Health Care Strategy for Uncertain Times

Rating:
Summary: A practical guide to strategy development
Review: It is clear when reading Health Care Strategy for Uncertain Times that the authors have significant experience in strategy development in the healthcare arena. The book clearly outlines a process for strategy development and points out common pitfalls along the way (e.g. mistaking data for information, focusing on experience rather than skills when choosing members of the strategy development team, etc.). Furthermore, the book describes useful tools for addressing uncertainty (i.e. decision-analysis, scenario planning and game theory) and provides a framework for determining when a specific tool will prove useful.

Perhaps what makes the book most valuable, however, is what it does not include. There are no claims of sure-fire solutions that are, unfortunately, so common in contemporary strategy literature. The authors correctly realize that cookie-cutter solutions offer no long term benefit to the reader (and most likely no short term benefit either). Rather the authors have created a guide to building a strategy development process that, once developed, will be applicable to any situation.

Rating:
Summary: An Excellent Resource
Review: This book is an excellent resource for strategic planners looking for new approaches. The authors' experience comes through with numerous practical ideas for developing strategies that can be implemented effectively. When I read their examples, I felt like they were talking about my organization! I highly recommend this book.

Rating:
Summary: Excellent Overview of Strategic Planning
Review: This book is an extremely readable overview of strategic planning in healthcare today. The chapters build on each other very well, and leave the reader with an excellent picture of the whys and hows of development of strategic vision relative to the position and capabilities of the organization. The section on strategic intent is particularly useful. The tables and figures are useful, clear, and easy to understand. Each chapter ends with "Lessons Learned", a useful summary and reminder of the chapter contents. I recommend this book as both a primer and refresher for those interested in healthcare stategic planning.

Rating:
Summary: Excellent Overview of Strategic Planning
Review: This book is an extremely readable overview of strategic planning in healthcare today. The chapters build on each other very well, and leave the reader with an excellent picture of the whys and hows of development of strategic vision relative to the position and capabilities of the organization. The section on strategic intent is particularly useful. The tables and figures are useful, clear, and easy to understand. Each chapter ends with "Lessons Learned", a useful summary and reminder of the chapter contents. I recommend this book as both a primer and refresher for those interested in healthcare stategic planning.

Rating:
Summary: A practical guide to strategy development
Review: This book proposed a variety of tools that are incredibly helpful in moving a management team (and leadership team) along in thinking about the strategies that the organization is undertaking. It is also helpful in looking at the tacit strategies undertaken by not making decisive moves. The material proposes a broad range of ways to engage the strategic framework, given the market driven changes that befall the healthcare providers. Marion Jennings, Susie Krentz and the JRK team are impressive thought leaders that generously share their 'lessons learned' in this very useful book.

Rating:
Summary: Excellent Set of Tools
Review: This book proposed a variety of tools that are incredibly helpful in moving a management team (and leadership team) along in thinking about the strategies that the organization is undertaking. It is also helpful in looking at the tacit strategies undertaken by not making decisive moves. The material proposes a broad range of ways to engage the strategic framework, given the market driven changes that befall the healthcare providers. Marion Jennings, Susie Krentz and the JRK team are impressive thought leaders that generously share their 'lessons learned' in this very useful book.

Rating:
Summary: An "A-ha" Experience
Review: This is a book that is to the point and as I read, I kept thinking "A-ha" that makes sense. HEALTH CARE STRATEGY FOR UNCERTAIN TIMES is a must read for anyone interested in surviving and thriving in today's volatile health care market. The book's editor addresses the differences between data and information, the importance of external, internal and environmemtal assessments, the need for decision analysis along with financial planning that supports the organization's strategies and the importance of contigency planning? After reading this book, I felt energized as I began to realize, that there are tools and methods for moving an organization beyond planning and into decision making and implementation. The reality of decision making in uncertain times is that an inability to act will result in your organization not being able to obtain its full potential and achieve its mission. HEALTH CARE STRATEGY FOR UNCERTAIN TIMES can and will help decision-makers better understand the process of positioning health care organizations for success.