Are You A Strategic Thinker?

Have you ever been in a situation where it seems as if you are on a treadmill going nowhere - unproductive meetings, lack of decision and direction, recycling the same issues, paralysis due to over-analysis, consensus building to a fault? The results are demotivation and frustration. At one time or another, all of us, either as a group member or as a leader, have been faced with paralyzing inaction.

From a corporate perspective, many organizational examples come to mind - to centralize or decentralize? To outsource, insource or co-source? Define business units by function or geography? As I was trying to resolve these dilemmas in my own mind, I was reminded of a matrix I have on my office wall called "Adversarial Thinkers vs. Strategic Thinkers." Strategic thinking is action-oriented and focused on getting things done, whereas adversarial thinking is the unproductive approach.
We as corporate managers and leaders need to be strategic thinkers who can initiate productivity gains by adding value. If we are going to succeed, we need to "just do it." Every member of the organization needs to be a doer, effective at getting things done - a strategic thinker!

ADVERSARIAL THINKERS

• (Avoid Doing It)
• Reinforce resistance to change out of an attack/protect view of life
• Fail to learn from past experience because of "what's wrong" questions Are restricted by weakness
• Are acquisitive, "get"-oriented
• Hesitate to support new ideas Inadvertently repeat past mistakes
• Maintain the status quo
• Deplete everyone's emotional energy Institutionalize the past
• Are obsessed with analysis
• Hide behind policies and procedures
• Are prone to procrastinate
• Are motivated by fear and willpower
• Are security- and image-conscious
• Use structure for protection
• Work to avoid mistakes
• Resist making changes

STRATEGIC THINKERS

• (Just Do It)
• Are wholeheartedly committed to adding value
• Want to create the desired future because of "what's right" questions
• Capitalize on strengths
• Are expansive, "give"-oriented
• Take risks and encourage innovation
• Create new alternatives
• Thrive in a challenging environment
• Continually rebuild energy reserves Strategically create the future
• Use intuition with skill and confidence
• Change ineffective policies and procedures
• Are eager to initiate
• Are motivated by a purpose
• Are growth- and results-oriented
• Use structure to support progress
• Work to achieve results
• Search for better alternatives

By Mee F. Wing
American Management Association / September 1997

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