"From the recent experience of three of America's most sought-after strategic planning consultants - seasoned pros who are serving as advisors to more than 100 top organizations from coast to coast - comes the first completely pragmatic guide to identifying, systematizing, and implementing the kind of long-term strategies that will enable you to compete successfully well into the next century. With its emphasis on the integration of business and functional plans, performance audits, organizational culture, gap analysis, and values clarification, Applied Strategic Planning surpasses other strategic planning manuals in all the vital ways that spell the difference between tomorrow's big winners and tomorrow's also-rans! Find out how to determine if your organization is ready for strategic planning; effectively communicate a corporate vision; recognize the role of culture in changing strategic direction integrate your plan into your company's day-to-day operations - both horizontally and vertically; master methods of strategic business modeling; write effective mission statements; use consultants effectively; and create contingency plans." "Both incisive and fun to read, Applied Strategic Planning makes many of its points through the use of humorous drawings, anecdotes, and cartoons - many of which come directly from the experiences of top companies before they had a workable strategic plan in effect. And you'll find numerous charts, diagrams, and checklists that make the book especially easy to apply in your own organization, whatever its size or structure. If you're looking to navigate expertly through today's unpredictable business climate, this is the one book you simply cannot afford to be without!"