Strategic Challenges

The term “strategic challenges” refers to those pressures that exert a decisive influence on an organization’s likelihood of future success. These challenges frequently are driven by an organization’s future competitive position relative to other providers of similar products or services. While not exclusively so, strategic challenges generally are externally driven. However, in responding to externally driven strategic challenges, an organization may face internal strategic challenges.

External strategic challenges may relate to customer or market needs or expectations; product, service, or technological changes; or financial, societal, and other risks or needs. Internal strategic challenges may relate to an organization’s capabilities or its human and other resources.

See the definition of “strategic objectives” for the relationship between strategic challenges and the strategic objectives an organization articulates to address key challenges.

Download Baldrige Application Information Capture and Response Template: Strategic Challenges Summary (Responds to Organizational Profile Criteria Question)

The term "strategic challenges" appears in the Baldrige Criteria in the following locations: