Jim Tarvin, Manager, Enterprise Software Solutions, Business and Information Services
Imagine a drone dropping off the pet food you ordered just hours ago, or shopping online without having to worry about the shipping fees or wondering whether you can get Sunday delivery. Crazy stuff, right? Not anymore.
While drone delivery isn’t something we see, yet, these are just a few of the ways Amazon continues to demonstrate how powerful strategic thinking can be.
Strategic thinking derives from focusing on the outcome you want rather than from the tactical change you enact. Amazon was focused on the outcome of enhancing user experience to drive sales through their platform which led to the ideas of same-day-delivery and Prime memberships which remove the in-the-moment thought about delivery fees.
Welcome to the age of the strategist.
Our competency framework defines strategic thinking as think broadly on success today and in the future to develop a compelling vision and strategy that achieves critical outcomes. But what does that mean?
As professionals, we have a tendency to focus on our daily activities — identifying things that need getting-done now — and getting them done. This is very tactical, and it is good — it helps keep the organization functioning.
Strategic thinking builds on these tactical successes by focusing on outcomes that we want to achieve, such as improving customer experience, improving software quality, or identifying trends that we haven’t seen before. It isn’t focused on the how, but rather puts together a compelling vision of the what. That compelling vision helps others understand the motivations for the desired outcome, garnering support to move the organization toward that desired outcome.
How can you as an individual become a strategic thinker?
Start with this simple step: As you go about your day, make certain to put some thought into the motivations behind the tasks you perform. Understand what the desired long-term outcome looks like. If you aren’t certain, ask. Understanding the intention of the task will lead to a better result today, and more importantly, you may have an even better idea of how to achieve the desired long-term outcome. That is a win-win scenario for you, the strategic thinker.
Give it a try — strategic thinking is for everyone.
By Jim Tarvin (BIS)
Manager, Enterprise Software Solutions