The Alpha Strategies is an exciting new book on strategy and its communication. It is a winner of a Kirkus Star, being a book of exceptional merit. It is also listed as a Kirkus Reviews Best Books of 2013.
The Alpha Strategies model is characterized by its definition of strategy as being a choice of action. The premise, based on a review of the work of Fayol. Drucker, Mintzberg, and Tregoe, is that 3 types of strategy and 8 strategies are common to all organizations from for-profits to nonprofits to government entities. This enables strategy to be seen as a dynamic system of choices of action.
The model allows users to organize the strategy system of 8 strategies in their organization into the 3 types of strategy. These are Alpha, being the 1 strategy of the 8 which leads to other 7; Influencers, being 3 strategies of the remaining 7 which most guide and constrain the implementation of the Alpha and the remaining 4 strategies, which are called Enablers.
The Alpha Strategies model enables users to:
1. Explain how the organization "works" by explaining its strategy system.
2. Explain the strategic plan of the organization because the 8 strategies are the basis of any strategic plan
3. Explain the impact of change in strategy by using the model to show the impact of change on the strategy system
4. Create scenarios by exploring the impact of changing strategies and their position in the present configuration
5 Explain "vision" which is defined as the outcome of successful long term pursuit of the Alpha strategy
6 Explain the rationale for strategy choices and the expectations for its implementation.
