THINK STRATEGICALLY
WHY IT MATTERS
Leaders today have more variables to juggle when plotting their work than at any other time in history. Customers and competitors are becoming more and more complex. Business functions, such as marketing and technology, are constantly changing. The world in which leader’s work is continually shifting. Political and societal factors are deepening. Leaders who think strategically plot paths that can be safely and successfully traveled to reach their desired destination. Leaders who can’t think strategically, and maneuver their organization through the decisions, opportunities, and challenges they are sure to face, will find themselves falling into the pitfalls that dot today’s business landscape.
WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE
Leaders that think strategically step back and see the big picture. They separate their daily tactical duties and operational responsibilities from the larger questions facing their work and that of the organization. They set the direction the organization needs to take into the future. They identify opportunities and threats. They invest mental energy in deciphering the issues facing their customers, industry, and organization. They look out for what is coming, and prepare for it.
Leaders that think strategically see the world through a systems view. They look for intersections, connections, and interactions between information. They see the interrelated nature of their organization to the world around them. They see how the evolving needs of their customers intersect with their products and services. They see how the direction and strategy of their competition affects their own. They see the progress and challenges of their society and interpret from them opportunities to embrace and pitfalls to avoid.
Leaders that think strategically love data. They study customers and markets, competitor positioning, environmental trends, and other business indicators. They turn statistics into an actionable point of view. Instead of relying on instinct, they create informed hypothesis they can prove right or wrong. They find the most pertinent data and distill it down to its true meaning. Instead of manipulating data to prove an idea, they use data to uncover the truth.
Leaders that think strategically identify the assumptions behind both their own thought processes and that of others. They identify the assumptions that are being made and dissect those assumptions to identify which are viable and which are misleading. They protect important decisions from incorrect information, purely gut instinct or feeling, and incorrect inference.
Leaders that think strategically don’t rely on their intelligence to get them by. They also don’t think they are, or need to be, the smartest person in the room. Leaders that think strategically know when they need help from others to figure things out.
Leaders that think strategically see how their decisions and actions will play out in the future. They study the implications of each possible decision and action they face, and accurately determine the best path to take. They see the consequences of all they do instead of being surprised by them or caught off guard.
BELIEFS
BEST PRACTICES
SELF-REFLECTION
PSYCHOMETRIC 360 QUESTIONS
Leaders today have more variables to juggle when plotting their work than at any other time in history. Customers and competitors are becoming more and more complex. Business functions, such as marketing and technology, are constantly changing. The world in which leader’s work is continually shifting. Political and societal factors are deepening. Leaders who think strategically plot paths that can be safely and successfully traveled to reach their desired destination. Leaders who can’t think strategically, and maneuver their organization through the decisions, opportunities, and challenges they are sure to face, will find themselves falling into the pitfalls that dot today’s business landscape.
WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE
Leaders that think strategically step back and see the big picture. They separate their daily tactical duties and operational responsibilities from the larger questions facing their work and that of the organization. They set the direction the organization needs to take into the future. They identify opportunities and threats. They invest mental energy in deciphering the issues facing their customers, industry, and organization. They look out for what is coming, and prepare for it.
Leaders that think strategically see the world through a systems view. They look for intersections, connections, and interactions between information. They see the interrelated nature of their organization to the world around them. They see how the evolving needs of their customers intersect with their products and services. They see how the direction and strategy of their competition affects their own. They see the progress and challenges of their society and interpret from them opportunities to embrace and pitfalls to avoid.
Leaders that think strategically love data. They study customers and markets, competitor positioning, environmental trends, and other business indicators. They turn statistics into an actionable point of view. Instead of relying on instinct, they create informed hypothesis they can prove right or wrong. They find the most pertinent data and distill it down to its true meaning. Instead of manipulating data to prove an idea, they use data to uncover the truth.
Leaders that think strategically identify the assumptions behind both their own thought processes and that of others. They identify the assumptions that are being made and dissect those assumptions to identify which are viable and which are misleading. They protect important decisions from incorrect information, purely gut instinct or feeling, and incorrect inference.
Leaders that think strategically don’t rely on their intelligence to get them by. They also don’t think they are, or need to be, the smartest person in the room. Leaders that think strategically know when they need help from others to figure things out.
Leaders that think strategically see how their decisions and actions will play out in the future. They study the implications of each possible decision and action they face, and accurately determine the best path to take. They see the consequences of all they do instead of being surprised by them or caught off guard.
BELIEFS
- Strategic thinking isn’t about how smart you are. It is about intensely applying yourself to seeing and solving problems.
- You can’t think strategically until you first gather and understand all the puzzle pieces involved in the puzzle.
- Thinking strategically doesn’t mean being the smartest person in the room. It means surrounding yourself with smart people.
- Strategic thinking isn’t a one-time event. It is constantly looking at the present to gain insight into the future.
- The most dangerous threats to strategic thinking are the assumptions you unknowingly make.
- Strategic thinking is the end and beginning of leadership. How can leaders set direction without knowing where to go?
- Strategic thinking is simply the ability of a leader to consider all possible variables and decide the best course of action to take.
- Don’t be afraid to change your strategy if it is clear over time that it isn’t going to work and needs to be adjusted.
BEST PRACTICES
- Think through problems thoroughly.
- Test hypotheses instead of making blind decisions.
- Interpret the real meaning of data.
- Don’t overlook the big picture or small details.
- Identify key questions that need answering.
- Analyze customer needs and wants thoroughly.
- Base your decisions on research and data.
- Identify the assumptions you are making.
- Draw upon lessons learned and the experiences of others.
- Look at the world through a systems view.
- Identify factors influencing your strategic position.
- Re-examine your long-standing practices.
- Always think about possible implications.
- Identify trends and shifts that are happening.
- Foresee potential threats and opportunities.
- Identify the long-term consequences of actions.
- Study your strengths and weaknesses.
- Rely on diversity and differences in thinking.
- Invite others into the strategic process.
- Know your competitor’s strategic position.
- Teach others how to think strategically.
- Plan time to commit to strategic thinking.
SELF-REFLECTION
- Do I purposefully check the assumptions I am making, or do I fail to examine the roots of my thinking?
- Do I rely on data to inform my strategic thinking, or do I rely on my gut instinct alone?
- Do I involve other people in the strategic process, or do I try to do it all by myself?
- Do I foresee how my decisions today will impact tomorrow, or do I think too shortsightedly?
- Do I look for how things are interconnected, or do I think things always fit in their own isolated box?
- Do I pause in my work to step back and see the big picture, or do I never get past what I have to do today?
- Do I know where my competition is going, or do I never look outside my own organization?
- Do I question how decisions will possibly play out, or do I get too concerned with just getting things done?
- Don’t spend so much time thinking about strategy you waste time you could have used implementing your strategy.
- Don’t get stuck in analysis paralysis because you are trying to strategically figure out every little angle and detail.
- Don’t make bad decisions because you over analyze situations that are actually straightforward and easy to resolve.
PSYCHOMETRIC 360 QUESTIONS
- I’m able to think systemically, but it comes in waves.
- I can easily see what lies ahead.
- There are times when I avoid conflict.
- Understanding customer trends is the key to setting a vision.
- The statement “the parts equal the whole” is always true.
- Our bottom line always affects the community we live in.