1. What are the causes of the confusion confronting Keith Houck? Is H.I.D. ready to formulate a strategic plan? Why or why not?
2. If you were Keith Houck, what questions would you ask the managers? What steps would you recommend in your effort to help H.I.D. successfully formulate strategic goals and plans?
3. If you were Bill Collins, what might you have done differently during your tenure as H.I.D. president?

Consultant Keith Houck strode into the conference room in Bill Collins’s wake. Bill, the president of H.I.D., had hired Keith to help the hotel company’s management team with strategic planning. Wasting no time, Bill introduced Keith to human resources director Karen Setz, marketing head Tony Briggs, hotel operations chief Dave King, and accountant Art Johnson. Already written in large block letters on an easel in the front of the room was the company’s 10-yearold mission statement: “H.I.D. strives to exceed the expectations of our guests by providing excellent value in well-run hotels located off the beaten track. In this way, we will meet our profit, quality, and growth goals.”