How can you measure the effectiveness of your strategic thinking skills?

While SMART goal-setting approach is widely used in strategic planning and personal development, it has its limitations. The emphasis on quantifiability may not be suitable for all goals, potentially discouraging the pursuit of important but immeasurable objectives. It should only be used as a guideline but not as a rigid framework as it can stifle creativity and adaptability in goal setting. Additionally, the time-bound aspect can motivate but may encourage short-term thinking. For real world situations, while SMART goals offer valuable guidance, it's essential to apply them thoughtfully, considering the context and nature of each specific goal. That is where the unique stretegic thinking skills lie.

Here are some effective strategies to consider: ? Assessment and Goal Setting ? Establish Trust and Rapport ? Encourage Critical Thinking ? Provide Learning Opportunities ? Mentorship and Shadowing ? Feedback and Reflection ? Promote Experimentation and Innovation ? Long-Term Development Plan ? Monitor Progress and Provide Support By implementing these strategies, you can effectively coach a manager to enhance their strategic thinking skills and contribute to their professional growth and the overall success of the organization.

I view strategic thinking the same way I view startups - if there’s no “competition” (other people asking questions or even pushing back on your opinions) then you’re either too average or so fantastically ahead of the curve it will take time for others to catch up.

Feedback loops are good for monitoring progress and give the team an opportunity to adjust with what has been learned. Often called closed loop feedback system, I highly recommend using this method to assure that your chosen strategy gets results. #agilestrategylab

Emotional intelligence (the ability to identify and connect with your own emotions and with the emotions of others) is a key component of strategic thinking. Good leaders provide psychological safety for their team. When team members feel safe, they perform well and are more likely to support the vision of the team. Moreover, studies show that leaders with high emotional intelligence are more adept at interpreting data, making hard decisions in difficult times, instigating growth and creativity, and creating bonds in their teams.

The human being cannot take action and observe itself at the same time. That’s why when we play sports we always have a coach, and ideally we review the plays on video and we’re able to actually observe what we were doing initially. This professional perspective is key to constantly evolve, specially around the “Johari Window”: we don’t know what we don’t know.

Strategy is a deliberate approach to achieving a desired outcome. It is like playing a chess game, where the goal is to win, but there will be setbacks along the way. The overall strategy remains unchanged, but the course of action must be flexible enough to adapt to changing circumstances and ensure victory. Therefore, it is essential to have a clear understanding of the goal, which may not always be straightforward or easy to achieve. It may be a journey with multiple milestones. These milestones are checkpoints to measure the performance of the course of action and determine whether it is yielding the desired outcomes. If not, the plan may need to be adjusted.