Strategic planning meeting report
As your report is being prepared for a formal senior management meeting, it should be written in formal business report format and style.
Your report is to be provided to where the main priority is to discuss implementing the new business strategy. The team is made up of mainly operational managers who have limited knowledge and understanding of the connections between organisational structure, strategy, and the wider business environment so the CEO has asked that your report should include an understanding of the connections between organisational structure, strategy, and the business operating environment.
The report must therefore include:
– an evaluation of the advantages and disadvantages of two different types of organisational structures in different types of organisations, the range of products, services and customers associated with each, and how they link to organisational purpose. (AC 1.1)
– an analysis of the way in which organisational strategy should be linked to products, services, customers and revenue (AC 1.2)
– an analysis of the current and ongoing impact on organisations of the range of external factors and trends. (AC 1.3)
– an assessment of two current issues and causes that identify key priorities within organisations that will affect product/service delivery, and the impact this may have on people practice and solutions. (AC 1.4 & AC 3.3)
– an explanation of the ways in which people practices can impact on organisational systems and structures, and therefore affect the effective employment, management and development of people (AC1.5)
– an exploration of the impact that technology has on people, work and working practices, and the current and emerging scale of the use of technology within organisations. (AC 1.6)
– Your evidence must consist of: Formal business report .
hints and tips:
Other organisations you may consider are John Lewis, McDonalds but there are lots of others.
Sony:
https://www.sony.com/en/SonyInfo/IR/library/corporatereport/CorporateReport2020_E.pdf
Tesco:
https://www.tescoplc.com/about/
Nike:
https://bizfluent.com/facts-6887850-nike-s-flat-organizational-structure.html
https://purpose-cms-preprod01.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/30191542/FY20-NIKE-Inc.-Impact-Report1.pdf
Here are some useful CIPD factsheets and wider reading to support you with your report.
CIPD Workforce Planning resource: https://www.cipd.co.uk/knowledge/strategy/organisational-development/workforce-planning-factsheet#gref
CIPD Technology and the Future of Work resource: https://www.cipd.co.uk/knowledge/work/technology/emerging-future-work-factsheet
CIPD Workplace Technology: The Employee Experience: https://www.cipd.co.uk/knowledge/work/technology/workplace-technology-employee#gref
1.1
The focus is 2 different structures so that you can compare.
· 2 different organisations = products/services and customers.
· Advantages, disadvantages, and relevance of these structures.
1.2
The focus is strategic alignment with revenue generation, products/services, and customers.
· A short insight into strategy formulation. Then 2 reasons why strategy should be aligned with revenue generation, products/services, and customers.
Drill down to each element to evaluate:
· Strengths and drawbacks of aligning strategy with revenue generation. E.g.:
STRENGTHS
DRAWBACKS
Increase profit
Not aligning could result in profit decline
Improve expansion opportunities
Focusing on revenue alone could result in customers/clients paying higher costs and leaving
Summary paragraph underneath
Then do the same for:
· Strengths and drawbacks of aligning strategy with products and services.
· Strengths and drawbacks of aligning strategy with customers.
1.3
Produce a PESTLE and place in the appendices. Then:
· Take 3 factors and talk about the positive and negative impacts of these, on the organisation. E.g., Brexit, Covid, legislation changes, industry issues, reducing carbon footprint, change in spending habits.
· Within this discussion, link each factor with a trend e.g.:
o Factor = Introduction of AI/AR
o Trend = Using advanced technology in L&D
1.4 & 3.3
These are 2 criteria that naturally link although you can separate into separate subheadings to clearly show you have addressed each. Give equal focus to each element:
· 2 business issues and causes.
o E.g., high turnover due to lack of development opportunities
· What is the impact of the issue on product/service delivery? What, then, becomes a priority?
o E.g., low staff, low morale
o Priority = improving succession and career development
· What is the impact on people practices (actions/solutions)?
o Improved recruitment
o Talent management programmes
o Performance management
1.5
Your focus is 2 ways that people practices (e.g., HR policies/procedures and systems) can impact on organisational systems and structures.
Key areas include policy, employment, management and development of people, performance, organisation design.
It makes sense to have 2 paragraphs here. Aim for one positive way and one negative way:
Examples:
· L&D policy impact on the organisational structure – is this aligned, and does it influence the company’s ability to retain and develop talent?
· The strategic influence of HR in terms of “place at the top table†or through operational impacts such as HR business partners, and the support they can provide to managers.
· The impact of the recruitment system on the type and capability of individuals who are recruited. Does this match the organisation structure and requirements?
1.6
The focus is the way technology impacts:
1. People – E.g., wellbeing and work life balance.
2. Work – what we do – E.g., HR using HRIS, L&D using LMS, meetings using Teams.
3. Working practices – how we do it – E.g., digital remote/collaborative working, automation replacing mundane tasks etc.
Make a judgement on the impact of technology on working practices.
Finally, a paragraph on emerging scale of the use of technology within organisations. What is new? What is changing? What impacts does it have?
**Use the insight reports on the front of the assessment brief**
use the attached templet.
