Strategic Intent, Strategic Plans, and Corporate Challenges
Strategic intent is the philosophical base upon which an organization’s strategic management process is built. It is a statement that provides or explains the perspective of the means through which an organization will reach its vision in the long run (Hamel & Prahalad, 2010). Strategic intent explains what an organization is trying to accomplish. An organization’s strategic intent provides a sense of direction about the long-term competitive and market position of the organization, a sense of discovery since it explains the organization’s promise to its stakeholders, and provides a sense of destiny or a goal around which all energies and strategies will be focused.
Verizon’s strategic intent is to grow the organization through the expansion of operations outside the existing markets. Such expansion entails the provision of wireless telecommunications services and smartphone devices outside the United States. The strategic intent is phrased in a way that captures the essence of winning – the expansion of operations outside the United States is the win for the company. The company’s strategic intent is documented on the company’s official website and explained to employees through bulletins and official communication through emails.
To
ensure that the strategic intent remains stable over time, the management of
the company keeps updating the employees and other stakeholders on changes in
strategies and policies, as well as informing them on the progress made by the
company towards the achievement of the strategic intent. To encourage strategic
intent, challenges such as achieving market growth in developing countries and
improving the quality of wireless communications services provided to attract
customers can be set for the next year (Mantere & Sillince, 2007).
Strategic planning can hamper strategic intent, as it is only through the
implementation of proper strategic plans that strategic intent is fulfilled.
With poor strategic plans, an organization cannot achieve its strategic intent
(Hamel & Prahalad, 2010).
References
Hamel, G., & Prahalad, C. K. (2010). Strategic intent. Harvard Business Press.
Mantere, S., & Sillince, J. A. (2007). Strategic intent as a rhetorical device. Scandinavian Journal of Management, 23(4), 406-423.
