1. Prepare a TOWS matrix (12 page grid) that summarizes Cigna's threats, opportunities, weaknesses, and strengths

Be sure to include a minimum of 35 items in each quadrant of your matrix, which will give you a total of 1520 identified and categorized items

TOWS Analysis Worksheet

Threats What trends could harm you? What threats do your weaknesses expose you to? [Write threats facing your health care organization here.]	Opportunities What good opportunities are open to you? What trends could you take advantage of? How can you turn your strengths into opportunities? [Write opportunities facing your health care organization here.]
Weaknesses What could you improve? Where do you have fewer resources than others? What are others likely to see as weaknesses? [Write about your health care organizations weaknesses here.]	Strengths What do you do well? What unique resources can you draw on? What do others see as your strengths? [Write about your health care organizations strengths here.]

2. Write an Analysis highlighting key findings from the TOWS matrix for Cigna.

3. Draft strategic plan that describes four strategies for the organization to pursue, based on your findings from question 1 and 2. You must be able to look at your TOWS matrix results and then formulate four overarching strategies with at least one operational goal to support each strategy. Whether your strategies are to enhance the strengths you have identified or to improve weaknesses, your draft strategic plan must align with your organization's mission, vision, and values.

Include, with each of your strategies, the core assumptions regarding environmental opportunities and threats, organizational strengths and weaknesses, and organizational behavioral dynamics that are foundational to the strategy. For example, consider:

• Service/product life cycle.
• Product development.
• Organizational culture.
• Available funding to execute strategies.

Make sure to include the following as well.

• Incorporate methodologies from the knowledge-economy management approach in a strategic plan appropriate for your organization.

• Integrate recent strategy management research findings into your strategic plan.
• Synthesize operational and financial components into your strategic planning process.
• Include your determination of the organizational structure (functional, divisional, or matrix) that best facilitates your strategies.