what is cultural strategic thinking

Strategic culture is not an autonomous concept, nor is it free of debates regarding its nature, the bearers of the concept, and its future. The person interviewing me asked, In this company, we like to hire strategic thinkers. He has a master's degree in Engineering Management from the University of Alberta and a master's degree in Computer Information Systems from Boston University. Therefore, tactics shouldnt be left to chance but instead thoughtfully planned and executed. However, this trait is also highly useful in everyday life. Choose a delete action Empty this pageRemove this page and its subpages. "@type": "Question", Category: Blog, Intelligent Leadership. Case Study: From Hometown to Global Village. One of the best things to do in developing cultural strategic thinking is to learn to be an observer. While strategic thinking is a valuable skill for everyone in an organization, it becomes increasingly essential as you ascend the ladder. So, next time you face a challenge, consider approaching it strategically using a strategic planning tool of your choice. How to Build Strong Leaders within Your Organization. Here are a few examples of vision statements: We will be the best construction company in North America., We will create an employee-centric culture., We want to build a company that is sustainable for generations.. Lets look at a few strategic mindset examples. By letting team members know that speaking up is an important part of their jobs, you free them to provide important input. Practicing to be an active listener is making a conscious choice about your responses to others. By the way, this is the easiest way to determine if a potential leader is a strategic thinker or a reactive thinker. In order to understand the importance of this skill, lets start at the beginning. Intent focused. The easy answer is to make sure that you are measuring your progress. It also serves as a memory of your experiences, which you can later refer back to and learn from. Strategic thinking is basically the practice of selecting a long-term goal and formulating an action plan toward reaching that goal. Then, if you improve the improvement by 1%, your success increases exponentially. 2023 John Mattone Global, Inc. All rights reserved. We feel like if they are enthused about the change, the rest of the sales team will be as well.. The tactics should have an end and a beginning. Active listening focuses your mind on the speaker, and, if done repeatedly and successfully, you are able to build trust and a relationship with others. They also have to provide coaching and feedback as needed. If he throws his fastball high in the strike zone 80% of the time on the first pitch, I can anticipate that. Basically, every time that I reached the new goal, I just increased the goal. Earley and PetersonEarley & Peterson (2004). Were all born with some innate ability to think and act strategically. Obviously, if you have good milestones, it is easier to measure the results. They also each have different problem-solving skills. WebCultural intelligence has three key parts: thinking and solving problems in particular ways (cultural strategic thinking), being energized and persistent in ones actions (motivational), and acting in certain ways (behavioral). James Clear wrote a fantastic book about this subject called Atomic Habits. Working with peers to question and explore cultural interactions to resolve cultural problems. Bring us your leadership development challenges. Strategy: The company decided to source raw materials from suppliers who adhere to sustainable farming practices. Metacognition simply means thinking about thinking; in this context, thinking about your We use cookies to understand how you use our site and to improve your experience. A good way to explain this is to think about playing Chess. The basics of developing and practicing cultural strategic thinking are to (a) connect new information to the old, (b) select the appropriate strategies, and then (c) plan, monitor, and This paper aims to discuss all the above aspects. It is hard to understand how these different concepts relate to us. In cultural strategic thinking, it is important to talk about what you will do or what you have to do. One instructor, though, was getting five-star results on the exit surveys, but also had a few oddities. Strategic thinking is the key to the long-term survival of your organization. When you think strategically, you have to It can be a general guiding principle or a well-organized plan. Continuously improve them both. 4 videos (Total 35 min), 2 readings, 2 quizzes. What is your next strategic goal in your life? Why is this ability to think strategically especially important now? Good Leadership? It is a critical skill in cultural intelligence because the behavior acknowledges that you have really heard what another person has said. More information is available on this project's attribution page. By the way, I did get a nice job offer from that company. Cultural strategic thinking may seem overwhelming at first, but as with any new learning, you need to break your plan into smaller steps that will help you to accomplish your goals. Cultural strategic thinking is essential because it is this higher strategic thinking that enables you to process the new information and reinterpret it in a new situation. I realized that we were measuring the wrong thing. Cultural strategic thinking may seem overwhelming at first, but as with any new learning, you need to break your plan into smaller steps that will help you to accomplish your goals. My team went through this with the Covid-19 pandemic. Get a better handle onyour life goals and ambitions. You can best achieve that by encouraging problem-solving behavior on every organizational level. You can tell by the way they respond to strategic analysis. evaluate the strategies you have put in place. Heres what Mason had to say: I often think Im expected to have all the answers about what to do with digital strategy. How vision, Strategy, and tactics are related? { proposes that when you change your questions in any given situation, this allows you to change your thinking. Many of these customers had little or no experience organizing big virtual meetings. Tactics is knowing what to do when there is something to do. These cookies are strictly necessary to provide you with services available through our website and to use some of its features. Keep in mind that tactics are designed around your overall Strategy, which leads you toward your vision. Next, well talk about how to make it a habit. By training your mind to think at a higher level, you create new maps of cultural situations, which help you to If you come across a situation in which a cultural fact seems to contradict what you know, take the time to learn about the difference and the nuances related to that cultural fact. { "4.01:_What_is_Cognition" : "property get [Map MindTouch.Deki.Logic.ExtensionProcessorQueryProvider+<>c__DisplayClass228_0.b__1]()", "4.02:_What_is_Metacognition" : "property get [Map MindTouch.Deki.Logic.ExtensionProcessorQueryProvider+<>c__DisplayClass228_0.b__1]()", "4.03:_Techniques_for_Developing_Strategic_Thinking" : "property get [Map MindTouch.Deki.Logic.ExtensionProcessorQueryProvider+<>c__DisplayClass228_0.b__1]()", "4.04:_Cultural_Strategic_Thinking_Techniques" : "property get [Map MindTouch.Deki.Logic.ExtensionProcessorQueryProvider+<>c__DisplayClass228_0.b__1]()", "4.05:_Summary" : "property get [Map MindTouch.Deki.Logic.ExtensionProcessorQueryProvider+<>c__DisplayClass228_0.b__1]()" }, { "00:_Front_Matter" : "property get [Map MindTouch.Deki.Logic.ExtensionProcessorQueryProvider+<>c__DisplayClass228_0.b__1]()", "01:_Culturally_Intelligent_Leadership_Matters" : "property get [Map MindTouch.Deki.Logic.ExtensionProcessorQueryProvider+<>c__DisplayClass228_0.b__1]()", "02:_Understanding_Culture" : "property get [Map MindTouch.Deki.Logic.ExtensionProcessorQueryProvider+<>c__DisplayClass228_0.b__1]()", "03:_Cultural_Intelligence_Defined" : "property get [Map MindTouch.Deki.Logic.ExtensionProcessorQueryProvider+<>c__DisplayClass228_0.b__1]()", "04:_Thinking_About_Thinking" : "property get [Map MindTouch.Deki.Logic.ExtensionProcessorQueryProvider+<>c__DisplayClass228_0.b__1]()", "05:_I_Think_I_Can_and_I_Will" : "property get [Map MindTouch.Deki.Logic.ExtensionProcessorQueryProvider+<>c__DisplayClass228_0.b__1]()", "06:_Adapting_and_Performing" : "property get [Map MindTouch.Deki.Logic.ExtensionProcessorQueryProvider+<>c__DisplayClass228_0.b__1]()", "07:_Cultural_Intelligence_in_Action" : "property get [Map MindTouch.Deki.Logic.ExtensionProcessorQueryProvider+<>c__DisplayClass228_0.b__1]()", "08:_The_Future_of_Cultural_Intelligence" : "property get [Map MindTouch.Deki.Logic.ExtensionProcessorQueryProvider+<>c__DisplayClass228_0.b__1]()", "zz:_Back_Matter" : "property get [Map MindTouch.Deki.Logic.ExtensionProcessorQueryProvider+<>c__DisplayClass228_0.b__1]()" }, 4.4: Cultural Strategic Thinking Techniques, [ "article:topic", "showtoc:no", "license:ccbyncsa", "authorname:anonymous", "program:hidden", "licenseversion:30" ], https://biz.libretexts.org/@app/auth/3/login?returnto=https%3A%2F%2Fbiz.libretexts.org%2FBookshelves%2FManagement%2FLeading_with_Cultural_Intelligence%2F04%253A_Thinking_About_Thinking%2F4.04%253A_Cultural_Strategic_Thinking_Techniques, $ \newcommand{\vecs}[1]{\overset { \scriptstyle \rightharpoonup} {\mathbf{#1}}}$ $ \newcommand{\vecd}[1]{\overset{-\!-\!\rightharpoonup}{\vphantom{a}\smash{#1}}} $$\newcommand{\id}{\mathrm{id}}$ $ \newcommand{\Span}{\mathrm{span}}$ $ \newcommand{\kernel}{\mathrm{null}\,}$ $ \newcommand{\range}{\mathrm{range}\,}$ $ \newcommand{\RealPart}{\mathrm{Re}}$ $ \newcommand{\ImaginaryPart}{\mathrm{Im}}$ $ \newcommand{\Argument}{\mathrm{Arg}}$ $ \newcommand{\norm}[1]{\| #1 \|}$ $ \newcommand{\inner}[2]{\langle #1, #2 \rangle}$ $ \newcommand{\Span}{\mathrm{span}}$ $\newcommand{\id}{\mathrm{id}}$ $ \newcommand{\Span}{\mathrm{span}}$ $ \newcommand{\kernel}{\mathrm{null}\,}$ $ \newcommand{\range}{\mathrm{range}\,}$ $ \newcommand{\RealPart}{\mathrm{Re}}$ $ \newcommand{\ImaginaryPart}{\mathrm{Im}}$ $ \newcommand{\Argument}{\mathrm{Arg}}$ $ \newcommand{\norm}[1]{\| #1 \|}$ $ \newcommand{\inner}[2]{\langle #1, #2 \rangle}$ $ \newcommand{\Span}{\mathrm{span}}$$\newcommand{\AA}{\unicode[.8,0]{x212B}}$, 4.3: Techniques for Developing Strategic Thinking, status page at https://status.libretexts.org. Or when you go for a walk in the evening. Please be aware that this might heavily reduce the functionality and appearance of our site. Ideas and insights from Harvard Business Publishing Corporate Learning. The final step in strategic thinking is to create a system of continuous improvement. Along the lines of processing your cultural situations out loud, it would be helpful to find a coach or mentor that can help you analyze your thinking. Strategy is a long-standing practice. Simply put, strategy is how you plan to achieve a goal. It should allocate resources, set timelines, and define tactical actions. Time and opportunities fly by, so plan your time and resources strategically to get where you want to go. As long as you are progressing toward the overall goal, you are moving in the right direction. It could be a certain amount of money you hope to earn or a dream job, or a target related to your current job that you hope to accomplish. Since we had that expertise, we were able to quickly adapt to the new needs of the market. I encourage you to write down your emotions and feelings, the ambiguities and inconsistencies, and the challenges and successes of working interculturally. It requires experience with and reflection on the particular business organization to be most effective. "@type": "Answer", Two decades later, in the Vietnam War, parachutes were not a great option. One of the best things to do in developing cultural strategic thinking is to learn to be an observer. So if you are using strategic thinking, how do you know if you need to make an adjustment. Instead, though, if you just try to improve by 1% this week, that is much easier. You will notice it when others marvel or comment at your ability to effectively manage cultural interactions. I encourage you to write down your emotions and feelings, the ambiguities and inconsistencies, and the challenges and successes of working interculturally. Doing this provides you with a language for how you process cultural interactions and problems, and your peers can help you to create that language and help solve the problems. WebThe cultural inclusion approach is adopted by many businesses and organizations to promote equity and fairness. Because these cookies are strictly necessary to deliver the website, refusing them will have impact how our site functions. For instance, it is very difficult to run a marathon. In your review of the situation, you may need to research unfamiliar terms or gestures used, or you may need to break down the picture and rebuild it, step by step, to understand if you really understood the whole picture. WebStrategic Thinking (Critical Thinking) is a process of identifying ways to move a person, team, or organization toward a long-term goal. By training your mind to think at a Resource allocation 2. Your writing serves as a reflection of your thinking processes and how you have dealt with, or how you could not deal with, the process. Though we cant put our finger on it, strategic thinking sounds more like using intuition in a methodical way rather than going with your gut. The concept of strategic culture has become widely used in the field of international relations, primarily in the context of efforts to explain the distinctive Beyond approaches covered previously to focus strategic thinking, broaden participation, and increase its rigor, a several principles can help create more tangible outcomes . This organization would help them find funding and develop their business models. There are two types of questions: questions that involve judgments and questions that involve learning. However, a tiny, microscopic, atomic change is much easier. Tactics are the specific steps you take to move toward your vision. It is a huge benefit if you can think strategically in extremely complicated situations. Its actually a very powerful concept that can help you think through what your WebStrategic thinking is the ability to envision, plan, and execute long-term goals and initiatives that align with your organization's vision and mission. At times, you may find that your goal isnt big enough. A good leader sets personal (and team) milestones that move toward the strategic goal. A strategic plan is like a roadmap. The interesting thing is, though, that 26 weeks later, you will double your income again. "name": "What is the definition of strategic thinking? Developing Strategic thinking within your firm requires a series of systemic actions that influences the culture of the firm. Trusted, competent strategic thinkers enable a culture that is agile, empowered and collaborative. It was odd because no one had ever made a request like that before. With strategic thinking taking on even greater importance in organizations, weve made key updates to the Harvard ManageMentor Strategic Thinking topic. Cultural intelligence improves my strategic thinking and sits at the core of my approach to planning. Below are a few tips that will help you think in a more strategic way as a leader. Our focus on the People & Organization Development Team is to ensure that we are giving you the growth and development opportunities at the #1 public university in the world. For additional information about How to Build Strong Leaders within Your Organization, click the link to that article. First, if you only have two possible solutions, there is a high likelihood that neither solution will work perfectly. The ability of an individual to understand, interpret, reflect on, and respond to what that individual just heard. Cultural strategic thinking helps you to discard what you think you know and to apply new information concerning what the situation could be. Your ability to be a culturally intelligent leader depends on your willingness to maintain a positive attitude. Janice Molloy is a content researcher with Harvard Business Publishing Corporate Learning. Although these practices are related and equally necessary for organizational success, they are actually quite distinct. With the pace of change continuing to rise, its no longer feasible for people to wait for orders from above. All employees must keep an eye on the future, not just react to whats happening in the present. Not quite. In your review of the situation, you may need to research unfamiliar terms or gestures used, or you may need to break down the picture and rebuild it, step by step, to understand if you really understood the whole picture. The term is trendy in business circles. But most people can develop these skills on their own if they invest a little bit of time and effort. Practicing to be an active listener is making a conscious choice about your responses to others. If you manage to help them overcome their barriers, you may turn them into your best strategic thinking allies. Negative attitudes and impressions will hinder your work. 2002 - 2020 The Leaders Institute, LLC. Becoming an employer of choice. These new habits move you toward the big change. Maybe that vagueness also contributes to the perception that it is a difficult skill to master. Essential in cultural strategic thinking is your ability to conjure and be positive about your learning experiences. Your writing serves as a reflection of your thinking processes and how you have dealt with, or how you could not deal with, the process. A critical goal for a competent strategic thinker is to ask more questions and better questions. Current responsibilities: - to identify and develop new technologies >- to drives sales and Are your plans and actions bringing you closer to the things that matter the most? Eventually, we realized that our customers were being forced to transform their in-person meetings to virtual. If you also didnt answer yes to all three, you might have an opportunity to reflect and sharpen your critical thinking. Someone who holds a negative perspective about, or who had a negative experience, working with different cultural groups will continue to have difficulty working with the groups. The basics of developing and practicing cultural strategic thinking are to (a) connect new information to the old, (b) select the appropriate 400 SW 1st Avenue You must reload the page to continue. You have to think positively about a situation, and you need to be and stay positive, maintaining a positive energy and attitude throughout. "acceptedAnswer": { A better strategy is to study the pitcher. Those rewarded for a certain type of behavior are more likely to repeat that behavior and eventually adopt it as a habit. Think about it as playing cultural detective: You ask your peers questions, and they clarify the information for you, and when they ask you questions, you clarify your thinking process for them. Vision: A father wanted to get involved in his kids lives again so they could spend more time together. 855.433.5945. While strategic thinking is a valuable skill Cultural strategic thinking helps you to discard what you think you know and to apply new information concerning what the situation could be. Vision: A businessman wanted to create an organization that would help people begin new businesses. Going back to the Chess example, in some cases, a good leader may realize, Whoa, we arent playing Chess at all. Anticipate possible challenges and identify ways to deal with them before they occur. It does so by sharing with them a language and a process, and by helping to point out the cultural strategic thinking pieces of the process, which can be done by asking and clarifying the situation for them. Anyone can follow a pre-established recipe. Asking questions in a different way provides us with another perspective. It doesnt matter if its just a few minutes per day; what matters is that you make it a part of your day. Some people will talk to themselves; others find it helpful to have someone to talk to. What does this mean and how do you achieve it? However, the publisher has asked for the customary Creative Commons attribution to the original publisher, authors, title, and book URI to be removed. It can facilitate an effective cultural interaction with less conflict, confusion, and frustration. For instance, lets say that you make $100 per week in income and you focus on increasing that income by just 1% per week. wrote that learning about a new culture requires putting all the pieces of a pattern together when you do not know the totality of what that whole picture should look like. Not in the mood to read? Profitability and cost savings. Address the problem by showing such employees the benefits of change and offering them support. They need to look beyond their functional areas to become aware of the bigger context in which they operate. Learn more about your compensation, benefits and everything that goes into a Total Rewards package.