Does a logic underlie the market segment choices, products, technologies, plans, and goals that compose the strategy? Assessing whether the elements of a strategy fit together calls for looking at the logic behind it to ensure that it makes sense overall. Have the people who developed the strategy thought through all its ramifications and the practical aspects of implementing it?
How do you evaluate a strategy’s logic? Start by looking at documents that describe your group’s strategy, such as strategic plans and mission statements. Then disassemble the strategy into its components—markets, products, technologies, functional plans, and goals. Ask yourself: Do the various dimensions of the strategy support one another? Is there a logical thread connecting these various parts? To be more specific, is there an obvious connection between market analysis and the group’s objectives? Does the product-development budget jibe with the capital investments projected in the operations part of the strategy? Are plans in place to prepare salespeople for new products in the pipeline?
If the strategy makes sense overall, you will spot such connections easily.