Thinking Strategically Is A Process Not An Event!
Many of us have been told that we need to start thinking more strategically; that we need to stop being so tactical (even though we may excel at it) and become better visionaries. Sounds good, but this isn’t easy for some of us.
To get started we need to understand what “strategic thinking” means. Some common definitions include:
“The ability to make decisions and or solve problems from a broad perspective”
“Taking in information from a variety of sources and integrating the information by analyzing various options and approaches”
“Understanding how options and choices may impact others”
“In general taking a holistic approach to day to day issues and challenges without over reacting to pressures to change course”
How to Start Thinking Strategically
- Define the business we are in
- Know who our customers are
- Identify what services we do (or could) provide
- Determine what we want our department to be known for
- Analyze what strategic alliances we want and create a plan to find them
- Document where we want to take our organization in the next 3-5 years
As leaders, we make decisions daily that are critical to the success of our organization. We need to supplement these decisions with a course of action that aligns with our corporate strategy.
We need to make smart decisions that link and support initiatives across the organization. We also need to spread levels of awareness for understanding how behaviors and processes link with our strategy, our vision, and our goals.
The intent is to align staff to collaborate and support the attainment of desired short and long term results and provide new ideas and fresh thinking for growth and opportunity.
Remember, being a leader means having the ability to influence a group to achieve specific goals. It’s taking and empowering people to go where they’ve never gone before and wouldn’t go by themselves!