STRATEGIC THINKING EXAMPLES
There’s a lot of talk about strategic thinking in the business community.
It’s of variable quality, arguable value (sometimes), sold by some as a dark art only safe in the hands of an elite few and definitely not easy to define. So, what is strategic thinking, when should the process be applied in the real world and how should you approach making it work to your advantage?
Many leaders confuse strategy with tactics and activity with thinking.
This confusion can kill.
STRATEGIC THINKING
The result of strategic thinking should enable leaders and their teams to reflect on multiple options about the future from the widest possible context.
Strategic thinking appreciates multiple stakeholder perspectives and gains crucial clarity and ownership around agreed business outcomes.
And armed with that clarity the team can plan what needs to be done - the ideal path towards achieving the outcomes.
TACTICAL THINKING
The result of tactical thinking is a gamble. That doesn’t make it wrong.
Many tactical choices have incredible results. They are small shots at success.
They tend to involve smaller groups or individual bets and the results are always highly valuable lessons.
Tactical actions tend to happen fast, lack rigour and wider ownership but they have a definite place in the leadership playbook.
HOW STRATEGIC THINKING HELPS
If you’re wondering how strategic thinking can help the overwhelmed, time-poor leader solve a challenge or get their businesses back on track, here are some examples of the how, and why it’s so important:
Thinking Strategically
Leaders and decision-makers will often confess they don’t know how to think strategically. When you peel away a few layers they have often overcomplicated their understanding of what it means.
It’s what drives many a leader to become tactical. (Often without realising it)
If you’re capable of solving a problem, any problem, you already know how to think strategically. Albert Einstein famously said, “If I had an hour to solve a problem, I'd spend 55 minutes thinking about the problem and five minutes thinking about the solution.”
And when it comes to whether to strategy or tactic - Carl von Clausewitz (1780-1831) put it brilliantly:
"Tactics is the art of using troops in battle; strategy is the art of using battles to win the war."
A Couple Of Examples Everyone Will Relate To
A restaurant wants to gain a Michelin Star. (A brand wants to win the elite industry award)
The owners of a chain of coffee shops want their brand to be the first name that’s mentioned when people talk about meeting up for coffee. (A business intends to be the market leader)
So.
The Question: By Einstein’s Method - “How must we think and work differently to earn a Michelin Star over the next 3-5 years?
Thinking Strategically - What is happening in our kitchens right now? What do we need to change in the running of our kitchens to increase quality and performance? Do our servers, chefs, and other staff communicate well with each other and align to make the best possible result? Do we have the right supply chain and partners? Do our teams need more opportunities to eat at our restaurant and get more passionate about our food? Are we listening to what our clients want? Are we communicating properly to our marketplace?
Does our head chef need more training or support? Is the experience of dining and the quality of our menu appropriate for our goal? Is there a unique twist that could set us apart from other, similar restaurants? Has our pastry chef become bored? What opportunities exist to make a difference to the quality and experience- what’s missing? What do we need to change right now, over the mid and long term and how do we operate together to make it happen?
And applying the Clausewitz clause - what tactics can we use to test some of the above and get under the skin of making changes happen at acceptable levels of risk?
The Question: By Einsteins Method - “How do we need to think and work to become the very first name mentioned when people talk about meeting up for coffee?
Thinking Strategically - What data and evidence do we have about our customers, their drivers, habits, needs, wants and aspirations. What is the competitive landscape within which we operate? What are the gaps in the market that we need insight on and that will improve our services and offers to our target audiences?
What’s different about our coffee? Do we need to add more coffee varieties? What channels are we using to communicate with our base? What routes to market are we using and what could we use to deepen the relationships with our clients - and new and future clients too?
Do we need to add other offerings? How do we prove the case to do any of this? What else could we give our customers that would make them want to return? Is it comfortable to have coffee in our cafes? Is there a way to move beyond ‘comfortable’ into amazing? Do our staff teams communicate well with each other and with our customers?
Do people enjoy working in our coffee shops? Do our teams care about our brand? What is our brand? Does our branding need to change? Is our brand respected? Is our culture appropriate for the times? Where have we become complacent? What can we offer our customers that no one else is offering? What’s our vision? How can we sustain our promise and ensure we stay ahead?
And applying the Clausewitz clause - what tactics can we use to test some of the above and get under the skin of making changes happen at acceptable levels of risk?
Yes, the tactic is a close ally to strategy.
IN SUMMARY
Put simply, strategic thinking allows the leaders and decision making teams at companies of every size to ask the questions that matter. They’re the ones that need to be asked and answered for the business to achieve its goals and fulfil its vision.
Strategic thinking programs take many forms but in order to succeed, must be engaging, inclusive, and conclusive. They should drive ownership through understanding and overcoming complex jargon and inflated methodology.
They must lead to renewed purpose and action, and they should inspire everyone in the team to enjoy taking responsibility for the changes.
Click above to find out how Group Partners apply Structured Visual Thinking™ and Framework Science to put the fun back into strategic thinking, with a clear and rapid timeline, collaborative, non-threatening approach, highly engaging workshops and online tools that lead to breakthroughs in all business challenges and across all teams.
