Robert ,
Your points are important and very relevant as the pace of change continues to accelerate and has made both strategic planning and strategic thinking much more dynamic. Procuring information that is both relevant and reliable is important and the "intuition" you refer to is also important. I believe that it is increasingly important to step back from day to day activities on a frequent basis to assess strategically where the organization is going and where energies are being focused. We are seeing transformative change in higher education and taking time to step back and assess how our thinking in relation to education models has to change to adapt and succeed in this rapidly changing environment I believe is imperative. As Abraham Lincoln said "as a leader no decision I make is wholly good or wholly bad." Our jobs as leaders is to make the best possible decision based upon all the information available to us. As you mentioned there are times where there is not a clear answer and we cannot be paralyzed in making a decision. The strategic thinking process just helps us make the most informed decision possible.
Dr. Blake Faulkner
Hi;
Learning to settle on "good enough" is not easy and slometimes flies against intuition and, of course, our learning template thru the years.
Bob
Bob,
Good point. I struggle with this myself at times. I think one of the challenges of administrative roles is that at times you do not have the time to dig deep into any one project or initiative. Many of us are wired for perfection!
Hope you are enjoying the course!
All the best,
Dr. Blake Faulkner
These are the steps I would follow to ensure that I apply strategic thinking:
1. Understand and clearly define the problem.
2. Get a broad perspective of the environment that surrounds you...and the problem.
3. Ask questions, observe, LISTEN...and then LISTEN again.
4. Challenge and always ask WHY after you asked WHY?
5. Collect data from diverse sources even if it seems irrelevant.
6. Identify various SMART courses of action.
7. Make a decision on which is best based on pros/cons and probable consequences.
8. Execute, follow-up, fine-tune, and change course if necessary to meet the objective (a solution).
Eric,
Good summary. In regards to point 5 I think it is essential to make sure that the integrity of data is sound so that you can make informed decisions. I think your point of making sure data and input is from a diverse set of sources and that input from key stakeholder groups is also important part of the strategic thinking process. Listening objectively is also an important element of strategic thinking. I think we all get locked in to our own perceptions based on our past experiences that we sometimes have to discipline our thought process to listen to other points of view. Do you have an example of when you have applied these steps?
Dr. Blake Faulkner
Strategic thinking is definitely a process, as much as strategic planning.
Harvey
Nice job on the listed steps these are some of the step that I would follow as well.
Troy
Kathy
That is a good points of practicing strategic thinking in every day life situations.
Troy,
What are the other steps you would follow in this regard?
Dr. Blake Faulkner
Strategic planning involves 3 critical steps. Being able to evaluate your company by researching alternatives and your competitors. Once you have done this, you can devise a strategy to map out what projects or steps that need to be taken to get your idea rolling. Lastly, you will have to prioritize your projects or steps and delegate the people that best fit the task.
Cynthia,
How do you best ensure you have explored all alternatives and come to the best decision?
Dr. Blake Faulkner
Yes, strategic thinking is also a process. How can we expect to strategically plan without thinking through the ideas/strategies in our plans? The process I follow includes:
-Brainstorming ideas
-Sharing brainstorm with others for feedback
-Thinking about both internal and external effects of the idea
-Researching possible solutions/plans
-Ask a successful peer
-Look at case studies or other documented
situations that are similar
-Take some chances and try different strategies before finalizing the strategic plan
-Implement the plan
-Follow up on each step of the plan
-Make changes if needed to plan
-Share successes with your team
I believe it to be a quite intricate process; one that entails establishing a desired end goal, processes and steps to achieve said goal, and clarity of communication to the team expected to deliver/take action on the set strategy. It would include knowing where one stands then, knowing their competition, understanding trade-offs will be necessary, seeing the big picture (including the organization and the competitive field), and how all of this aligns. Understanding the concept behind the strategy, and how it was developed is a key element of becoming an effective strategic thinker.
Erin,
Do you have an example you could share where you have used this process?
Dr. Blake Faulkner
Miguel,
How do you engage and collaborate with others in the strategic thinking process?
Dr. Blake Faulkner
Strategic thinking is definitely a process that conditions us to see above our daily immediate operations and offers us a broader insight to the bigger picture. As a leadership team we utilize the following steps to foster and develop stategic thinking: We begin by asking how we will impact other departments, what our long term goals are and how we will then structure our actions based on the end goal. Recently, when planning a major open house event for our campus, our leadership team developed strategies that enabled all functional areas to work together. We made strategic plans based on trends from student surveys and that afforded us the best choices of employers to invite to meet the needs of our students.
Strategic planning is a multifaceted process and needs to include a proper planning structure.
One item that is learned, as opposed to innate, proper planning procedure, inclusive of backward planning: Begin with the end product (aka goal, or "envisioning ideal world") and create a map via calendar or Gantt chart. Then move backward until you reach present day.
Good questions to ask are:
1. Who is needed and when?
2. How long will each individual or team need to complete their portion?
3. How is each step dependent on the preceding action?
4. Where do we, as a company, usually run into issues?
5. When are multiple departments working at the same time, and correspondingly, when are they working alone?
6. Is our timing appropriate and fair?
During this process, it is important to bring others into the planning and allow them to not only contribute, but to also air any possible issues that they may realize but are not apparent to all.
This not only allows people to understand a much larger, more holistic, picture, but it also helps many departments come together and truly function as a team.
Susie,
Good point. Having the "goal" or "the desired state" in mind is important in the strategic thinking process. Also,strategic thinking and coming the best plan of action requires the inputs from all stakeholders. It appears that you and your team have incorporated these important elements.
Dr. Blake Faulkner
Patricia,
Higher ed is highly interdependent in regards to one functional areas dependency on others. Retention is a good example in that everyone has the ability to support improvements in student persistence. You have layed out the strategic planning process here but what other important steps in the strategic "thinking" process?
Dr. Blake Faulkner
A great deal of what I have read lately on innovate companies that "think outside the box" is that they schedule time for free thinking. Google, Apple, etc.. I absolutely agree with the need to schedule the time.
My process involves
1. Schedule time to think about solutions to problems and chat with other folks/brainstorm
2.Researching internally from all angles- above, below, lateral, and outside the co.
3. Analyze the data
4. Formulate a plan
5. Ask the knowledge base/specialty folks why you couldn't do a certain thing. I prefer to do this part in person, casually.
6. Pilot
7. Recap and analyze the pilot project/make corrections
8. Implement again.
I do think sometimes people are reluctant to see and correct the flaws in a pilot. I see that within our own organization. The other participants who said strategic thinkers need to be courageous are spot on. If you don't challenge what doesn't make sense, then the real change happens very slowly.
Company leaders need to create a culture where questioning is accepted.
