5 Behaviours That Develop Strategic Thinking

Strategic thinking: Long thought to be a practice reserved for leaders. Yet, recent research points to the benefits that come from developing the skill across all levels of an organisation. Here are 5 Behaviours That Develop Strategic Thinking.

Many organisations fail to involve employees in strategic thinking. Typically, these organisations are top-heavy and there exists an unspoken belief that only high-level executives are capable of it. But recent research by analysts Carroll and Mui show the importance of strategic thinking at all levels of the organisation.

There is power in strategic thinking. Used effectively, it can give an organisation a competitive advantage. And best of all, it is available to everyone.

In our work with clients, we’ve found that a lot of businesspeople still confuse strategic planning with strategic thinking. And while these two concepts may be interlinked, they not interchangeable.

Strategic planning is about process. Usually, it involves some kind of visual mapping technique, which helps participants to define a current state, and thereafter an envisioned or desired state. Identification of the gaps between these two states is translated into strategic actions or tasks. Taken up by individual members or teams, this is how strategy is implemented.

Strategic thinking, on the other hand, is not a process. It is a series of psychological states – cognitive, emotional and behavioural.

When the behaviours that support strategic thinking are developed within an organisation, decisionmaking improves. As does problem-solving and the ability to identify opportunities, often with innovative ideas in tow.

These are just some of the benefits that come from advancing the practice of strategic thinking among your people. Now let’s look at the behaviours that actually develop it.

5 Behaviours That Develop Strategic Thinking

Open minded

An open mind is an enquiring mind. In early childhood development, the primary question children ask is ‘why?’ As they seek to understand the world around them, these ‘why’ questions help children to set their perspectives and shape their realities. We can learn a lot, simply by opening ourselves to more enquiry.

But in developing open-mindedness, it is important that we drop any sense of expectation in a specific outcome. The open mind is objective, free of judgement and not attached to any single outcome. It seeks, simply, to arrive at a new understanding.

Unafraid to argue

From the time of Socrates, argument has served as the means for establishing a position or theory. A mark of a strong strategic thinker is critical thinking – how a person builds up or tears down the logic of an argument.

But many organistions avoid debate. There is a fear that a lack of consensus will derail strategy and strategy execution. But some of the most constructive discussions about strategy actually stem from debate. With mutual respect among participants, opinions can be challenged, points of view can be sharpened, and decisions can be reached through rigorous inquiry.

Too much unanimity should be seen as a red flag. So, open the floor to differing points of view, and listen. You’re sure to learn something new.

Adaptive

Strategic thinking involves being able to think on multiple levels and in different time frames. Let’s take an example. At the start of a strategy session a question like the following might be asked, ‘How might we operate as a business a year from now, working entirely remotely?’ To provide an answer, we have to identify what the business is trying to accomplish, as well as what has to happen within a given time frame in order to get there.

This requires an adaptive approach, essentially stepping back and taking a long-range view of the problem. From this perspective, we can think ahead, and think systematically. But it requires flexibility, as we switch between imaginative and pragmatic thinking. It takes practice, but being adaptive is a useful behaviour when facing uncertainty.

Assimilative

This behaviour speaks to our ability to absorb information and interpret it logically. Typically, strategy elicits complex and sometimes conflicting information. A strategic thinker has the ability to assimilate this kind of information and then synthesize it. The process may involve deconstructing the information, and reconstructing it such a way that it offers a fresh, new perspective.

This is the part many refer to as ‘out of the box’ thinking. Essentially, it’s about identifying patterns, pushing through ambiguity, and creating a new platform for decisionmaking, based on realisation.

Playful

Strategy is serious. But that doesn’t mean people can’t have fun with it. In fact, there’s a lot of research substantiating the link between structured play and improved workplace outcomes.

Google has long been known to integrate play into its culture. And with good reason: play boosts energy, facilitates creativity and helps people to ‘drop the mask’.

When play is introduced, people become less inhibited and self-conscious. Through play, the space for idea generation is made psychologically safe. This is especially useful in strategy sessions, when a playful approach can lead to greater participation and more creative problem-solving. So, bring out the colouring crayons and the Lego, play is hereby approved!

Developing your company’s collective strategic thinking demands two steps: First, the mental shift from seeing it as an exclusive skill and instead, seeing it as a skill for everyone. And second, driving the right behaviours to make it happen.