Comments on: Cultivating Strategic Thinking as a Strength

By: Ed Adkins

Ed Adkins — Mon, 09 Jun 2008 18:19:46 +0000

@roger jolley: wow- you bring up a great point- when is strategic thinking NOT rewarded? I think you just gave me a blog post. thanks!

@gordon & @kiran: thanks for your comments as well

@warren levy: Also great point. Now, getting everyone to adopt that thinking may be tricky, but as you said that compelling focus is quite a start.

By: Warren Levy

Warren Levy — Mon, 09 Jun 2008 00:29:35 +0000

A clear, well-articulated objective is the starting point for strategic thinking. With that, you can insist — to yourself and others: “If this is our objective and it is important to us to achieve it, how will that actually happen despite all the distractions, obstacles, push back, competition and confusion we may face?” Now, there’s a compelling focus and reason for strategic thinking.

By: Kiran Arsada

Kiran Arsada — Thu, 29 May 2008 12:46:55 +0000

Common sense

By: Gordon

Gordon — Mon, 26 May 2008 04:52:49 +0000

Strategic thinking is greatly facilitiated by the question ‘why’ and looking at things as systems (with a purpose) rather than activities.

By: Roger Jolley

Roger Jolley — Sun, 25 May 2008 02:55:16 +0000

It is ironic that many a budding strategic thinker might have gotten involved in criminal activities when their talent wasn’t rewarded or it was interpreted as smart-eleck and rebuked with a “get back to work” manner.

The vast majority of company owners and managers I’ve worked for feared their workers and seemed threatened by any advice, especially an insightful strategic suggestion. It seemed I knew too much about their business or threeatened their position or something.

Several ’smart’ people I have known have ended up in bad circumstances essentially of their own making, but I wonder how many of them might have been saved by an opportunity and recognition.

I had a bookkeeping client who bought pizza sauce and rented a small storage unit. He delivered to local pizza shops. A kid I knew as a boy sold pot. He bought in bulk, warehoused and delivered, just my client did years later with pizza sauce. The same process, different perceptions about opportunity. I think they both had about the same investment.

Of course, it would seem that a talented strategic thinker whould find a way to think him or her self out of the funk but discouragement and difficult circumstances can lead one away from formal opportunities for employment.