Analytical Thinking:
Traditional Strategic Planning
“A Project” |
vs.
|
Systems Thinking:
Yearly Strategic Management System
“A New Way to Run the Business” |
| 1. |
Project (beginning and end) |
vs. |
1. |
Continuous/ongoing process with Yearly Strategic Management System and Cycle/review to stay on “track” |
| 2. |
Staff Written |
vs. |
2. |
CEO, line leadership driven/staff supported |
| 3. |
Focus on today/extrapolation into the future |
vs. |
3. |
Start with Future Ideal and work backwards |
| 4. |
“Motherhood/apple pie” words |
vs. |
4. |
Outcomes measures and action plans set/accountability tracked |
| 5. |
Big Strategic Planning document as end |
vs. |
5. |
Execution/change management/customer focus is the goal; single documents of one page each (KISS) |
| 6. |
Senior leadership/planning department answers only (we/they) |
vs. |
6. |
Key stakeholder feddback/commitment also (Parallel Process) - “people support what they help create” |
| 7. |
Weekend retreat |
vs. |
7. |
Strategic change in our roles/behaviors day-to-day |
| 8. |
Strategic level only |
vs. |
8. |
Integrated into business units, annual and daily decision-making levels, too, via the glue of core strategies/core values |
| 9. |
Individual change projects (TQM, service, empowerment, value chain, etc.) |
vs. |
9. |
Customer-focused positioning and value-added delivery as the focus for all projects |
| 10. |
Single event - ine time only, every five years |
vs. |
10. |
Annual Strategic Review (and Update) each year |
| 11. |
Environmental scan of today only - yearly |
vs. |
11. |
Future environmental scan/quarterly reviews continuously |
| 12. |
Analytical tools/analysis focus |
vs. |
12. |
Focus on strategy, commitment, and buy-in |
| 13. |
Units/departments/silo mentality goals |
vs. |
13. |
Shared strategies as the glue and organizing forces |
| 14. |
Hierarchy/controls |
vs. |
14. |
Customer-focused and values-driven empowerment |
| 15. |
Organization structure remains the same |
vs. |
15. |
Strategic Business Redesign (“Watertight Integrity”) |
In Sum |
|
Tactical/Fragmented Thinking |
vs. |
|
Strategic and Systems Thinking |
