 |
The Systems Thinking Approach® |
“The Natural Way the World Works”
1. Strategic Thinking and Systems Thinking
2. Critical Thinking
3. Strategic vs. Tactical Thinking
4. Analytic Thinking vs.
Systems Thinking
5. System Thinking Research Bibliography
6. Free Systems Concepts
2. Critical Thinking
3. Strategic vs. Tactical Thinking
4. Analytic Thinking vs.
Systems Thinking
5. System Thinking Research Bibliography
6. Free Systems Concepts
Strategic Versus Tactical (Operational) Thinking
|
I. Thinking/Planning Factors |
II. Strategic Thinking |
III. Tactical (Operational) Thinking |
| Time Period | Longest Period Worth Considering | Shortest Period Worth Considering |
| Reversability | Harder | Easier |
| Scope | Broad | Narrow |
| Affected Areas | Many Functional Areas | Few Functional Areas |
| Goals | Means and Ends | Means Only |
The Strategy/Operations Relationship - Be a Strategic Thinker
The relationship between strategy and operations can be illustrated in the following way:
| Clear Strategy | Unclear Strategy | |
|
Effective Operations |
I. Strategic Thinker Clear strategy and effective operations have equaled success in the past and will in the future. |
II. Operational Thinker Unclear strategy but effective operations have equaled success in the past, but success is doubtful in the future. |
|
Ineffective Operations |
III. Day Dreamer Clear strategy but ineffective operations have sometimes worked in the past in the short run, but increasing competition makes success doubtful in the future. |
IV. Crisis Thinker Unclear strategy and ineffective operations have equaled failure in the past and will in the future. |
QUESTION: Which box (I-IV) is your organization in today? Why?
The Critical Difference:
Strategy
|
vs. |
Tactics |
| Central organizing statement. | Day to day actions. | |
| Spin put on things. | Things or tools spun. | |
| Road map for marketing plan. | Vehicles for the trip. | |
| Doing the right thing. | Doing things right. | |
| Concept. | Tools of execution. | |
| Organizing glue. | What gets glued. | |
| Focused. | Typically, many things. | |
| Mental, intangible. | Physical, sensory. | |
| An "action" statement: verb. | Things: nouns. |