STRATEGIC THINKING - Part 1

Most of us are so caught up in the day-to-day issues and challenges that we have no time to sit back, reflect, connect the dots, and think about the big-ticket items. Thinking strategically is all about looking at the?"big picture"?and taking a?helicopter?view of things without getting bogged down in the details.

?#Strategicthinking is an essential tool both for your personal life as well as for your professional life.

Apart from the day-to-day stuff that you are involved in, you need to be able to step back and look at the business operations, look at industry trends, look at what's happening at the domestic and international economic fronts, connect all these dots, and come up with a plan of action that you can implement in your organisation.

?You may be thinking that you are not in a senior enough role to be able to make such big decisions; however, regardless of what level you are currently working at, there are bound to be opportunities for some high-level thinking that would add value to your team, and your organisation.

All organisations are looking for people who can think beyond the day-to-day operations and make a difference.

How do we define strategic thinking?

Thinking strategically involves seeing the big picture, planning, and putting thought into action to gain a competitive advantage in business. While our focus here is on the business aspects of strategic thinking, the same logic and approach can be applied to any part of your life, including your personal life.

?#Strategic thinking involves using our imagination, thinking systematically and opportunistically to achieve success, solve a problem, or meet our goals and objectives. Despite what the term suggests, the Strategic thinking skill set involves several aspects:

• ?#Analytical Skills?- To ideate a #strategy that helps your organisation reach its #objectives, you must be capable of analysing a variety of inputs—from financial statements to KPIs to market conditions, emerging business trends, and internal resource allocation.
• #Communication Skills?- Putting a #strategy into place for your organisation, regardless of size, requires solid #communication skills. You need to get the team on board, which requires exceptional communication skills

• #Problem-solving Skills?- Strategic thinking is often used to solve problems or address challenges, such as missed financial targets, inefficient workflows, or an emerging competitor.
• #Planning And Management Skills?- #Strategy isn't just about thinking of a solution; it also involves implementation. Once you analyse the data, understand the problem, and identify a solution, you need sound planning and management skills to bring everything together.

?The real question for people like you is how to develop a strategic thinking skill set to apply to your day-to-day life, work and business. The good news is that like many skills required to be a successful #professional, you can also learn strategic thinking. One of the best ways to improve your strategic thinking is to be able to ask #strategic questions. We will cover this in Part 2 of this article, so hang on!

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