Strategic thinking is not the same thing as critical thinking. While strategic thinking isnt just for the members of the board of directors anymore, you need to help your employees develop their ability to do it. Strategy in the simple sense of the word is a plan designed to achieve an objective and planning as we all know is the primary function of management that lays down the base for the entire business. Basil henry liddell hart, probably the foremost thinker on military strategy. Applied strategic thinking chicago state university. It is an essential management process to strategize and prepare for different odds.
Creative thinking means looking at something in a new way. Must be able to operationalize and implement the strategic imperatives and policies as allocated to the workunit into services, products and implementation frameworks in order to convert and implement strategic plans and policies in service delivery programs. Pdf strategic thinking skills course guidebook researchgate. We define the strategic leader as the individual whoregardless of role, position, or title. The numerous definitions which are presented for strategic thinking have paid attention to every aspect of this approach. Strategic thinking is defined as the individuals capacity for thinking conceptually, imaginatively, systematically, and opportunistically with regard to the attainment of success in the future.
The center for applied research gives the following definition of strategic thinking. In many respects, it is even more important than strategic planning. Good strategic thinking uncovers potential opportunities for creating value and. Leadership, innovation, strategic planning, strategic thinking, organization.
Strategic thinking is usually indirect and unexpected rather than headon and predictable. Strategic planning is the channeling of business insights into an action plan to achieve goals and objectives. Strategic thinking and planning world digital library. Strategic thinking is defined as a mental or thinking process applied by an individual in the context of achieving success in a game or other endeavor. What is strategic management, and why is it important. Strategic thinking is an extremely effective and valuable tool. Strategic management is the continuous planning, monitoring, analysis and assessment of all that is necessary for an organization to meet its goals and objectives. Heres a personal story and example from my work as a mortgage advisor. It includes strategic analysis, strategic planning, organization and control and even strategic. Strategic planning can produce several benefits, but there is no guarantee that it will. Definition of strategic thinking in the dictionary.
The typical problems practitioners have in formulating and articulating strategy. For porter, strategy means choosing a different set of activities to. Often, creativity in this sense involves what is called lateral thinking, or the ability to perceive patterns that are not obvious. Strategic thinking 25 weeks to better thinking and better living first steps to becoming a critical thinker by dr. Dear reader, there is a difference between doing something and doing it well. The literature on critical thinking has roots in two primary academic disciplines. Critical strategic thinking skills center for simplified. This reworking of the definition of strategic thinking is triggered by the.
By understanding some of the components involved, a leader can begin to create conversations around critical issues and foster a shared understanding of who we are, where we are going, and. Strategic thinking and subsequent management must result in action. Luckily, asking the right questions, having new experiences and listening to other perspectives ignites strategic thinking. Encourage strategic thinking with these exercises skillpath. Strategic thinking is characterized by an allpervasive unwillingness to expend resources. To think strategically means to see and understand the bigger picture of what the organization.
Here is a short listing of desirable things that people would want for the future of their organizations. Strategic thinking is a process that defines the manner in which people think about, assess, view, and create the future for themselves and others. Before proceeding in the analysis, it is imperative to define the strategy concept. Strategic thinking defined greg githens, executive.
Strategic thinking is the synthesis of thinking critically, systemically, creatively, and requires historical analysis. Instead, strategic planning is a leadership tool meant to enhance strategic thinking, acting, and learning. A rigorous process for navigating strategic decisions can mitigate errors and improve judgment. Strategic management is a tool for introducing concepts and approaches, but, the introduction of strategic thinking by its definition is difficult because of the conceptual complexity in this approach. Occupational and environmental health nurses must be able to think strategically and creatively to implement organizational change initiatives. Thinking give a more noteworthy open door for organizations to plan and arrange business activities to succeed, accordingly, this study seeks to define the role of strategic thinking on high. Strategic management is a tool for introducing concepts and approaches, but, the introduction of strategic thinking by its definition is difficult because of the.
The environment is explained in theoretical and practical terms, and the implications for strategic thinking are developed with a distinction being made between strategy and planning mindsets. Strategic thinking extends both to the formulation and execution of strategies by business leaders and to the strategic performance of the total enterprise. Strategic planning whenever the word strategic is uttered, most people think of planning rather than thinking. Strategic thinking is better thought of as a style of thinking and not confused with organizational techniques or processes e. Today, cultural thinking has to cut across cultures because as a global society, we have shifted our strategic thinking as being connected across boundaries, to the point where some even use global languages 16. Over the years, large organizations have relegated strategic plans to the planning department and inadvertently created a. Pdf there is no agreement in the literature on what strategic thinking is, what strategic planning is, or on the nature of their interrelationship find, read and cite all the research you. To define strategy one must research its greek derivative strategos, which means. Strategic thinking entails an element of risk to push the boundaries as well as long term commitment. Strategic thinking is defined as the generation and application of business.
Strategic thinking and strategic management strategic planning is only useful if it supports strategic thinking and leads to strategic management and, even more importantly, execution. What is strategic management definition and features. This means continuing improvement in strategic planning has profoundly changed the character of strategic planning so that it is now more. By definition, strategic thinking has an orientation towards success in the future see the first article in this blog for the definition of strategic thinking. Jagdish sheth, a respected authority on marketing and strategic planning, provides. Strategic thinking and its approaches textroad journals.
Strategic thinking and planning in a learning culture. To be a successful mortgage professional, it is critical to have working relationships with quality local realtors so they refer you home buyers. Before determining an ecosystem strategy, organizations must first shift to a new perspective and way of thinking. We set out to be ethical at work, and we hope that in pivotal moments we will rise to the occasion. It is the very definition of thinking outside the box. Strategic learning in an organization is driven by strategic thinking 15 and is part of a learning culture. Information and translations of strategic thinking in the most comprehensive dictionary definitions resource on the web. First, the term strategic thinking has become a business buzz phrase, so it can mean different things to different people. A strategist is always looking for opportunities to win at low or, better yet, no cost. Relying on a framework such as the star model to guide the process can. The better we plan, the more secure our future will be.
A key distinction between strategic thinking and strategic planning is that the former occurs on a regular basis, as part of our daily. The ability to come up with effective plans in line with an organizations objectives within a particular economic situation. In contrasting strategic thinking from strategic planning, minzberg argues that both need different types of thinking. Strategic thinking focuses on finding and developing unique opportunities to create value by enabling a provocative and creative dialogue among people who can affect an organisations direction, i. One can apply strategic thinking to arrive at decisions that can be related to your work or personal life. Strategic surprisingly, here there is ready agreement. Strategic management is a broader term than strategy and is a process that includes top managements analysis of the environment in which the organization operates prior to formulat ing a strategy, as well as the plan for implementation and control of the strategy. Strategic planning is a systematic programme which develops an action plan using preidentified strategies. These sentiments are echoed by two other leading theorists in the field, prahalad and hamel 1989, who describe traditional approaches to planning as form filling. Develop your critical and strategic thinking skills to advance your career with free courses from top schools. They refer to strategic thinking as crafting strategic architecture but. Pdf strategic thinking and strategic planning are concepts that are not clearly defined both in the literature and in the practice of business. The strategic thinking institute is the worldwide leader in strategic thinking, planning, and execution development with more than 200 resources to help your team set strategy, grow profits, and create advantage. Strategic thinking focuses on finding and developing unique opportunities to create value by enabling a provocative and creative dialogue among people who can affect a companys direction.
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