This book is about strategy creation and implementation．A goodstrategy matched with outstanding implementation is every cornpaw’s best assurance of success．It is also an undeniable sign of good management．As an Essentials publication，this book does not Covereverything in depth，and it certainly won’t make you a strategy expert．But it does address all the important topics，and will get you off to a very good star—and with substantial confidence．

The Harvard Business Essentials series is designed to provide comprehensive advice，personal coaching，background information，andguidance on the most relevant topics in business．Drawing on richcontent from Harvard Business Sch001 Publishing and other sources，these concise guides are carefully crafted to provide a highly practical resourCe for readers with all levels of experience，and will proveespecially valuable for the new manager．To assure quality and accuracy,each volume is closely reviewed by a specialized content adviserfrom a world-class business school．Whether you are a new manager seeking to expand your skills or a seasoned professional looking to broaden your knowledge base，these solution-oriented books put reliable answers at your fingertips．

Introduction

1 SWOTAnaIvsis I

Looking Outsidefor Threats and Opportunities

External Analysis

Porter's Five Forces Framework

Summing Up

2 SWOT Analysis II

Looking Insidefor Strengths and weaknesses

Core Competencies

Financial Condition

Management and Culture

A Method for Evaluating Internal Strengths and Weaknesses

Summing Up

5 Types ofStrategy

Which Fits Your Business?

Low-Cost Leadership

Difierentiation

Customer Relationship

NetworkEffect Strategy

Summing Up

4 Strategic Moves

The Mechanisms of Success

Gaining a Market Beachhead

Market Entry Through Process Innovation

ApplyingJudo Strategy

Market Entry Through Product Differentiation

Create and Dominate a New Market

BuyingYourWayIn

Summing Up

5 From Strategy to Implementation

Seeking Alignment

People and Incentives

Supportive Activities

Organizational Structure

Culture and Leadership

SummingUp

6 Action Plans

The Architecture of Implementation

From Strategic Plan to Unit Action Plans

SetGOals

Agree on Performance Measures

Formulate Action Steps

Determine the Resources Needed

Identify Interlocks

Estimate the Financial Impact

A Sample Action Plan

Summing Up

7 How to Stay on Course

Sensing and Responding to Deviations from Plan

A Model for Staying on Course

Progress Review

Informal Checks

Common Causes of Implementation Failure

Develop Contingency Plans tO Handle Potential Setbacks

SummingUp

8 The People Side of Implementation

Getting the Right People on Board

Enlist the Support and Involvement of Key People

Support the Plan with Consistent Behaviors and Messages

Develop Enabling Structures

Celebrate Milestones

Communicate Relentlessly

Summing Up

9 Strategy as Work-in－Progress

Keep Looking Ahead

How Well Is Your Strategy Working?

Warning Signs

Leading Strategic Change

Summing Up

 Appendix：Useful Implementation Tools

 Notes

 Glossary

 For Further Reading

 lndex

 About the Subject Adviser

 About the Writer