Strategic Drivers
Strategic drivers are a powerful tool for planning, creating, and acting on purposeful strategies that shape the future of organizations. A strategic driver is any factor or approach that has an impact on an organizations ability to achieve what it wants to accomplish. These drivers help to define an organizations goals and objectives and guide the organization in its decision-making process. By understanding the strategic drivers, an organization can try to make the most of its resources, capitalize on its strengths, and mitigate risks.
The first and most important step in developing a strategic plan is identifying the factors that will ultimately shape the organization’s actions. These factors, also known as strategic drivers, can be divided into two broad categories: external and internal. External drivers are external aspects of the environment in which the organization operates, such as the economy, competition, technology, regulations, and global markets. Internal drivers, on the other hand, are those that affect the organization itself, such as its vision and mission, leadership, culture, and its human capital.
Once the strategic drivers have been identified, the next step is to create strategies to capitalize on these drivers in order to reach the organization’s goals. This can include creating detailed plans for capitalizing on external drivers, such as expanding into new markets or developing new technologies, as well as strategies for better utilizing internal resources, such as encouraging collaboration and creativity. In some cases, it might also involve examining how external drivers might affect the internal environment, such as the need for new processes or systems due to changing technologies.
Once the strategies are in place, the final step is to act on them in order to bring the organization closer to its goals. This means monitoring progress and continually assessing how the strategies are being implemented and what adjustments may be necessary. It also means keeping track of the external drivers, as these can change and impact the strategies.
Strategic drivers are an important part of the process of setting and reaching goals. By taking the time to identify, assess, and act on these drivers, organizations can gain a better understanding of the environment and create plans that maximize the use of their resources and help them to meet their objectives. While strategic drivers can be complex, taking the time to identify and understand them can help organizations create plans for success.
