Jay shri krishna
LKrishna THINKING
To become a better strategic thinker able to formulate and implement plans that will achieve the desired objective, take the following guidelines to heart:
Break Down the Issue
The first step in strategic thinking is to break down an issue into smaller, more
manageable parts so that you can focus on them more effectively. How you do it
is not as important as just doing it. You might break an issue down by function.
That’s what automotive innovator Henry Ford did when he created the assembly
line, and that’s why he said, “Nothing is particularly hard if you divide it into
small jobs.”
How you break down an issue is up to you, whether it’s by function,
timetable, responsibility, purpose, or some other method. The point is that you
need to break it down. Only one person in a million can juggle the whole thing
in his head and think strategically to create solid, viable plans.
Ask Why Before How
When most people begin using strategic thinking to solve a problem or plan a
way to meet an objective, they often make the mistake of jumping the gun and
trying immediately to figure out how to accomplish it. Instead of asking how, they should first ask why. If you jump right into problem solving mode, how are
you going to know all the issues?
Eugene G. Grace says, “Thousands of engineers can design bridges, calculate
strains and stresses, and draw up specifications for machines, but the great
engineer is the man who can tell whether the bridge or the machine should be
built at all, where it should be built, and when.” Asking why helps you to think
about all the reasons for decisions. It helps you to open your mind to possibilities
and opportunities. The size of an opportunity often determines the level of
resources and effort that you must invest. Big opportunities allow for big
decisions. If you jump to how too quickly, you might miss that.
Identify the Real Issues and Objectives
William Feather, author of The Business of Life, said, “Before it can be solved,
a problem must be clearly defined.” Too many people rush to solutions, and as a
result they end up solving the wrong problem. To avoid that, ask probing
questions to expose the real issues. Challenge all of your assumptions. Collect
information even after you think you’ve identified the issue. (You may still have
to act with incomplete data, but you don’t want to jump to a conclusion before
you gather enough information to begin identifying the real issue.) Begin by
asking, What else could be the real issue? You should also remove any personal
agenda. More than almost anything else, that can cloud your judgment.
Discovering your real situation and objectives is a major part of the battle. Once
the real issues are identified, the solutions are often simple.
Review Your Resources
I already mentioned how important it is to be aware of your resources, but it
bears repeating. A strategy that doesn’t take into account resources is doomed to
failure.
Take an inventory. How much time do you have? How much money?
What kinds of materials, supplies, or inventory do you have? What are your
other assets? What liabilities or obligations will come into play? Which people
on the team can make an impact? You know your own organization and
profession. Figure out what resources you have at your disposal.
Develop Your Plan
How you approach the planning process depends greatly on your profession
and the size of the challenge that you’re planning to tackle, so it’s difficult to
recommend many specifics. However, no matter how you go about planning,
take this advice: start with the obvious. When you tackle an issue or plan that
way, it brings unity and consensus to the team, because everyone sees those
things. Obvious elements build mental momentum and initiate creativity and
intensity. The best way to create a road to the complex is to build on the
fundamentals.
Put the Right People in the Right Place
It’s critical that you include your team as part of your strategic thinking.
Before you can implement your plan, you must make sure that you have the right
people in place. Even the best strategic thinking won’t help if you don’t take into
account the people part of the equation. Look at what happens if you
miscalculate:
Wrong Person: Problems instead of Potential
Wrong Place: Frustration instead of Fulfillment
Wrong Plan: Grief instead of Growth
Everything comes together, however, when you put together all three
elements: the right person, the right place, and the right plan.
Keep Repeating the Process
My friend Olan Hendrix remarked, “Strategic thinking is like showering, you
have to keep doing it.” If you expect to solve any major problem once, you’re in
for disappointment. Little things can be won easily through systems and personal
discipline. But major issues need major strategic thinking time. What Thane Yost
said is really true: “The will to win is worthless if you do not have the will to
prepare.” If you want to be an effective strategic thinker, then you need to
become a continuous strategic thinker.
As I was working on this chapter, I came across an article in my local
paper on the celebration of the Jewish Passover and how millions of
American Jews read the order of service for their Seder, or Passover meal,
from a small booklet produced by Maxwell House Coffee. For more than
seventy years, the coffee company has produced the booklet, called a
Haggada, and during those years it has distributed more than 40 million
copies of it.
“I remember using them all my life,” said Regina Witt, who is in her fifties.
So does her mother, who is almost ninety. “It’s our tradition. I think it would be
very strange not to use them.”
So how did Maxwell House come to supply the booklets? It was the result of
strategic thinking. Eighty years ago, marketing man Joseph Jacobs advised that
the company could sell coffee during Passover if the product were certified
Kosher by a rabbi. And then Jacobs suggested that if they gave away the Haggada
booklets, they could increase sales.
They’ve been creating the booklets—and
selling coffee during Passover—ever since. That’s what can happen when you
unleash the power of strategic thinking.
Thinking Question
Am I implementing strategic plans that give me direction for today and
increase my potential for tomorrow?
Jay shri krishna
LKrishna THINKING
Contact MAIL. lkrishna.htat@gmail.com
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