These are the five elements that make up strategic thinking as described by Dr. Jeanne M. Liedtka, a faculty member at the University of Virginia’s Darden Graduate School of Business and former chief learning officer at United Technologies Corporation.
I’ve never met Dr. Liedtka, but I’m madly in love with her elements of strategic thinking.
One of the frustrations I’ve had with most of the definitions of strategic planning is that rarely is the concept “strategic” or “strategic thinking” well-defined. (I feel the same way about the use of the term “policies” which is why I’m drawn to the framework for policy creation as espoused by policygovernance guru John Carver)
In many definitions, strategic planning is defined as a process that employs “strategic thinking” or “strategies.” I guess the definers believe everyone inherently knows strategy when they see it. If only that were so.
I learned a great word in school many years ago: “tautology.” No it’s not a fish (that’s tautog).
A tautology is an explanation that uses the same or similar terms to explain what it means, like calling strategic planning a planning process that creates strategies.
Apparently Dr. Liedtka was also frustrated by these definitions, so she wrote an article* to explain what it meant to think strategically.
So what are these five essential elements of strategic thinking that she identified?