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Delve into the world of leadership and management with author, speaker and CEO Holly G. Green. More Than a Blog offers a refreshing take on the ever-changing business landscape and provides industry insight backed by over 20 years of experience. Holly is passionate about helping others become more than they imagine in whatever their chosen industry. She encourages feedback and interaction.
How To Get Others Thinking Strategically
Which is more important for a business to engage in – strategic planning or strategic thinking?
If you answered “both,” you win the prize.
What’s the difference between the two? Typically, strategic planning involves a formal process whereby company leaders and senior managers gather for a day or two and peer into the future to chart a course of action for the organization. This process usually results in a written plan that guides the company for the next one to three years.
Strategic thinking occurs when the entire organization begins to act in concert with the strategic plan. It involves teaching people at all levels of the organization to anticipate opportunities and threats while managing the day-to-day tasks that fall within their scope of responsibilities.
In most companies, front-line employees are trained to function in the moment rather than prepare for the future. Yet, just like the long-term success of the business, each individual’s success is dependent on his or her ability to implement tactics and perform in the moment, as well as execute plans for all of tomorrow’s accomplishments.
To encourage your entire organization to think more strategically, consider the following principles:
Overcome Fear of Failure. Accept that mistakes will happen. In fact, if they’re not happening, it probably means you’re not keeping up with your market. Instead of seeking to avoid mistakes, learn from them and design plans that allow for the occasional setback.
Take Incremental Steps. Never try to send a spaceship to the moon before you learn how to fly. Start with the strategies and components you can expect to reasonably sustain, and build on your early successes. This will help support the riskier components of your plan.
Make a Commitment. People aren’t stupid. No matter what you say, employees will wait to see what you and other leaders and senior managers actually do before they commit to anything new and different. Stand behind your plan and vision with actions and people will be drawn to achieve the goals.
Pick Up Speed. Don’t make the mistake of waiting for the ideal moment. In today’s world, there are no ideal moments. If you have planned and are focused, engage strategic components of your plan now and you will generate the momentum to carry through.
Be Responsive. Prepare to adapt your methods and processes to deal with roadblocks or changes. Developing the skills of flexibility and adaptability will ensure you can modify the plan when necessary and increase its chances of success. In fact, the more you encourage employees to think strategically, the more flexible and adaptable they will become.
Demonstrate Resolve. Understand the implications of your plan and allocate resources realistically. Strategic targets are never achieved without follow-through and alignment. Just saying you are going to do something does not make it happen. You have to have the organization capabilities (including people, process, system, tools & dollars) to make it happen.
Instill Teamwork. Gain the confidence and trust of your organization especially the managers who most directly influence individual contributors. Instill your vision in them, and help them succeed in their jobs so they can do the same for the organization.
What happens when employees begin to think more strategically?
They become more responsive to changing customer needs. They learn to identify potential threats, obstacles, and problem areas before they reach the critical point. They become better problem solvers as they learn how their decisions and actions impact the business in the future as well as today. And they become more involved with and more supportive of the overall strategic plan.
In the past, most companies could get by with just strategic planning. Today’s topsy-turvy markets demand more. Engage in strategic planning on a regular basis AND enhance the abilities to think strategically throughout the company. Your organization will become more flexible while increasing your ability to handle any new challenges that come your way.
December 8th, 2009 at 10:13 pm
Hi Holly,
Very interesting post. Stragegic thinking is something that should happen at all levels of an organization. But most organizations fail at this because they don’t encourage thinking of any kind by anyone other than top management. The points you have made above are excellent points to instill a culture that encourages growth at all levels. I hope CEO’s read your thoughts and take them very seriously.
December 10th, 2009 at 3:34 am
Most important aspect is quality team work or team building skills here. This is at all levels in the business or enterprise. Most of this can be taught, but some requires the instinct for it, especially in the upper echelon of the organization.
December 12th, 2009 at 11:31 am
Strategic thinking, when applied in projectized organizations, will enhance the likelihood of the success of any undertaken project. Problem is, it becomes very hard to apply this concept for bigger organization.
Thanks for clarifying the differences between planning and thinking.
December 15th, 2009 at 1:15 pm
Holly:
Great post, love the detail and how it helps readers wrap their brain around the idea in a way that makes you think about situations you have experienced.
I so agree that connecting people on every level in any organization, whether you are 3 person office or 1,000.
Thank you for reminding us to apply these points.
December 16th, 2009 at 1:42 pm
Interesting article. The prinicples listed are the key to have the organization thinkong strategically, but here is the big hole: How to make the organization to use those principles? What is the strategy to implement the principles around the organization and avoid the usal “doing as others do”? The real key qe need to find it the way to break the inertia in the “business as usual” and star aving all the organization thinking in a new “usual way of strategically run business”.
Any ideas on how to deploy this principles around the organization?
December 24th, 2009 at 1:28 pm
There are several ways to approach creating a strategically agile organization. The first is to have leaders role model the desired behaviors – getting clear on winning, staying focused on the right things – moving fast with flexibility and focus. The second is to make sure the organization is good at feedback to keep everyone engaged and aligned in achieving the objectives. Teach feedback skills at all levels. Make it a management routine to have regular one on ones with all direct reports. Creating a true feedback culture will increase accountability and ability to make decisions at an individual level that are aligned with the goals of the entire organization.
Great question and hope this helps!