Final answer:
Strategic assumptions are the foundational beliefs that underpin an organization's strategic planning. Evaluating these assumptions helps in managing strategic momentum by keeping the organization's strategies aligned with real-world conditions. This involves regular reviews for flexibility and responsiveness to change.
Step-by-step explanation:
An organization's strategic assumptions are the underlying beliefs and expectations about the future that inform the company's strategic planning process. These can include assumptions about market trends, customer behavior, competitive dynamics, regulatory environment, and technological developments. Evaluating strategic assumptions is crucial for managing strategic momentum because it helps the organization to stay aligned with the external environment and to make necessary adjustments.
To evaluate these assumptions, an organization may conduct regular reviews comparing actual results against original forecasts, consider values shifts in their market, maintain flexibility in uncertainty, and assess the upshot on strategies. This scrutiny should also involve questioning whether the organization's culture supports employee satisfaction and career development, as indicated by responses to statements like, 'I recommend my organization as a good place to work' or, 'Considering everything, how satisfied are you with your job?'
Addressing strategic predicaments involves determining whether assumptions still hold true and identifying any gaps between what was planned and what is happening in practice. This dynamic process allows an organization to be agile and responsive to change, ensuring long-term sustainability and competitiveness.