课程:Using Strategic Thinking Skills
战略性思考不仅仅CXO的事儿,每个中层基层领导都需要有战略思考的能力。那么对于我们普通员工,是否也要进行战略思考呢?答案毋庸置疑是肯定的。走得多远取决于你看待问题的角度,如领导一般的思考最终你也会成为领导。这个观点在之前的几篇文章都零散说过。
在进入主题之前——战略思维的使用技巧和方法,先来说说什么是战略思维。人的思维模式大体可以分为三类:
理性Rational:摆事实,分析利弊,我们最常见的思维模式
创意Creative:相比理性,创意思维更感性,对于逻辑结构没有那么严谨,跳出框架,发散式的
战略Strategic:结合上面两种思维方式
《思考,快与慢》一书中,把人脑的两套思维系统称为“系统1”和“系统2”。前者自动起作用,能迅速对事物给出一个的很难被改变的第一印象;而后者费力而缓慢,需要我们集中注意力进行复杂计算。文人思维显然是系统1的集大成者,理工科思维则是系统2的产物。这里提到的Strategic Thinking则是两者结合。
一、培养战略思考的思维模式Developing a Strategic Mind-set
对于各种情况的反应、信息的处理,每一个人都有自己的一套固定思维模式(mind-set),这是由过去的经历所决定的。比如“仁者见仁,淫者见淫”就是最完美的诠释。
若想成为一个牛逼的人,就必须有意识的培养自己的战略思维模式。具体步骤如下:
clarify existing objectives:与上级澄清公司及项目目标
anticipate what may happen in the future:通过各种渠道了解行业形势竞争格局等信息,分析过去(数据、项目、过往情况)预测未来
broaden your range of strategic inputs:Talk to external and internal customers
widen your perspective on the business and the industry you're in:1. creating and getting involved in different job assignments; 2.involve yourself in different projects and teams that cut across functional departments or units.
二、善用信息Using Information to Support Strategic Thinking
1. Determining which kind of information to analyze is crucial. Your information-gathering plan might include interviews with individuals inside and outside the organization, surveys, research using journals and the Internet, discussion groups, or direct observation of individuals or departments.
2. Recognize relationships, patterns, and trends in your area of business. 分析与其他部门组织的冲突和影响及关系
3. 结合直觉与分析
4. SWOT分析:优势劣势机会威胁。A SWOT analysis is valuable for strategic thinking because it prompts you to evaluate internal and external competitive environments.
三、权衡Making Effective Trade-offs
网上流传一句话:“小孩子才分对错,成年人只看利弊”。To make effective trade-offs, you can take three steps:
prioritize the actions you take based on organizational strategy
identify and evaluate all possible alternatives:需要从短期和长期时间维度来考虑优劣势
balance business unit and company needs
四、Thinking Creatively
不同于常规思考方式,创意性思考采用的方法也不同:
1. challenge your assumptions
Examine assumptions
To examine your beliefs and assumptions, you need to be aware of them. You can distinguish those based on fact from those you've accepted without question.
Challenge current approaches to work
Ask yourself whether you and your employees can work differently and tackle tasks in new ways.
Welcome new ideas
Change routines
Challenging assumptions isn't something you do only in theory. You also need to be prepared to implement your ideas by changing your routines. You can do this by reordering daily tasks or changing your office environment to remind you that work and business processes aren't set in stone and can be easily changed.
2. view things differently
Ask questions to reframe
For example, ask how your organization would change if it did everything the customer wanted, what quality means to the organization, and how well the current organizational structure relates to the mission statement.
Work counterculturally
To work counterculturally, you can change roles or suggest that others change roles.
View challenges as opportunities
Use lateral thinking tools
Examples of lateral thinking tools are exercises like brainstorming, storytelling, and creative visualization. These can all help a team find fresh new solutions to problems.
3. ask more questions
Ask people for perspectives
Ask various people in your organization the same questions to uncover new perspectives and ideas.
Use open-ended questions
Which prompt others to elaborate rather than providing just short or fixed answers. An example of an open-ended question is, "What do you think is the main aim of our business?"