|
Jaap de Jonge Editor, Netherlands
|
Tips for Executives on Becoming More Strategic
Some time ago we had 2 interesting discussions at 12manage " Strategic Planning must be Dynamic" and " Developing an Agile Top Management Team". McKinsey consultants Birshan and Kar argued that top executives should become more strategic.
The beginning of the article rightly states that that even in today's fast-changing competitive environment, companies still have to timely:
- Capture emerging opportunities
- React to unexpected threats
- Make correct and timely decisions
In other words, corporations need strategic agility. To achieve this, the authors suggest to increase the TIME spent on strategy, to involve MORE (top) executives in the strategy process, and also to encourage them to CONSTANTLY DEVELOP their strategic capabilities.
The article gives 3 tips for top executives to 'become more strategic':
- Develop a guiding industry context by studying, understanding and internalizing the economical, psychological and legal developments in your sector by using:
A. Specialized sector-readings,
B. (Custom) executive education and
C. Off-site strategy sessions, etc.
- Become an expert in identifying potential disruptors (technological or other) for example using:
A. Site visits to technology hubs,
B. Periodic technical briefings,
C. Reverse-mentoring relationships with younger colleagues,
D. Talking to clients,
E. Watching new competitors, etc.
- Possess strong communication tools and skills, for example using:
A. Special sessions to share strategic insights and
B. Data that's easy to navigate and use.
⇨ Do you agree that top executives should become more strategic?
Source: Becoming more strategic: Three tips for any executive, Michael Birshan and Jayanti Kar, McKinsey Quarterly, July 2012.
X
Welcome to the Strategy and Innovation best practices. The topic being discussed here is: "Tips for Executives on Becoming More Strategic".
Please sign up now to read all responses and to join this discussion yourself.
Log in
|
|
Bahri, Germany
|
|
How a Decision Maker can Become More Strategic...
Feeling the change... is one of the most important...
|
|
|
Bernard Liebowitz PhD CMC Management Consultant, United States
|
|
3 Suggestions to Help Executives to Become More Strategic
Three suggestions in this cause:
- First, create ...
|
|
|
jorge anibal hoyos hoyos Manager, Colombia
|
|
Everybody Must Become More Strategic
Not only the executives, but all employees at all ...
|
|
|
Alan Kennedy, Canada
|
|
What Does 'Strategic' Mean? That's the Issue
I wonder if we have a common understanding of what...
|
|
|
Dr Gary Jones Business Consultant, Australia
|
|
Using Scenario Planning for Tactics or Strategy
The ongoing fortunes of the firm is reliant on the...
|
|
|
Andrew Blaine Business Consultant, South Africa
|
|
Continually Form, Review and then Re-form Strategy Essential for Executives
My area of expertise is small business. This subje...
|
|
|
John Dube - FCILT,MBA, PGCert-LoSCM (UZ) Management Consultant, Zimbabwe
|
|
Team of Executives Must be Aligned to the Commom Strategic Core of the CEO
Times, they are changing. Technological changes no...
|
|
|
leonard haggai oduori Project Manager, Kenya
|
|
A Lot of Strategic Work is Dominated by Old Timers
The challenge is not every manager is prophetic or...
|
|
|
S Ganapathy Management Consultant, India
|
|
Involving More People in Strategy
In India, especially in rural places, there often ...
|
|
|
Jan Emerton, United Kingdom
|
|
Should Senior Executives Become More Strategic?
Looking at the recent spate (Editor ~abundance) of...
|
|
|
Mohammed Al-Kharusi
|
|
Should Senior Executives Be More Strategic
The tips offered are very valid and practised in m...
|
|
|
Kelepile Dintwe Manager, South Africa
|
|
Office of Strategy Management (OSM)
@Bernard Liebowitz PhD CMC: I agree with you. The ...
|
|
|
Alessandro Gomes
|
|
How to Identify Strategic Thinkers Among Executives
@John Dube: I agree with my colleague. There's a w...
|
|
|
Purna Chandra Business Consultant, India
|
|
Strategy is not an End, it is the Means to an End
As an executive moves up on the corporate ladder, ...
|
|
|
Gregory Johnson Coach, United States
|
|
Strategic Thinking and Behavior
An interesting topic that I would think is at the ...
|
|
|
T. Bredewold Netherlands
|
|
Strategic Thinking in the Executive Team
Make it simple. Put one off your lower staff in yo...
|
|
|
Alice Oludhe HR Consultant, Kenya
|
|
Executives Should Be More Strategic
Being strategic helps CEOs to steer their organiza...
|
|
|
Riphagen Financial Consultant, Netherlands
|
|
Strategy is Part of the Culture of an Organisation
Strategy is part of the culture of an organisation...
|
|
|
Kathleen Brush Business Consultant, United States
|
|
Strategic Executices can Share the Burden of Localized Strategies
To create plans that can't lose today you must hav...
|
|
|
Denis Hitchens Business Consultant, Australia
|
|
Strategic Planning is for Strategic Moments
Steve Jobs, in reply to a question about annual st...
|
|
|
Madan Gopal Agarwal Business Consultant, India
|
|
Should Executives Become More Strategic?
My understanding about 'Top Executives' is they ar...
|
|
|
Leodegardo M. Pruna Professor, Philippines
|
|
Should Executives Be More Strategic?
The answer is a big YES. Executives can no longer ...
|
|
|
Andrew Blaine Business Consultant, South Africa
|
|
Laying out the Plan and Implementing the Plan
@Madan Gopal Agarwal: I feel that this response si...
|
|
|
Jolanta Sz Professor, Poland
|
|
Executives Working on Strategy
First of all, I am doubtful about strategy itself....
|
|
|
Erasmus Agongo Management Consultant, Ghana
|
|
All Employees Should be More Strategic
@jorge anibal hoyos hoyos: I agree. It is not only...
|
|
|
GEOFFREY NYAMBANE Manager, Kenya
|
|
Executives Becoming More Strategic has 2 Aspects
Executives becoming more strategic as defined here...
|
|
|
Ali M. Al Alawi Student (Other), Sultanate of Oman
|
|
Involve All Management Levels IS the Strategy
If we can involve all management levels in strateg...
|
|
|
Istvan Szeman Consultant, Hungary
|
|
Strategy for More than 3 Years?
@ Jolanta Sz: Thanks for that comment, I agree to ...
|
|
|
Danai Muteyo Financial Consultant, Zimbabwe
|
|
Executives Should Consult their Employees More on Strategy
@Bahri: I agree it's a must, strategy is not a pre...
|
|
|
Hans Christiaan Meinen, Netherlands
|
|
Strategy Don't Produce, People Do
Phd Coos van Tuinen lectured: 'Strategy don't prod...
|
|
|
Karl Christensen Strategy Consultant, Mexico
|
|
Executives Should Become More Strategic
Absolutely. There are executives that focus on the...
|
|
|
Mackinnon Entrepreneur, United Kingdom
|
|
Should Executives Become More Strategic
The adjective 'strategic' is used as though its me...
|
|
|
Francesco Smeragliuolo Analyst, Italy
|
|
Executive Should Become More Strategic
@KARL CHRISTENSEN: I totally agree. Sometimes I me...
|
|
|
LEAH LYNDA I. STA ANA Student (MBA), Philippines
|
|
Involving More People in Strategy Planning
I agree to involve a large number of more strategi...
|
|
|
Andrew Blaine Business Consultant, South Africa
|
|
Strategy and Suggestions Boxes
Every one of us makes our own strategy. Career pat...
|
|
|
Karl Christensen Strategy Consultant, Mexico
|
|
Managing Strategic Responsibilities
The top management team is responsible for strateg...
|
|
|
DAVIS JN LOUIS Saint Lucia
|
|
Should Executives Be More Strategic
Strategic Planning is the fundamental decision and...
|
|
|
Leodegardo M. Pruna Professor, Philippines
|
|
Should Executives Be More Strategic?
@LEAH LYNDA I. STA ANA: The fact is in an institut...
|
|
|
Peter A.M. Broosus Management Consultant, Germany
|
|
Should Executives Be More Strategic?
Strategy making requires a lot of communication an...
|
|
|
Bahri, Germany
|
|
Meetings... the Hidden Strategies..
@Peter A.M. Broosus: Behind the obsolete concept o...
|
|
|
Istvan Szeman Consultant, Hungary
|
|
Should Executives Be More Strategic?
@Peter A.M. Broosus: In agreement, to further anal...
|
|
|
Jolanta Sz Professor, Poland
|
|
Again About the Strategy
Although a lot of wise and well founded and reason...
|
|
|
Istvan Szeman Consultant, Hungary
|
|
Strategic Planning may be for Strategic Moments but not only for Top Executives
@Denis Hitchens: I certainly would keep in mind wh...
|
|
|
Leodegardo M. Pruna Professor, Philippines
|
|
Becoming More Strategic
The shift from tactical/operational to long-term p...
|
|
|
Bernard Liebowitz PhD CMC Management Consultant, United States
|
|
Strategic Thinking and Planning
I think there is a distinction between "strategy" ...
|
|
|
Alan Kennedy, Canada
|
|
Tip #3 Developing Communication Tools & Skills
For me, tip #3 offered by Birshan and Kar, (develo...
|
|
|
Purna Chandra Business Consultant, India
|
|
Strategic Agility is an Outcome of Structural & Cultural Agility
While there is enough appreciation of strategic th...
|
|
|
Gregory Johnson Coach, United States
|
|
Depth of Strategic Participation/Involvement
Strategic Planning has historically been an action...
|
|
|
Istvan Szeman Consultant, Hungary
|
|
Tip#3: Communications Tools and Skills
@Alan Kennedy: I fully aggree with you here, even ...
|
|
|
Andrew Blaine Business Consultant, South Africa
|
|
Old Timers and the RC Factor
@Leonard haggai oduori: Hi there Leonard, while I ...
|
|
|
Alan Kennedy, Canada
|
|
Culture is a Product of Strategy
@Istvan Szeman: I understand your thinking. We ma...
|
|
|
LEAH LYNDA I. STA ANA Student (MBA), Philippines
|
|
Strategy in the Corporate World
Everyone in a corporate world whether you are an o...
|
|
|
Gregory Johnson Coach, United States
|
|
Abilities of Strategic Executives
Anyone in the executive/leadership position of any...
|
|
|
Graham Williams Management Consultant, South Africa
|
|
Should Executives Become More Strategic?
A contrary view perhaps, but in the controlling, h...
|
|
|
Dr. Alan Williams Professor, Thailand
|
|
Appoint More Strategic Executives
The 3 groupings are nice text book ideas and much ...
|
|
|
Matthias Bittrich Business Consultant, Germany
|
|
Corrections
React to unexpected threats" is risk management, b...
|
|
|
Alan E Palacios Director, El Salvador
|
|
Strategic Thinking Starts by Educating Executives
I concur with the approach suggested. I consider i...
|
|
|
Graham Williams Management Consultant, South Africa
|
|
Appoint More Strategic Executives
@Dr. Alan Williams: Dear Alan. Sometimes good stu...
|
|
|
CLAUDIUS RWODZI HR Consultant, Zimbabwe
|
|
Invest in Strategy and Maximize the Communication Efforts
It should be in the organization's culture that st...
|
|
|
Matthias Bittrich Business Consultant, Germany
|
|
Quite the Opposite
Some of the above arguments sound old fashioned to...
|
|
|
souleymane gaye Director, Senegal
|
|
Should Executives Become More Strategic?
Yes they should. Both in their thinking about stra...
|
|
|
Michael VanOverloop Management Consultant, United States
|
|
Why Ask This Question
Strategies are goal statements. Strategies are sup...
|
|
|
Sridhar Gopal Management Consultant, India
|
|
Managers and Strategy
Managers and strategy are two sides of the same co...
|
|
|
Graham Williams Management Consultant, South Africa
|
|
Should Executives Become More Strategic?
I love the diversity of reactions and opinions tri...
|
|
|
Mike Cudzich-Madry Professor, United Kingdom
|
|
Executives don't Have the Time or Inclination?
So executives don't have the time or inclination d...
|
|
|
Matthias Bittrich Business Consultant, Germany
|
|
Non-dualistic Thinking
A very good point, Graham.
Every company does its...
|
|
|
Mike Cudzich-Madry Professor, United Kingdom
|
|
Everyone Should Become More Strategic?
Should everyone in an organisation should become m...
|
|
|
Marcus Vinicius de Miranda Barbosa Business Consultant, Brazil
|
|
Every Employee Should Become More Strategic
My opinion is that all of us, independent of the l...
|
|
|
Matthias Bittrich Business Consultant, Germany
|
|
Overpaid Management?
@Mike Cudzich-Madry: Professor, why do think Merce...
|
|
|
Maurice Hogarth Consultant, United Kingdom
|
|
Strategy is Essentially About How To
@Alan Kennedy: Agreed. Strategy seems to be used a...
|
|
|
Gregory Johnson Coach, United States
|
|
Strategic??????
Whether working to execute a strategic plan of bei...
|
|
|
Graham Williams Management Consultant, South Africa
|
|
Making Executives More Strategic with Scenario Thinking
From my past life as someone responsible for formu...
|
|
|
Dr. Alan Williams Professor, Thailand
|
|
Executives can Become More Strategic by Listening Well
Totally agree, here's an example how executives ca...
|
|
|
John Henry Project Manager, United States
|
|
'More' Strategic?
At certain levels, strategy is ALL the leadership ...
|
|
|
Maurice Hogarth Consultant, United Kingdom
|
|
Strategy or the Confusion of Referents
A wide range of referents for the word 'strategy' ...
|
|
|
Dr. Alan Williams Professor, Thailand
|
|
Two Steps in Thinking More Strategic
I like this example from Maurice Hogarth "Our aim ...
|
|
|
John Henry Project Manager, United States
|
|
Finding the Root Cause in Strategic Thinking
It is not possible to strategically solve a proble...
|
|
|
Dr. Alan Williams Professor, Thailand
|
|
More Strategic Thinking by Managers
Well said. I add one more side point. As a CEO I o...
|
|
|
Maurice Hogarth Consultant, United Kingdom
|
|
Strategic Two Steps for Root Cause
@John Henry: Agreed and also with Alan Williams' s...
|
|
|
John Henry Project Manager, United States
|
|
I Think, Maybe Thinking: Critically
So often Maurice Hogarth, we believe that strategy...
|
|
|
Dr. Alan Williams Professor, Thailand
|
|
More Strategic Thinking by Managers
John Henry wrote "... If critical facts are not gi...
|
|
|
Gregory Johnson Coach, United States
|
|
Strategic --- 'To be or NOT to Be'
Strategic planning is a required prescription to b...
|
|
|
|
|