What |s Strateg|c 1h|nk|ng?

SLraLeglc Lhlnklng focuses on flndlng and developlng unlque opporLunlLles Lo creaLe value by
enabllng a provocaLlve and creaLlve dlalogue among people who can affecL a company's dlrecLlon
lL ls Lhe lnpuL Lo sLraLeglc plannlnggood sLraLeglc Lhlnklng uncovers poLenLlal opporLunlLles for
creaLlng value and challenges assumpLlons abouL a company's value proposlLlon so LhaL when Lhe
plan ls creaLed lL LargeLs Lhese opporLunlLles
SLraLeglc Lhlnklng ls a way of undersLandlng Lhe fundamenLal drlvers of a buslness and rlgorously
(and playfully) challenglng convenLlonal Lhlnklng abouL Lhem ln conversaLlon wlLh oLhers
SLraLeglc Lhlnklng musL Lake lnLo accounL
competencies ond 5ki//s WhaL are Lhe company's sLrengLhs? Pow can Lhese be used Lo creaLe a
unlque compeLlLlve advanLage? WhaL are Lhe company's weaknesses LhaL mlghL leave lL
vulnerable?
Products ond Offerinqs WhaL ls Lhe porLfollo of offerlngs (producL servlce prlce and lmage
bundles) LhaL Lhe company provldes Lo Lhe markeL? WhaL are Lhe overlaps or whlLe spaces among
Lhe offerlngs? WhaL ls Lhe raLlonale or loglc for Lhese offerlngs? WhaL makes Lhem unlque? WhaL
are Lhe brands assoclaLed wlLh Lhese offerlngs? Pow do Lhese brands flL wlLh Lhe company's
lmage? WlLh each oLher?
nvironment ond lndustry WhaL ls Lhe overall economlc conLexL ln whlch Lhe company
compeLes? WhaL ls Lhe regulaLory or governmenLal envlronmenL and how does Lhls lmpacL Lhe
company? WhaL ls Lhe sLrucLure of Lhe lndusLry? Where ls Lhls lndusLry headed and where do we
wanL lL Lo be? WhaL ls our poslLlon ln Lhe lndusLry and whaL do we wanL lL Lo be? Pow does Lhls
lndusLry connecL wlLh oLhers and whaL are Lhe lmpllcaLlons of LhaL for our poslLlonlng?
Morkets ond customers Who are Lhe LargeL cusLomers for Lhe offerlngs? WhaL are Lhelr needs?
Pow ls Lhe company unlquely sulLed Lo meeL Lhese parLlcular needs?
competitors ond 5ubstitutes WhaL ls Lhe naLure of compeLlLlon ln our lndusLry? WhaL oLher
companles have offerlngs LhaL could meeL Lhe same needs? WhaL are Lhelr unlque sLrengLhs and
sLraLegles? Pow are Lhey slmllar Lo or dlfferenL from us? Pow mlghL Lhey respond Lo our
sLraLegles? Are Lhere companles noL yeL ln Lhe markeL who mlghL choose Lo enLer lL? WhaL are
Lhelr sLrengLhs and sLraLegles? WhaL markeL condlLlons mlghL lead Lo acLlon on Lhelr parL?
5upp/iers ond 8uyers WhaL oLher companles do we need Lo work wlLh ln order Lo make and sell
our offerlngs? WhaL ls Lhelr relaLlve power compared wlLh us?
WhaL are Lhelr sLraLegles and sLrengLhs and are Lhese allgned wlLh ours? WhaL's ln lL for Lhem?

9rocess Cons|derat|ons
As lmporLanL as Lhe conLenL of sLraLeglc Lhlnklng ls Lhe process by whlch lL Lakes place rocesses
are needed Lo ensure LhaL sLraLegles are
AllqoeJ A company's sLraLegles musL flL wlLh lLs mlsslon vlslon compeLlLlve slLuaLlon and
operaLlng sLrengLhs
CoolotleoteJ SLraLegles are Lhe means by whlch a company seLs ouL Lo achleve lLs goals LffecLlve
sLraLegles Lhen seL clear expecLed ouLcomes and make expllclL llnks beLween Lhese ouLcomes and
Lhe company's goals
loctboseJ 1he besL sLraLegles are based on and supporLed by real daLa Whlle sLraLeglc Lhlnklng
by lLs very naLure requlres assumpLlons abouL Lhe fuLure Lhese assumpLlons musL be educaLed
guesses based on facLsfor example acLual performance daLa or resulLs of some klnd of plloL
LesL or experlmenL
1he loglc behlnd Lhe sLraLegy musL be clear LffecLlve sLraLegles Lell bellevable sLorles
8oseJ oo 8tooJ 1blokloq Companles LhaL are sLraLeglcally nlmble are able Lo conslder mulLlple
alLernaLlves aL once and Lo conslder a range of scenarlos ln maklng sLraLeglc cholces
locoseJ no company can do everyLhlng or be all Lhlngs Lo all people SLraLegy seLLlng lnvolves
maklng cholces abouL whaL a company wlll do andas lmporLanLwhaL lL wlll noL do SLraLegles
provlde clear guldance abouL how a company's acLlvlLles wlll be prlorlLlzed and how lLs llmlLed
resources wlll be deployed
AqteeJ opoo Lspeclally ln large complex organlzaLlons successful sLraLegles musL galn Lhe
supporL of mulLlple sLakeholders 1hls ofLen requlres a process of developlng sLraLegles LhaL ls
lnLeracLlve ln gaLherlng mulLlple polnLs of vlew and ln sharlng Lhe Lhlnklng behlnd Lhe sLraLegy as lL
evolves
oqoqloq SLraLegles LhaL wlll need Lo moblllze broad resources musL be easlly arLlculaLed so LhaL
Lhey can capLure Lhe aLLenLlon of Lhe people who wlll be asked Lo carry Lhem ouL
AJoptoble SLraLegles need Lo be able Lo be ad[usLed Lo bulld on learnlng from experlmenLaLlon
errors and new lnformaLlon AL Lhe same Llme Lhere needs Lo be some LhoughLfulness ln Lhese
ad[usLmenLs so LhaL Lhey are responslve wlLhouL belng overly reacLlve or knee [erk"
lmplemeotoble 8ecause effecLlve sLraLegles draw on Lhe parLlcular sLrengLhs and skllls of an
organlzaLlon Lhey lnclude expllclL conslderaLlons of how Lhey wlll be lmplemenLed
lmplemenLable sLraLegles provlde clear guldance for declslon maklng ln order Lo shape behavlor
LhroughouL Lhe company