One of the most useful tools for good strategy analysis is systems thinking. There was a time when strategic planning was done by the biggest companies, and those who lead change. Planning is a process in which long term goals are transformed into short term tasks and objectives. Some time is reserved for participants to map out their own strategies. It provides a basis for monitoring progress and for results. Strategic management thinking and practice in the public sector. Strategic planning is heavily criticised in some of the business strategy literature. Design thinking expresses itself through common and familiar modes, mediums, traits and artifacts such as sketching, mapping, model making, prototyping, anima tions and dramatizations that can give form and meaning to design thinking. Design thinking expresses itself through common and familiar modes, mediums, traits and artifacts such as sketching, mapping, model making, prototyping, anima tions and dramatizations that can give form and meaning to. Strategic planning with critical success factors and future. In my next article, ill look a little more closely at some kinds of processes that we can think about when using systems thinking to assess our strategy. Strategic planning is an application of strategic thinking that involves teams, organizations or communities. Your organization is using strategic thinking if it can look at the past and present, take the best from both, and decide what course to take for the future 3. When applied in an organizational strategic management process, strategic thinking involves the.
It can create a shared vision, with concrete ideas about how to surmount obstacles in order to achieve. The analysis indicates that strategic management in the public. Systems thinking and strategic planning in healthcare. Like the ancient chinese curse, i got what i wished foran opportunity to enter a young company clean and start a strategic. T profile conducted by the team of strategic thinkers relative to the current status. This is a reformatted manuscript that was originally published in on the horizon, 1994, 23, 34. Dec 28, 2006 if strategic thinking respects operational planning, it is the case that strategic planning has a tendency to merge with the dictates of operational necessity. While strategic planning is upward focused, looking at ensuring how tactics link up to corporate goals and strategies, strategic thinking is downward focused. In this thinkers guide, we focus on some of the basic facts about thinking, and present them, we hope, in a useable way. An important concept of strategic planning is an understanding that in order for the community to flourish, everyone needs to work to ensure the teams. Even board members, who are supposed to be keeping managers honest about strategy, fall into it. This belief, in turn, rests on the assumptions that prediction is possible and that the strategymaking process can be formalized.
Without strategic planning, businesses simply drift, and are always reacting to the pressure of the day. By identifying basic trends and uncertainties, a manager. Leo wiltshire is an experienced leader who has more than twentyfive years of experience working in various management positions with varying levels of responsibility. Strategic thinking free download as powerpoint presentation. Skill in planning and implementing self and organisational change to enhance strategic thinking the six ps of strategic thinking putting it. Role of strategic thinking in business planning business. For many business owners and leaders, creating a vision, company values, and a strategic plan can. For our purposes, we will define planning as the activity of preparing a plan and we will define a plan as. A key distinction between strategic thinking and strategic planning is that the former occurs on a regular basis, as part of our daily activities, while the latter occurs periodically quarterly, semiannually or annually.
This is because, at the mba level, it is not sufficient to know about the subject it is necessary to be able to apply ideas in order to carry out strategic analysis of real problems. Th e practice has become widespread for many reasons, but the chief one is the evidence that strategic planning typically works, and often works extremely well. Strategic thinking is a way of understanding the fundamental drivers of a business and rigorously and playfully challenging conventional thinking about them. Strategic planning provides inputs for strategic thinking, which guides the actual strategy formation. Strategic plan ning, he argues, is an analytical process aimed at programming already identified strategies. The litany of indictments against the types of planning processes in place at most large multinational firms is. However, with the fast changing landscape the 21st century it is more critical than ever before that clear thinking is present in order to ensure we take the necessary action and make it. What is strategic thinking 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. Ignore strategic thinking, and your organization may become history. At the individual level, it is useful to adapt strategic planning tools and technique to ones own job and position. Planning has been defined in various ways, ranging from thinking about the future to specifying in advance who is to do what when. Some people think this means you have to treat your business like a computer program, but really its simply a way to think through all of the connections that affect your business.
Strategic planning is an organizations process of defining its strategy, or direction, and making decisions on allocating resources to pursue this strategy. When applied in an organizational strategic management process, strategic thinking involves the generation and. The development of this strategic plan has required. Humphrey institute of public affairs and associate. Know the benefits of strategic planning a manager should be able to outline the benefits of strategic planning to others. Strategic thinking is a powerful and invaluable skill, one that leads to greater chances of success in whatever professional and personal projects youre involved in. Strategic thinking scenario planning economies scribd. Strategic planning is a technical fix that gets at only part of the question of organizational effectiveness and only deals with some of the dilemmas of organizations. Thinking about the future is a stimulating and energizing process. To maintain their organizations competitive edge, leaders at all levels of an organization need to evaluate and prioritise work, according to strategic goals. If you would like to learn more about strategic thinking please listen to my webinar by clicking here.
Schoemaker among the many tools a manager can use for strategic planning, sce narjo planning stands out for its ability to capture a whole range. Strategic planning tenstep guide the importance of planning planning is a critical component of good business and good management of business. Design thinking for creativity and business innovation series. Sixthly, strategic planning and strategic thinking have to sustain each other in order to contribute in an effective manner to the deployment of the strategic management process. Strategic thinking and strategic planning the daily. A sensible alternative is a well tested process called strategic planning which is a. Participants will become familiar with a six step strategic planning process and swot analysis. In order to incorporate strategic thinking into planning processes, however, we must recognize three discrete aspects of the process.
In the face of such realities, the notion of strategic thinking emerges to fill the gaps and overcome the limitations that experience with strategic planning has proven to exhibit. With so many legal and character attacks waiting in the wings, we have to plan. Liedtka b ashing traditional approaches to strategic planning has become the favoured pasttime of lead ing business authors on both sides of the atlantic. Strategic planning is the cornerstone of every commoninterest community. Thinking and planning strategically at the personal level requires similar inputs, questions, and approach, and develops your capacity to participate in planning. Thinking often requires communica tion that differs from other cultures and disciplines. Bryson is associate professor of planning and public affairs in the hubert h. A strategic planning process for public and nonprofit. Leadership and organizational strategy the innovation journal. Comprehensive strategic thinking planning workshop results october 2014 version 1. It is typically conducted every 35 years to help groups grow and continually evolve to address changing needs.
Strategic planning can produce several benefits, but there is no guarantee that it will. This attempt to define strategic thinking as some kind of new and improved version of strategic planning leads to considerable confusion in attempting to elucidate the full implications of strategic thinking in its purest sense. We recommend this as an excellent guide to all strategic planning processes. Whats the strategic in strategic thinking and planning. This article describes the characteristics of strategic thinking and planning. It lays out a series of strategic questions, recommendations, and strategic options. Use strategic thinking well and your organization can make history. Strategic planning edinburgh business school v using the course package it is widely accepted that strategic planning is extremely difficult to teach effectively. Strategic thinking and strategic planning the daily reckoning. Unlike the additional work that is created by the process of strategic planning, we can. Strategic planning is an organizations process of defining its strategy, or direction, and making. Systems thinking and strategic planning in healthcare the. With strategic thinking skills, youll get a simple and comprehensive.
The importance of strategic planning practical decisions. Instead, strategic planning is a leadership tool meant to enhance strategic thinking, acting, and learning. Strategic thinking and planning training courses dubai. Thinking and planning strategically at the personal level requires similar inputs, questions, and approach, and develops your capacity to participate in planning efforts for teams and higherlevel entities. Strategic planning and thinking in todays world, flying by the seat of your pants, is no longer acceptable. Skill in organisational diagnosis related to strategic thinking 3. Strategic thinking represents the vision of the analysis, the direction that the business should pursue. T hroughout my 17 years as an executive in various hospitals and healthcare systems, systems thinking has become an increasingly important element in my work. Leaders of business must be looking ahead, anticipating change, and developing a strategy to proactively and successfully navigate through the turbulence created by change. Strategic thinking and planning in a learning culture. Strategic thinking, on the other hand, is a synthesizing. Strategic thinking is the synthesis of the analysis done during the strategic planning process. This paper suggests that it may be time to reconnect leadership and management within the context of strategic thinking, planning, and doing.
Without strategic planning, the community will never know where it is goingmuch less know if it ever got there. Strategic thinking basically means an organization is thinking how to better position itself among its competition for future success 2. Recently, i had the opportunity to leave the hospital sector and become president of a homecare company. Jun 17, 2005 strategic thinking is a more comprehensive planning model that covers innovation, strategic planning and operational planning. Mar 03, 2014 strategic thinking and planning strategic thinking basically means an organization is thinking how to better position itself among its competition for future success 2. We must begin to analyze our thinking, assess our thinking, improve our thinking. Strategic thinking and planning strategic planning. Strategic thinking and planning are now essential elements of an effective leaders work. The ability to critically selfreflect on ones own strategic thinking behaviours 4. Clarity strategic planning isnt planning for contingencies.
Fifthly, strategic planning guides companys direction whereas strategic thinking strategic thinking makes foresights about the future olson and simerson, 2015. For our purposes, we will define planning as the activity of. Strategic thinking 1 strategic thinking 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. Ian wilson in the lead article argues convincingly that in this period of rapid change we should shift from strategic planning to strategic thinking and. Focuses on finding and developing unique opportunities to create value for the organization takes into account. Introduction strategy has never been more challenging, or more important, than in todays environment of global competition, in which, corporate strategies must transcend the borders of nations and markets. Companies that dont plan have exponentially higher rates of failure than those that plan and implement well. It is posted here with permission from jossey bass publishers. Strategic thinking and innovation the defining aspect of competition. Centro san vicente strategic thinking planning project comprehensive strategic thinking planning workshop results october 2014 version 1. The course goes beyond the strategic planning approach and introduces the systems thinking concept. In this course, we will cover the 7 steps of the strategy management process, starting with the thinking components of strategy, moving into the planning components and ending with execution.
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