You have to think positively about a situation, and you need to be and stay positive, maintaining a positive energy and attitude throughout. Note. We offer self-paced programs (with weekly deadlines) on the HBS Online course platform. Your ability to be a culturally intelligent leader depends on your willingness to maintain a positive attitude. What Makes Storytelling So Effective For Learning? 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. Cultural strategic thinking helps you to discard what you think you know and to apply new information concerning what the situation could be. This section of the chapter provides ideas that will help you to . Once youve landed on a strategy that can help your organization reach its goals, question your assumptions, and put your hypothesis through rigorous testing. Make it a routine exercise to explore and synthesize the internal trends in your day-to-day work. As indicated earlier in the chapter, if this new . According to the Harvard Business School Online course Disruptive Strategy, strategic questions can relate to a challenge, opportunity, or ambiguity you face in your current situation, whether personal or professional. evaluate the strategies you have put in place. Your next step is to propagate strategic thinking throughout your organization, at every leadership level. How can I protect my turf? This section of the chapter provides ideas that will help you to increase your cultural strategic thinking. Learn how completing courses can boost your resume and move your career forward. is your ability to understand, interpret, reflect, and respond to what you have heard. Give yourself an hour to grow each week by clicking on the calendar icon. thinking process for them. My manager was always receptive to new information, and he . Since these providers may collect personal data like your IP address we allow you to block them here. Due to security reasons we are not able to show or modify cookies from other domains. Over six weeks, youll learn about the jobs to be done framework and disruptive innovation theory, and build skills to identify and execute high-level strategy. When you get into the habit of cultural strategic thinking, you will begin thinking on an unconscious level and not even recognize that you are using strategic thinking. Develop synergistic strategies. What are my choices? Management Decision, strategic thinking as a unique "strategic culture." Specifically, individuals are socialized into a distinct mode of strategic thinking and, as a consequence of this socialization process, they absorb a "set of general beliefs, attitudes, and behavioral patterns [that situates] them on the level of 'cul - 25 September, 2015 - 16:52 . Cultural strategic thinking may seem overwhelming at first, but as with any new 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. They also have to provide coaching and feedback as needed. Your ability to be a culturally intelligent leader depends on your willingness to maintain a positive attitude. emotions and feelings, the ambiguities and inconsistencies, and the challenges and As in peer learning, talking to someone else gives you the opportunity to break down your thinking processes. You learn to enact truly meaningful change rather than make incremental improvements. It includes goals, objectives, planning, resources, and more. It takes heightened self-awareness to avoid getting lost so you need to be aware of the ways in which your mental map may be incomplete. How do you foster strategic thinking throughout your organization? Note: Adapted from Marilee G. Adams, 2004, Change your questions, change Fully understand the business on the level of your organization. It is a critical skill in cultural intelligence because the behavior Explore our portfolio of online strategy courses and download the free flowchart to determine which is the best fit for you and your goals. In this dynamic session, Pepsi Chief Marketing Officer Todd Kaplan shared how Pepsi leans into the human side of consumers to understand their needs and behaviors as well as how to infuse those needs into the creative process to drive brand affinity. 4 Ways to Develop Your Strategic Thinking Skills | HBS Online He took time to package his ideas into a vision for the organization and engaged his peers in new discussions about how the vision could impact their areas. 4 Cultural Strategic Thinking Techniques. the new employee in the companys workplace. Ask yourself: Do people know where I stand? If not, what do you need to do to bring your perspective to the table? If you come across a situation in which a cultural fact seems to contradict Marilee AdamsAdams (2004). Tims efforts began to pay off over time, and he was able to shift his contributions in senior executive meetings from operational input to strategic input. It also serves as a memory of your experiences, which you can later refer needing, and wanting? By training your mind to think at a higher level, you create new maps of cultural situations, which help you to function more effectively. Connecting New Information. Adapted from Marilee G. Adams, 2004, Change your questions, change your life: 7 powerful tools for life and work, San Francisco, CA: Berrett-Koehler, p. 49. No, Harvard Business School Online offers business certificate programs. Building a Culture That Encourages Strategic Thinking - ResearchGate As in You were likely presented with a challenge to solve or goal to achieve. Another involves inviting dissent on your team. Together well create informed and inspired leaders ready to shape the future of your business. To create a culture of strategic thinking permeating every operational aspect, you need to take a few additional steps: To create a strategic thinking culture, you need to build up the right mental framework. Please be aware that this might heavily reduce the functionality and appearance of our site. Because cultural intelligence is intentional, you are also better able to regulate your emotions and feelings. Your leaders want to know what you think, and they view your worthiness for promotion through the lens of how ready you are to make bigger decisions. Because employees capable of thinking critically, logically, and strategically can have a tremendous impact on a businesss trajectory. Asking questions in a different way provides us with another perspective. 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. In short, individuals with higher cultural metacognition did better at the get-acquainted conversations; their sensitivity in relying on cultural preconceptions meant that they were able to bridge the intercultural gap. 7. says we need to approach the challenges that differences bring through acceptance, respect, and learninga frame that he calls the "respectful mind." We How can I prove Im right? Just a half hour, once or twice a week, would allow him to shape his point of view on important issues. Some examples of strategic questions you might ask include: In addition to asking strategic questions, you need to answer and address them skillfully. Leaders on every level have to hold their reports accountable for fulfilling these expectations. You will notice it when others marvel or comment at your ability to effectively manage cultural interactions. Essential in cultural strategic thinking is your ability to conjure and be positive about Integrate HBS Online courses into your curriculum to support programs and create unique I have learned that in order to work well with this diversity, I have to fully I have also drawn up a series of concrete steps to help you develop this competency: Your next step is to propagate strategic thinking throughout your organization, at every leadership level. Tim communicated the project and its milestones across the organization, allowing the executive team to see that he could lead a strategic initiative; previously, Tim would have kept it behind the scenes. Whats the direction for growth for each of our products or services? In gaining cultural knowledge, it is very helpful to get into the habit of checking your facts and knowledge about a culture. had to, and it affects their learning environment in a negative way and often. proposes that when you change your questions in any given situation, this allows you to change your thinking. Learn how to formulate a successful business strategy. 4.5: Summary. Strategy; Managing Teams; Gender; Innovation; Work-life Balance; All Topics; For Subscribers.