Shannon,
Very good thoughts. One item I would suggest in many circumstances is to get the other functional area stakeholders involved in the beginning so that they are part of the process. Not always possible but when possible typically leads to better solution and greater buy in. Great example of allowing time for folks to think strategically and step back from the urgent needs of the day.Also very good point that a collaborative culture requires leadership that is comfortable in allowing people to ask why? and how could we do this better?
Dr. Blake Faulkner
Dr. Faulkner:
Within the scope of my leadership, I always try to conduct an event/project recap, which includes: What went well, what didn't, what should be change for next time... I typically have someone gather the data that is not in an authority position, which I feel helps people be more free with opinions.
When sharing feedback above/outside the scope of my leadership, I try to say directly to whomever the project manager is what I like and what I have found that we may need to change. I find the feedback is received better via telephone that it is via email. However, sometimes your input isn't heard and you have to be brave and go around a potential roadblock. That final step can be scary, but as long as the feedback is given a polite and objective fashion, it usually works.
Problems can come up if the culture doesn't encourage questioning and you don't have a lot of brave souls on your ship.
I do believe that strategic thinking is a process. Each process needs specific steps and in those "steps" are areas of opportunity. When thinking about strategic planning, I believe it is important to:
*determine what outcome is desired
*determine who is best suited to accomplish each goal
*determine potential obstacles that may hinder success
*determine a date of implementation
*put plan in motion
*check behind yourself as plan is in motion
*look for areas of opportunity during the plan
*debrief at the end of the process for areas of improvement
Hi margarita,
Thank you for sharing. I agree that you can make a bigger difference in your company if you know the bigger vision that the company has. I also feel that there are times when the corporate level will not necessarily give you that information due to the reaction that some will perceive from changes. I feel that leaders need to be adept to change and that we need to not only have an overall vision for the company, but also for our teams, etc. If we can have our own vision that coincides with the company vision, we can than move towards success...
Chuck,
How does this work at your institution?
Dr. Blake Faulkner
Chuck,
You mentioned that "sometimes corporate level will not necessarily give information due to reaction some will perceive from changes." Can you clarify a bit more on what kind of reactions you are talking about that prohibit vision from being shared broadly?
Dr. Blake Faulkner
