Recently, I was asked to teach a class on strategic thinking for employees at all levels, not just leaders. There are a lot of moving parts to this. In this issue we’ll present an overall framework for strategic thinking and in later issues we’ll explore some of the elements in more detail.
A strategic thinker is someone who takes time to look out to the horizon, beyond the day to day demands of the workplace. They look for alignment between their work and the mission and goals of their organization. They also look at relationships from a strategic perspective – “how can I be of assistance to others… and how can they help me”, again, beyond the day to day routine. Strategic thinkers see others as stakeholders – people who have a stake in what they do and why they do it. They also see themselves as having a stake in the work of others around them.
From this vantage point, collaboration makes a lot more sense than competition. Therefore Emotional Intelligence is another key competence for a strategic thinker (see EI article in this newsletter).
Strategic thinkers also need to find a balance between:
- analytical and intuitive thinking
- working on their own and working collaboratively
- focusing on the now and on the future
- focusing on their own work and the goals of the organization
- immediate details and broader connections
Finally, strategic thinkers need a wide range of skills in order to move from “thinking” to “action”. These include skills related to: interpersonal communication, problem solving, facilitating change, conflict resolution, managing risk, working in teams, and developing and managing action plans. We’ll address many of these in future issues.
Feel free to add your views or ask specific questions in the comment are below or email me.