Strategy development is not a “cookbook” process. It is a challenging, heuristic task that requires strategic thinking. Strategic thinking involves several traits:
- The ability to use consistent definitions of planning terms and to understand their distinctions;
- Awareness of the distinctions between project planning and strategic planning;
- The ability to discuss and describe items in plans at the appropriate “strategic altitude”;
- Awareness of the dynamic system effects in organizations, such as delays and feedback;
- The openness to new ideas and encouragement of creativity and innovation;
- The openness of the planning process to a team of employees of various ranks and functions;
- The degree to which alternative strategies and scenarios are considered;
- The linkage of strategic planning to budgeting;
- The ability to write and speak with clarity and simplicity.
Evidence for the degree of strategic thinking can be found in the organization’s strategic planning documents.
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