How can you provide effective feedback on strategic thinking competencies?

To give good feedback on strategic thinking, collect thoughts from many places like meetings or surveys. This provides a complete picture of someone's skills. Talk about what they do well and where they can get better. Use real examples and tie your feedback to team goals. Make the conversation two-way: listen, ask questions, and help them think of a plan to improve. A strong, positive relationship makes feedback more helpful. Stick to the most critical points, but talk about good topics and areas to improve. This way, your team gets better at thinking strategically.

Effective feedback on strategic thinking competencies involves specificity, highlighting strengths, and identifying areas for improvement. Begin with positive feedback, set SMART goals, and provide context for the importance of strategic thinking. Encourage self-assessment, offer resources for improvement, and schedule regular follow-up meetings. Keep records of feedback and celebrate achievements. It's an ongoing, supportive process to help individuals develop and apply their strategic thinking skills effectively.

Strategic thinking is not just for leaders. It's a collective skill that should resonate across an organisation. It goes beyond execution, which focuses on 'doing things right,' and operations, which aim at 'doing the right things.' At its core, it's about 'doing the right things right.' This skill demands a nuanced approach, blending intuition with analytical prowess. It involves zooming in on daily activities and zooming out to broader market trends, thereby enriching your strategic toolkit. It's about aligning every action and resource with long-term goals, making organisational strategy a shared responsibility from the boardroom to the cubicle.

I agree, but the first step before even beginning the thinking is deep understanding. I also believe strategic thinking comes with experience, knowledge and a bit of risk taking. Because when building a strategy regardless of all the data on hand there are elements of obscurity and unknowns. Hence, a strategic thinker will have a 360 view of the organisation on the inside, the ability to project into the future and see where the organisation needs to go and above all; the courage to look at it all from the outside and be critical and accept feedback. Agility is the keyword I guess, especially in these days and times, the present is always changing and strategies need to allow room for adaptations and growth.

?? Elevating Strategic Thinking: How to Provide Effective Feedback ?? Strategic thinking is the compass guiding leaders and managers through the dynamic landscape of business. But how do we help our team members sharpen this critical skill? ?? 1?? Define Strategic Thinking: Start analyzing, synthesizing, and aligning plans with organizational goals. 2?? Use Multiple Data Sources. 3?? Balance Strengths and Areas for Improvement 4?? Align Feedback with Goals 5?? Encourage Dialogue and Action: Create a culture of open communication. Strategic thinking isn't just about numbers; it's about vision, creativity, and adaptability. Let's empower our teams to excel in both quantitative and qualitative aspects of strategic thinking! ??

Accurate measurements have to be made across organization in every gesture of effort. Agree with measurements methods above and only detail beyond that is "customize your business as per business you run and measure as per you manage".

One way i evaluate the strategic thought / contribution of my team members is with an objective to improve a crossfunctional process - and a mandate to connect with other countries ( within our organization) doing their same role to share best practices for the benefit of all- this shows me their ability to build relationships, put their ego aside to seek help in areas where perhaps their team lacks/ learning from others, and to also see if they truly understand the crossfunctional nature of their business unit and how they dig deep to find root cause of performance lags / opportunities by involving all people touching all pieces of the process. This is, in my view-strategic thinking- reaching out, thinking big for the greater good of all.

Evaluating your team's strategic thinking requires a nuanced approach to data collection. Beyond standard metrics and assessments, delve into intricate details for a richer understanding of their strategic prowess. Quantitative metrics offer measurable insights, while qualitative observations add valuable context. This philosophy aligns with the Gemba technique, which advocates for firsthand observation to capture finer details. By integrating both data types, you not only enhance the reliability of your feedback but also uncover often-overlooked subtleties and contexts that will support an emphatic approach to providing feedback. A balanced blend of data sources and types should be central to any feedback methodology.

Gathering feedback from varied sources and data types enriches its reliability and depth, offering a holistic view of an individual's performance and potential in strategic thinking.

In my experience it is crucial to utilise a well-rounded and comprehensive approach to assessing and providing feedback on strategic thinking. By incorporating various sources and types of data, we can offer more accurate, reliable, and valid feedback to help individuals develop and improve their strategic thinking skills. This approach supports better decision-making when it comes to talent development and performance management.

Building on the multi-faceted approach of examining the big picture and intricate details, you can offer nuanced feedback. The SBI model is a good starting point, focusing on Situation, Behavior, and Impact. Other popular frameworks include the McKinsey Model, which focuses on actions, impact and suggestions for what can be done differently; the SAID model, which starts with acknowledging strengths and then looks at actions, impact and development; or the SKS model, which asks what one should stop, keep, and start doing. Choose the model that best suits your context, and deliver your feedback with situational understanding and empathy. Good feedback must be actionable, specific, and constructive.

Recognition of effort is always visible. Positive & Negative aspects should have been accounted in observation when Strategy was defined, communicated or to make it more tangible to mind - written, shared in words, shelfs were distributed in amounts of work scopes to every pockets to replenish grind of work to implement strategy - that is, every team, group, & other squares of people should complement their own squares with strengths within. "Soil is enriched by planting and Plant grows better with enriched soil" - Plant studies its soil and grows as per that - Organization & Teams are not an exception & they will grow in same speed as envisioned if they recognize their people & strengths.

TLDR: SBI feedback for strategic thinking is better when you evaluate a series of actions SBI feedback is often given in the context of evaluating tactical day-to-day skills (ex: collaboration, initiative, dealing with ambiguity). For strategic thinking, feedback is murkier because decisions need to be evaluated over a longer timeframe - it's not a specific situation but a series of actions being evaluated. My method: 1. Pull in org strategic context as the backdrop to the evaluation 2. Put the individual's actions and decisions front and center - what did they do to help the org stay on course? What opportunities were there to increase impact? 3. Stage the decisions and context in your feedback together to help them understand

Don't act hastily. The way in which you provide feedback and how you support the professional development of others makes one of the strongest and most lasting statements about your leadership style and acumen. It speaks volumes about how you value others. Before you provide feedback, make sure you are mindful and focused on "your brand" (how you want to be thought of.)

Think before you act. This is where your leadership style and acumen can leave a lasting impression. Since your brand is on the line, have you resourced yourself with the high-level techniques that will allow this conversation to deliver positive returns? (If not, LinkedIn Learning is a great resource!)

While the SMART model is useful for giving feedback, it's not perfect. The tool is good for setting short-term, quantifiable individual objectives, but skill development also requires long-term perspectives. Additionally, it is not just about individual goals. Collective skills also impact team dynamics. Therefore, feedback should not only be aligned with individual SMART goals but should also consider the individual's contribution to the team and the broader strategic objectives of the organisation. Lastly, pay attention to the qualitative aspects of strategic thinking, such as creativity and emotional intelligence, which may not fit neatly into the SMART framework. These elements can differentiate good strategic thinkers from great ones.

Feedback's true value is realized when it's aligned with clear goals and expectations. Utilizing the SMART model ensures that feedback is not only constructive but also actionable, paving the way for both individual growth and team success.

This one is on you. Effective leaders have developed a wonderful ability to tie everything back to the end-goal. If you can routinely demonstrate the ability to tie actions to goals, you gain credibility while teaching. Win-Win.

Having insight into your employee's goals can help the business aim toward the same goals. Like a boat going down a river, but you have two engines, one going forward and one going backward ... the business will go nowhere.

Aligning feedback with goals and expectations is key for effective performance management. It ensures feedback is relevant, clear, and actionable, guiding individuals toward achieving specific objectives. This alignment motivates individuals, fosters accountability, and allows for better tracking of progress. It also supports targeted professional development and promotes team cohesion. Overall, aligning feedback with goals ensures it is meaningful and drives performance and development effectively.

TLDR: don't get lazy with feedback A temptation for managers providing feedback is to spike their LOE when performance reviews come around and then leave it until the next cycle. This is a broken feedback loop - team members need to learn how to improve and keep a pulse on if they're moving in the right direction. In my roles, I personally encouraged directs, peers, and my own leadership to provide and receive their "2 cents" of feedback in between cycles because: 1. it's cheap (only 2 cents!) in terms of LOE 2. it provides growth signals for the recipient to course correct and demonstrate meaningful progression

Encouraging dialogue and action is pivotal. Start by fostering a culture of psychological safety where team members feel comfortable sharing their thoughts. This openness lays the foundation for constructive dialogue. Implement continuous feedback loops to keep the conversation ongoing and a part of daily interactions. Technology can be a facilitator. Use collaboration tools that allow for real-time feedback and discussion. These platforms can also serve as repositories for development plans, bridging the gap between dialogue and actionable steps. Techniques like active listening and probing can enrich conversations. Remember, the goal is not just to talk but to act and close the loop between feedback and continuous competency enhancement.

Encouraging dialogue and action in teams is crucial for creating a dynamic environment. Dialogue promotes collaboration, as team members share ideas and feedback, leading to better problem-solving and decision-making. It also sparks innovation and continuous learning by exchanging diverse viewpoints. Open communication builds trust, enhancing team cohesion and support, boosting engagement and motivation. Encouraging dialogue followed by action ensures ideas are implemented, fostering accountability and ownership and helping teams adapt to changes more quickly. Overall, this approach improves collaboration, innovation, and outcomes.

Make active listening your "superpower." The ability to listen separates good from great. Use ChatGPT to research quotes and lessons. Here's one: "Listening is a magnetic and strange thing, a creative force. The friends who listen to us are the ones we move toward. When we are listened to, it creates us, makes us unfold and expand." - Karl A. Menninger

Effective communication is crucial for businesses due to several reasons. It enhances collaboration, enabling employees to share information and ideas efficiently. It also leads to improved customer satisfaction by addressing their needs and concerns promptly. Communication aligns employees with company goals, resolves conflicts, and fosters innovation. Additionally, it facilitates external communication with stakeholders and aids in change management. In summary, communication is vital for a positive work environment, customer relations, and overall business success.

“Marketing strategists stress understanding the fundamental dynamics of a market. In their strategizing, senior marketing executives, boards of directors, consultants, and financial analysts should see the market and the firm’s embeddedness in a market as a moving video rather than a static snapshot. What makes the video move are fundamental feedback effects that create the evolutionary paths that a market and a firm may travel. Soft mapping techniques can be used to construct dynamic mental models that help managers and consultants improve their dynamic strategic thinking and the strategic foresight of firms.”

To further refine strategic thinking skills, consider three pivotal areas often neglected: ethical decision-making, adaptability, and awareness of cognitive biases. Ethical choices align with broader goals and enrich your strategic toolkit with a moral compass. Adaptability allows you to navigate change effectively, making your strategies more resilient. Lastly, understanding cognitive biases can significantly sharpen your thinking and decision-making skills, making strategic thinking more rational and less subjective.

Strategy is defined as a deliberation. Regardless of how a plan is defined, dealing with the environment is a need in strategy making and strategy execution Both. Because organisations are affected by their environment and vice versa, there is no plan that could be created and implemented to be limited to the internal environment of the organisation. Strategies are not intended to be used when one is bogged down with reports, books, and papers. They are intended for use in execution. They must be put into practise and yield results. Without action, strategic thought is just delusion. Since both emergent and intentional parts of strategies exist, it is crucial for success that both emergent and deliberate strategies be ambidextrous.

A business strategy has to be based on sound analysis, which in turn has to be based on data and facts..Quality analysis is grounded in truth. But then, equally jmportant is the vision, directed by values and a capacity to project into the future. Finally, a great strategist has to have influence. They should be a great communicator. Otherwise, tactical planning will result in a de-facto strategy far removed from what the strategist envisioned.

In many ways, strategic thinking is like what is called in the Marines as "Keeping your head on a swivel", or it being like the sweep of a radar plot on a screen. "Looking behind the curtain" and "looking down the road" are ways to alert leaders to what is not seen or in the normal course of affairs. It is about what shifts and drifts do to cause rifts in the plan. Leaders in companies and organizations along with Boards have this responsibility. Open AI leaders and The Harvard Corporation would have done better to practice this and not run into the ditch of disruption..