Tracking: Are we on target?
Overall Evaluation: Are we achieving the quality we expect and demand of ourselves?
Refinement: How can we be more effective and more efficient (move toward the ideal)?
These may not be the only questions you need to ask to begin formulating a strategic plan, but they are
certainly a good start.
3. Strategic Thinking Prompts Customization
General George S. Patton observed, “Successful generals make plans to fit circumstances, but do not try to
create circumstances to fit plans.”
All good strategic thinkers are precise in their thinking. They try to match the strategy to the problem,
because strategy isn’t a one-size-fits-all proposition. Sloppy or generalized thinking is an enemy of
achievement. The intention to customize in strate-gic thinking forces a person to go beyond vague ideas and
engage in specific ways to go after a task or problem. It sharpens the mind.
4. Strategic Thinking Prepares You Today for an Uncertain Tomorrow
Strategic thinking is the bridge that links where you are to where you want to be. It gives direction and cred-
ibil-ity today and increases your potential for success tomorrow. It is, as Mary Webb suggests, like saddling
your dreams before you ride them.
5. Strategic Thinking Reduces the Margin of Error
Any time you shoot from the hip or go into a totally reactive mode, you increase your margin for error. It’s like
a golfer stepping up to a golf ball and hitting it before lining up the shot. Misaligning a shot by just a few
degrees can send the ball a hundred yards off target. Strategic thinking, however, greatly reduces that margin
for error. It lines up your actions with your objectives, just as lining up a shot in golf helps you to put the ball
closer to the pin. The better aligned you are with your target, the better the odds that you will be going in the
right direction.
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