Following the Steps! Or Not?
We know that strategic planning is a process, but is strategic thinking also a process? If so, please identify the steps you would follow to ensure that strategic thinking occurs?
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
Chuck,
How does this work at your institution?
Dr. Blake Faulkner
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...
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
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.
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
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.
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
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
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.
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.
Miguel,
How do you engage and collaborate with others in the strategic thinking process?
Dr. Blake Faulkner
Erin,
Do you have an example you could share where you have used this process?
Dr. Blake Faulkner
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.
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
Cynthia,
How do you best ensure you have explored all alternatives and come to the best decision?
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.
Troy,
What are the other steps you would follow in this regard?
Dr. Blake Faulkner
Kathy
That is a good points of practicing strategic thinking in every day life situations.
