Strategic thinking and planning world digital library. The distinction of strategic planning and strategic thinking therefore leaves many confused on which one to prioritize on. 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. Strategic thinking is an extremely effective and valuable tool.
The thinkers guide to the art of strategic thinking 25 weeks to better thinking and better living first steps to becoming a critical thinker by dr. Strategic thinking without strategic planning management will cannibalize itself in a quest for structure and process. Strategic planning is the channeling of business insights into an action plan to achieve goals and objectives. Strategic thinking, on the other hand, is a synthesizing. While you want to avoid using strategic planning in place of strategic thinking, the planning phase is integral to the implementation of strategy.
Instead, strategic planning is a leadership tool meant to enhance strategic thinking, acting. Difference between strategic planning and strategic. Contact think strategic to assist with your strategic thinking and strategic planning. Critical strategic thinking skills center for simplified. Strategic thinking or strategic planning loizos heracleous.
Leadership, innovation, strategic planning, strategic thinking, organization. Strategic planning whenever the word strategic is uttered, most people think of planning rather than thinking. The ongoing nature of strategic thinking and the impact it has on the planning process. Strategic thinking informs strategic planningmanagement. Whats the difference between strategic thinking and. On the contrary, strategic management is an actionoriented activity. Strategic thinking defined greg githens, executive. Leadership, innovation, strategic planning, strategic thinking. System thinking is integral thinking of analytics and synthesis. Liedtka b ashing traditional approaches to strategic planning has become the favoured pasttime of lead ing business authors on both sides of the atlantic. A sensible alternative is a well tested process called strategic planning which is a. This paper disentangles the relationship between the terms strategic thinking and strategic planning as found in the literature, identifying four main varieties of this relationship. Strategic planning activity uses management by plans, whereas strategic management process uses management by results.
More and more, organizations are learning that past experiences are not always the best basis for developing future strategies. Strategic thinking is defined as the individuals capacity for thinking conceptually, imaginatively, systematically, and opportunistically with regard to the attainment of success in the future. At the end of the day, strategic thinking without strategic planning results in a continuing quest for structure and process, whereas strategic planning without strategic thinking results in a lifeless process of goal setting and measuring objectives that arent. When strategy struggles to see beyond three years, nothing is midrange any more. Strategic planning is not a substitute for strategic thinking, acting, and learning, or for leadership.
Use strategic thinking when planning and making decisions about things that potentially have. For our purposes, we will define planning as the activity of. Strategic thinking versus strategic planning strathmore. Pdf there is no agreement in the literature on what strategic thinking is, what strategic planning is, or on the nature of their interrelationship. The litany of indictments against the types of planning processes in place at most large multinational firms is. The strategic planning is an analytical activity because it is related to the thinking. Both strategic management and strategic planning are keys to business success in any industry, but few know the difference between the two. A strategy or general plan of action might be formulated for broad, longterm, corporate goals and objectives, for more specific business unit goals and objec. Strategic planning is an organizations process of defining its strategy, or direction, and making decisions on allocating resources to pursue this strategy.
Strategic planning versus strategic thinking strategic planning is about a linear process and set of steps where there is a defined start and end and multiple short term goals. In many respects, it is even more important than strategic planning. Planning has been defined in various ways, ranging from thinking about the future to specifying in advance who is to do what when. Head of business planning strategic planning directorate, qatar. Rather than a division between creative and strategic thinking, the worlds most agile companies understand that the key to successful problem solving, design and innovation is, in fact, a symbiotic interplay between strategic creativity and creative strategy. Strategic thinking and planning in a learning culture. This paper presents an integration of leadership roles for innovation by focus on strategic thinking and planning in an effort to make important connections and important distinctions. I thought strategic planning is done by strategic thinking but no. In working with our clients, we find that most have a relatively strong understanding and appreciation for the value of strategic planningmanagement. Strategic thinking can provide the right direction, but actual goal achievement takes place due to strategic planning. When used in tandem, strategic management and planning create a comprehensive set of procedures that will govern the future decisions of the business. Strategic thinking vs strategic planning linkedin slideshare. Strategic thinking basically means an organization is thinking how to better position itself among its competition for future success 2. It combines the highest quality content with a unique design focused on putting learning into.
Strategic planning without strategic thinking will digress into a sluggish and lifeless process of setting goals and measuring objectives. Pdf an organizations strategy consists of many factors that form a formula or road map to provide. Strategic planning, then, stresses the importance of making decisions that will ensure your organizations ability to successfully respond to changes in the environment. With this compressing of the strategic time horizon, we have quit talking about midterm planning, which was still a common phrase in corporate life 15 years ago. Strategic thinking and strategic planning the daily. The difference notice that the main difference between these definitions is the timing. Strategic planning alike, who argue that strategic planning only serves to take the established and make it marginally better.
To think strategically means to see and understand the bigger picture of what the organization is, where it needs to go, and how it will get there. Graetz, strategic thinking and planning are distinct, but interrelated and complementary thought processes that must sustain and support one another for effective strategic management. 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. Strategic management and strategic planning are both incredibly important aspects of organizational management. Strategic thinking is better thought of as a style of thinking and not confused with organizational techniques or processes e. Strategic planning and strategic thinking are two distinct thinking modes, and strategic thinking should precede strategic planning according to this view, planning cannot produce strategies because it is a programmatic.
It is a reality in business today that strategic thinking and execution of strategic planning is proving to be a challenge among many leaders. This paper disentangles the relationship between the terms strategic thinking and strategic planning as found in the literature. Further examination of the literature on the difference between strategic thinking and strategic planning provides little clarity. Strategic thinking is a planning process that applies innovation, strategic planning, and operational planning to develop business strategies that have a greater chance for success. Systems thinking look at things by looking at the whole, where the parts are never as important and should always work to benefit the whole. Strategic planning is often associated with a programmatic, analytical thought process, whereas strategic thinking refers to a creative, divergent thought process. Finally it presents the expected findings from two case studies department of educational leadership, college of education, of applications of the. A key distinction between strategic thinking and strategic planning is that the former occurs on a regular basis, as part of our daily. From what i understand, strategic thinking answers the what do we do question while strategic planning answers the how do we do question. Strategic thinking informs strategic planning, whereas strategic planning gives voice, action, and structure to strategic thinking.
Where strategic management is a longterm plan for the future, applied strategic thinking considers the future from the next few seconds to however long the concept will be relevant. Execution planning in reality, eff ective strategic planning requires two very diff erent ongoing processes and teams if youre going to generate the kinds of results worthy of the eff ort that goes into a serious planning process. Strategic thinking versus strategic planning strategic. Thinking and planning strategically only works to facilitate agile decisionmaking when you have a clear understanding of how to consistently implement each concept. Presented by dr terrie temkin from corestrategies4nonprofits. There is no agreement in the literature on what strategic thinking is, what strategic planning is, or on the nature of their interrelationship. Strategic planningmanagement gives voice, action and structure to strategic thinking. Strategic planning and strategic management are both important for the organization as they help in formulating the goals to be achieved and help in a more concentrated approach towards the fulfillment of that goal. The paper first describes the difference between strategic planning and strategic thinking, and then describes an intervention the strategic thinking protocol to guide higher education change. In an environment characterised by flux and uncertainty, a capacity for innovative, divergent strategic thinking rather than conservative, convergent strategic planning is seen as central to creating and sustaining competitive advantage. Strategic planning involves the identification of actions to be taken. By creating this type of structured operation, businesses are able to improve their efficiency, reduce their expenses, and consolidate.
The difference between strategic planning and strategic. This process has worked over and over again for me in facilitating talent development firms to create their strategic plans. Strategic thinking and strategic management strategic planning is only useful if it supports strategic thinking and leads to strategic. Systems thinking, design thinking, strategic thinking. Strategy refers to a general plan of action for achieving ones goals and objectives. Strategic thinking is a process that defines the manner in which people think about, assess, view, and create the future for themselves and others. Strategic thinking is not the same thing as critical thinking.
Strategic thinking is not strategic management cmoe. Professionals looking to move into a leadership role need to master both. Strategic planning vs strategic management which one is. It is about strategic planning and strategic thinking, and orchestration and. Strategy, strategic management, strategic planning. In explaining the difference between strategic planning and strategic thinking, mintzberg argues that strategic planning is the systematic programming of preidentified strategies from which an action plan is developed. At the end of the day, strategic thinking without strategic planning results in a continuing quest for structure and process, whereas strategic planning without strategic thinking results in a lifeless process of goal setting and measuring objectives that arent necessarily precursors to achieving real results. Pdf strategic thinking vs strategic planning john pisapia.
Graetzs model holds that the role of strategic thinking is to seek innovation and imagine. Strategic thinking is different from strategic planning. The difference between strategic management and strategic. Over the years, large organizations have relegated strategic plans to the planning department and inadvertently created a. This has been a guide that strategic planning vs strategic management is a retrospective planning process. The following views on the relationship between strategic thinking and strategic planning are found in the literature. Conversely, strategic planning can help in implementing an approach, but without strategic thinking, it will not yield the results that are needed. We set out to be ethical at work, and we hope that in pivotal moments we will rise to the occasion.
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