Homework
TO: Insert name of CEO of selected Company
FROM: Your name
DATE: Today’s date
RE: How to Win: Strategic Options Assessment and Recommendation
(Student to update all sections color-coded in RED and change color to BLACK)
1. Introduction
Include a brief opening paragraph that summarizes the
purpose and key content of this executive brief.
2. Suggested Ranked Moves: The three Game-Winning
Moves I considered are in rank order:
• Top-ranked move [Summarize the best move from Week 6
lecture notes with a few details to explain. For example, if
you chose acquisition, who might you buy? If you chose
geographic expansion, where would you expand? If you
chose discontinuous innovation, what would the innovation
be?]
• Second-ranked move [Summarize your second-best winning
move as described above]
• Third-ranked move [Summarize your third-best winning
move as described above]
3. Recommended Move
Expand on your top ranked move from the list here. Provide
your rationale on why you think it will generate financially
attractive growth (including both incremental revenue growth
and commensurate incremental profit growth).
4. Alignment
Describe how your top-ranked move aligns (or conflicts) with
your key strength/weakness identified in your Playing Field
template?
5. Required Investments
Most moves require investments of resources and money. What
are some significant investments that would be required to
implement this move? Note, we are not looking for dollar
figures; instead, we are looking for the key categories of
investments (like hiring people, investing in new capabilities,
or building new manufacturing plants, etc.)
6. Risks and Risk Mitigation
Most moves have risks that need to be considered. What are
the most significant risks and what is your recommended risk
mitigation plan? How do you think the competition will react
to your move?
7. Competitive Response
Explain how you think the competition will react to your Move.
What counter moves might they make? How much, if any,
uncontested space will your move create and for how long?
8. Conclusion
Provide an effective persuasive concluding paragraph that is
“fit for use” for a CEO. This summary should assert the
recommended Move while simultaneously providing
reasonable and fair balance on investments and risks. If this
conclusion is excised from the executive brief, it could
effectively be used as the elevator pitch for the Move.
9. References
Include in-text citations for all data, assertions, and facts, and a corresponding reference list.
Appendices are allowable if additional supplemental information is needed for the brief.
