The document outlines a comprehensive approach to building an organizational strategy, emphasizing the importance of clear communication, stakeholder engagement, and the alignment of goals with a defined vision. Key steps include assessing existing strategies, identifying core strengths, and developing tactical plans with measurable outcomes. It also highlights the need for adaptability in response to changing industry trends and emphasizes a structured thought process throughout the strategy-building efforts.

1. How To Build a Strategy
Prepared for
June 14, 2017
Dr. Lydia Kostopoulos
Website: Lkcyber.com
Twitter: @LKCYBER
Linkedin: linkedin.com/in/lydiak

2. Defining Strategy
Strategy is a high level plan to
achieve one or more goals…
(more often than not)
…under conditions of uncertainty
“How To Build A Strategy” Dr. Lydia Kostopoulos Lkcyber.com

3. Vision
Analysis
Target
Plan
How to Build a Strategy
Dr. Lydia Kostopoulos
Website: Lkcyber.com
Twitter: @LKCYBER
Linkedin: linkedin.com/in/lydiak

4. Building a strategy in an
organization requires clear
communication, expectation
management and
teamwork.
One way to ensure that
everyone is on the same page is to
check in with key stakeholders
throughout the process.
“How To Build A Strategy” Dr. Lydia Kostopoulos Lkcyber.com

5. Vision
• Acquire guidance on the vision from supervisory
authorities of the strategy.
(Establish a vision if no supervisory authorities exist)
• Determine the purpose of the strategy.
• Confirm what the internal financial, political and
non-monetary resource support for the strategy
entails.
• Understand the why of the new direction.
(especially when the new strategy amends/replaces an old one)
“How To Build A Strategy” Dr. Lydia Kostopoulos Lkcyber.com

6. Analysis
• Assess the existing strategy (when one exists)
and identify gaps in fulfilling the new vision.
• Review existing goals and determine if they
need to be reworded or amended in anyway.
• Examine success/failure of efforts taken so far
and resources that have been leveraged.
With this in mind…
“How To Build A Strategy” Dr. Lydia Kostopoulos Lkcyber.com

7. Analysis
• Assess the existing strategy (when one exists) and identify gaps in
fulfilling the new vision.
• Review existing goals and determine if they need to be reworded or
amended in anyway.
• Examine success/failure of efforts taken so far and resources that
have been leveraged.
With the above and the vision in mind,
extend the analysis to:
Core
Reinforcement
Growth
Investment
“How To Build A Strategy” Dr. Lydia Kostopoulos Lkcyber.com

8. Analysis
Core
Reinforcement
Growth
Investment
“How To Build A Strategy” Dr. Lydia Kostopoulos Lkcyber.com
Make a purposeful effort to
outline what core strengths the
organization has, and what its
legacy and core mission,
business, services, offerings are.
Assess how the “core” can be
reinforced and leveraged to
adapt to the new vision and
direction.
Identify areas where the “core”
may be disrupted by changing
trends and take mitigation
measures.
Assess and examine peripheral
strengths within the
organization (ie: skills, services,
products, reputation etc)
Identify if/how these could be
strengthened to bolster the
high level vision, as well as
create new areas for strategic
growth.
With the new direction and key
trends in mind, develop new
products, services, performance
models that can be weaved in.
(more often than not this involves
a paradigm shift)

9. Analysis
Efforts
Taken
Existing
Goals
Current
Gaps
Situational awareness, which provides
parameters to develop targeted goals.
“How To Build A Strategy” Dr. Lydia Kostopoulos Lkcyber.com
Growth
Investment
Core
Reinforcement
Core
Reinforcement
Growth
Investment

10. Target
• Determine specific goals/outcomes to achieve.
For each goal describe lines of effort to achieve
it.
• Identify suitable tactical approaches given
resources (political, financial, non-monetary)
• Identify metrics (where possible) to measure
progress and success of efforts.
(Keeping in mind that there are both tangible and intangible measures
to measure progress, effectiveness and success of a strategy.)
“How To Build A Strategy” Dr. Lydia Kostopoulos Lkcyber.com

11. Plan
“How To Build A Strategy” Dr. Lydia Kostopoulos Lkcyber.com
• Prioritize efforts based on criticality to the
achievement of the goals.
(For optimized and effective use of time and resources the goals should
be prioritized as well.)
• Create a timeline with projected dates for
executing and accomplishing tactical efforts and
achieving goals.
(Keeping in mind political, financial, resource and support constraints.)
• Identify all key stakeholders who need to be
notified of the progress, and the specific way in
which they should be notified.

12. ! Be ready to be creative and agile….
No plan survives contact
with the enemy…
“
”
“How To Build A Strategy” Dr. Lydia Kostopoulos Lkcyber.com
Helmuth Karl Bernhard Graf von Moltke
German Military Strategist
In preparing for battle I have always
found that plans are useless but
planning is indispensable.
“
”Dwight D. Eisenhower
34th President of the United States

13. Trends
Affecting industries
across the board
• Generational Technology & Education Gaps
• Longevity & Demographic Changes
• AR / VR / Mixed Reality
• AI decision support and the externalization of
knowledge
• XaaS: Everything as a Service
• Dynamic value creation
*** Not a comprehensive list ***
• Disruptive: Tech / Processes / Nouveu
Authorities
• Technological Unemployment & HR Turnover
“How To Build A Strategy” Dr. Lydia Kostopoulos Lkcyber.com

14. Concluding
Thoughts
When building a strategy it is
important to:
“How To Build A Strategy” Dr. Lydia Kostopoulos Lkcyber.com
 Have structure in thought processes
and efforts,
 Maintain focus on the overarching
vision,
 Communicate clearly and effectively,
and
 A pulse on dynamic changes in trends
that have impact on operations and
strategy.

15. Thank you!
Questions? Comments?
Website: Lkcyber.com
Twitter: @LKCYBER
Linkedin: linkedin.com/in/lydiak
“How To Build A Strategy” Dr. Lydia Kostopoulos Lkcyber.com