The Anthony Triangle

The Anthony Triangle is a model used to illustrate the types of strategic planning that occur at different levels of an organization’s hierarchy. The model consists of three types of planning: corporate, business, and operational.

Corporate planning involves long-term planning and decision-making at the highest level of the organization. It involves setting overall goals and strategies for the entire organization and determining how resources will be allocated to achieve these goals. Corporate planning typically involves top executives and board members.

Business planning involves medium-term planning and decision-making at the business unit level. It involves setting goals and strategies for a specific business unit or product line and determining how resources will be allocated to achieve these goals. Business planning typically involves department heads and other managers within a business unit.

Operational planning involves short-term planning and decision-making at the operational level. It involves setting goals and strategies for specific tasks and projects and determining how resources will be allocated to achieve these goals. Operational planning typically involves front-line managers and employees.

Examples of strategic planning at each level of the Anthony Triangle include:

• Corporate planning: Deciding to expand into a new market, acquiring another company, or developing a new product line
• Business planning: Launching a new marketing campaign, developing a new product, or implementing a new production process
• Operational planning: Scheduling employee shifts, determining inventory levels, or setting targets for sales or customer service metrics