational cultures) by GM’s staff was substantial. Long-established organizations do not change easily, and Roger Smith learned a great deal about the difficulty of making dramatic changes.
Gould Inc: William Ylvisaker, the former CEO at Gould Inc., changed the firm from a manufacturer of car batteries and electrical equipment to a high-tech electronics firm. This new direction required a change in personnel; half of Gould’s management committee left the company. Making such drastic decisions requires a strong-willed person; Ylvisaker was named one of the ten toughest corporate managers by Fortune magazine.
