#Mindspark 7: Where are you playing?

Your most pressing issue is “Lack of money due to lack of a well-paying job.” Now define the key elements of your strategic intent

Your most pressing issue is “Lack of money due to lack of a well-paying job.”

Now define the key elements of your strategic intent by completing the strategy cascade, as defined in the “Playing To Win” Book I shared in Mindspark 3 blog post.

The identified strategic possibilities to solve the strategic challenges are below.

  1. Possibility 1.1. Upskill – enroll on an MBA (assuming you have the first degree only), and start by teaching at University.
  2. Possibility 1.2. Start a small business and work hard.
  3. Possibility 2.1. Position as a top AI & Robotics lawyer in EA (or any such career of your preference).

In this post, we focus on the first possibility.

In playing strategy cascade, we answer five key questions:

  1. Winning aspiration – what is it?
  2. Playing field – where will you play?
  3. Ways to win – how will you win?
  4. Capabilities needed – what capabilities will you need to win in c) to a) above?
  5. Systems needed – what systems and processes do you need to win in d) to a) above?

Before we define your winning aspiration –and or personal vision, lets first define the playing field: which customer segments will you target? Which products and services do you plan to sell to them? and what delivery channels will you use? And which geography will you operate in?

Remember, the strategy is about making choices. When you attain an MBA, where do you want to play? Where are the opportunities? Remember, the Mindspark 1 and Mindspark 2 posts, where I asked you to first identify opportunities. Now is the time to look back at that post.

Which opportunities did you identify? Which University do you want to teach after you attain your MBA? You are guaranteed a place if you score great marks at your MBA at awarding University. In this case, you must aim for intellectual firepower – be on the dean’s list. Let every Lecturer be your friend. Volunteer to take on lectures from some Lecturers who are busy. Make life so easy for the students and Lecturers – be the easy guide everyone likes. Read ahead.

MBA or Master of Business Administration requires lots of hands-on skills to teach well. Make sure you ask for Internship placement the first day you attend class. You need to work somewhere to gain practical work experience.

Decide on the opportunities you can tap into depending on your “context” or resources available and “perspective” the market dynamics. If you plan to tap into the global market, go attend global universities in the USA, Europe or top Asia. That way, you can easily get a position at any University.   With an MBA, you can even do me – provide corporate training? Which segment are you looking at?

Start with identifying your preferred segment. Then the services or products you will sell to them. Then the channels.

Segment – target customers: Top 5 Universities in East Africa, and the top 100 taxpayers in each EA country.

Service: Professional Lecturer, Researcher and Publisher. Operational Excellence Consultant for Top 100 Tax Payers in EA.

Channels: Online, Digital App and Face to Face Training.

Geography: East Africa.

Now that you have done the above, go ahead and make a revenue strategy. Where will the income come from?

PS:

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To be continued, Mindspark 8.

NB: I will be off for a me-time. Pardon for the days I may miss sharing a post. For you in my private membership program, don’t worry. I shall call you from abroad at my cost. Be blessed. And be a blessing.

Copyright Mustapha B Mugisa, 2020. All rights reserved. For more insights, visit mustaphabm3.sg-host.com.

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