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Articulo Pensamiento Estratégico
Articulo Pensamiento Estratégico
learning to play
the other side of
the strategy coin
H
ave you ever been taken aside by your control and creating an innovative, sustainable
By Julia Sloan boss and told you need to become more strategy that outwits competitors. Learning
Founder and president of a “strategic thinker,” only to nod your to think strategically is a requisite for that
Sloan International Inc. head, then scratch it and wonder what exactly to take place. SAMs have a sobering task: to
your boss had in mind? If so, you’re in very good see the broader context in which accounts
company! Corporate executives frequently exist and imagine contexts in which accounts
complain they don’t have strategic thinkers could exist while continuously challenging the
in their ranks, but rarely do they know how underlying assumptions that prop up current
to develop any. In fact they seldom recognize and proposed operating strategies. SAMs also
strategic thinking when it does occur and have a responsibility to rigorously test the
often reinforce development activities that fundamental operating processes, to move
actually impede it because they’re unaware of beyond solving strategy problems to the
the cognitive underpinnings required for it to much tougher, more complex issue of posing
happen. Examples critical questions
of this include:
zapping ideas that
As a strategic account manager, that induce premise
reflection about
drift off topic,
nixing thoughts
the crux of your role is to help strategy practices
and issues.
that come from a your business venture become Research has
hunch, shushing repeatedly shown
tough questions or remain that developing
that challenge strategic thinkers
long-held industry competitive. ranks a mong
or company beliefs the most urgent
and assumptions, concerns reported
reserving coveted seats at the strategy by cor por ate
bench to an elite cadre of analytic executives globally.
thinkers and stashing the strategy into a Yet strategic thinking
slick binder or spreadsheet. is rarely defined
As a strategic account manager, the crux and f requently
of your role is to help your business venture misunderstood as synonymous with strategic
become or remain competitive. SAMs are a planning. It’s imperative for SAMs to expand
valuable, vulnerable lot. On one hand they are their strategy repertoire by understanding
rewarded for getting big results fast. On the what strategic thinking is, being aware of the
other hand they are many times hammered for underlying cognitive processes required of it
not being strategic and being clueless about and knowing the five attributes of strategic
what to do. SAMs are responsible for dealing thinkers if they intend to develop the capability
with complexity over which they have no to generate innovative, sustainable strategy.
• G
ive permission to designated • K
eep track of things you can’t control. strategic thinkers and the underlying
attendees to act as the contrarians Bring in outside viewpoints to cognitive processes of strategic thinking.
during strategy meetings. Rotate this challenge and test you as a means of Successful strategy requires being adept
role until everybody feels comfortable broadening perspective and imagining at playing both sides of the strategy coin:
playing it during meetings. Keep it possibilities—e.g., think about the non-linear, intuitive, imaginative
playful and purposeful. unrelated as well as adjacent industries, side and the linear, logical, analytical
• Instead of saying no, ask a question. the same industry in other countries side. Because the linear side is already
and historical industries. deeply entrenched in traditional strategy
• M
odel asking tough questions about courses and conventional professional
your current strategy. Be explicit in • R
eflect on things that provoke
development programs, most SAMs
what you believe your fundamental questions or strong feelings from
need to sharpen their focus on the non-
assumptions are, then encourage within you or others. Record your
linear side. A SAM who develops the
others to challenge you. thoughts, feelings and questions about
dual capability and agility of strategic
strategic issues in a journal. This is
• L
isten to hard questions without feeling thinking and strategic planning as well
a useful, insightful way to begin to
the need to respond immediately or as the judgment of iterating between
notice patterns, uncover assumptions
give answers. Avoid the temptation of the two is a strategy champion of the
and highlight blind spots in your
an instant answer, and instead allow 21st century.
thinking.
time for questions to sink in. Take
away and reflect on these. This begins • W
rite or share parables and analogies
to break the rapid-response habit that illustrate the patterns, beliefs Julia Sloan will conduct a class about strategic thinking
and allows time to think. Encourage and assumptions you have or observe at SAMA University in November in Chicago. She
sufficient space and time to reflect. about strategy issues. is founder and president of Sloan International
Inc. (www.sloaninternationalconsulting.com), a
• Invite listeners and questioners • L ook for patterns in nature and the New York City-based executive leadership firm
who don’t know the background, arts (repetition, contrast, macro/micro specializing in strategic thinking, and author of
Learning to Think Strategically. She teaches strategic
content or politics of your strategic and polarities), and see how far you thinking at Columbia University in the City of
issue. Appreciate surprises and new can extend these patterns in strategy. New York (www.columbia.edu) and The Brookings
perspectives. Keep moving mentally. Institution (www.brookings.edu). Sloan can be
reached at julia@sloaninternationalconsulting.com
• Identify polarities that create tension or (212) 362-9455. She can also be found at www.
spots in strategy sessions, and stay Summary linkedin.com/pub/julia-sloan/10/844/bb1.
with that tension as a starting point Having a cadre of strategic thinkers
for innovative thought. Record these Additional resources
is a distinct competitive business
For more information on this subject in SAMA’s
spots, reflect on them, and play with advantage. While not everybody needs library, the editor recommends: Philip Styrlund,
them. to be a strategic thinker, SAMs need James Robertson and Shakeel Bharmal, “Strategic
• C
reate and allow some drift time for to know who their strategic thinkers thinking: the essential ingredient of a strategic
minds to diverge and reflect on intuitive are and how to further strengthen account manager,” 47th Annual Conference,
May 15, 2011, www.strategicaccounts.org; and
thoughts. Maintain records of ideas, strategic thinking capabilities to create
William Hortz, “The strategic imperative: what
thoughts and impressions regardless innovative, sustainable strategy. They strategic account management programs can teach
of how ridiculous, fragmented or can expand their strategy repertoire us,” Velocity®, Vol. 13, No. 2, Spring 2011, www.
irrelevant they may seem. by understanding the five attributes of strategicaccounts.org.