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Strategy Managers’ Role Could be at Risk

Posted: April 05, 2010
By: Janet A Johnson

Strategy managers could find themselves at risk if their role becomes less demanded.  As the economic downturn worsens, companies are faced with downsizing and becoming more tactical in an effort to survive.   The hard reality of survival of the fittest has hit many like a ton of bricks. Companies are forced to implement short-term solutions, with a meager staff, while faced with the hard decision of whether or not they can afford to provide resources for long-term planning. The fact is, many managers find themselves in a firefighting mode.

Strategy Managers are Needed for Long-Term Planning

Stuck in operational mode, companies find little to no time for long-term planning. Yet, can they really afford not to provide for long-term planning? Can a company really survive in the tactical mode? Although we believe the answer to be no, when there are choices to be made, long-term planning alone cannot meet a crisis and keep a company afloat. Therefore, if a choice has to be made, the obvious one is to survive now and plan later. What does this mean for strategy managers? Will they continue to dwindle and become a thing of the past instead of the forward-thinkers of the future? Will companies be able to play the balancing game and, once more, begin planning for the future? Only time will tell! However, I suspect many companies will suffer and fold in the long run if they are unable to look and plan ahead.