Strategic thinking is how famous entrepreneurs made their name. We call them geniuses, and rightfully so. It was their carefully thought-out strategies that provided them with a path to success. Of course, plan execution got them across the finish line, but that’s another topic all in itself.
Sharpen your strategic-thinking skills
To become a cunning strategic thinker, learn to see things from multiple perspectives. You’ll gain the insight to apply the best strategy every time. I’ll focus on multi-angle perception first. After that, I’ll show you some ways to sharpen your strategic-thinking skills to become a real entrepreneurial strategist.
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Thank you! Now for some paradigm shifting…
A good strategic thinker is one who can step out of their current paradigm and dynamically shift their point of view. By looking at a situation from different angles, you’ll discover many different sets of possibilities for winning versus losing. Then you can apply the BEST strategy every time.
Use strategic thinking to change your viewpoint
Normally, when looking at a challenge, you decide your response based on the advantages and weaknesses that are visible. But, when you change your viewpoint, you discover another set of advantages and weaknesses. Therefore, you can take an action that has an even greater advantage.
Repeatedly change your perspective to find the best strategy
Think about how your competitors see things. What would they want you to do or not do? What would they want the other competitors to do or not do? Continue looking for the best advantages as you repeatedly change your perspective. Do this until you find the best strategic opportunity.
Interactive strategic game play
This blog post may be great for developing your intellectual understanding of strategic thinking, but it’s not interactive. I’m not actively competing against you in person. Therefore, study the information I’m presenting and learn as much as you can. Then, go play some interactive strategy games. Turn your knowledge into a real strategic-thinking skill. And with practice comes proficiency and speed.
Learn how to win every time
Once you start making effective decisions quickly, you can apply strategic thinking in real-time. You’ll eventually be able to do this in a dynamic and complex environment, where other competitors will have a hard time competing. Learn how to win, every time!
Board-game strategic thinking
An exciting example of a board game you can play to improve your strategic-thinking skills is Hasbro’s board game: Risk. Play it often and with more than two players. I strongly recommend it. Be sure to always meditate on those moves your opponents want you to make next and those moves your opponents don’t want you to make, and why.
Stay three or four steps ahead of everyone
Meditate again for each of the other players, all using the same strategic thinking. What move does another player want the other players to make or not make? Do this quickly and secretly after every move. Master this, and you’ll stay three or four steps ahead of everyone – hone your strategic-thinking proficiency.
Business strategic thinking
The board-game Risk can really prepare your brain for business strategic thinking. Just change your perspective from countries with armed forces to companies with sales and marketing teams. Then imagine the board itself as the global marketplace containing your target market. The strategic thought process is the same.
Pit your team against each other
If companies allowed their marketing and sales teams to play strategy games like Risk with each other during business hours, we’d all have much tougher competition out there. So consider it your advantage that they harshly frown upon it. There’s a stereotype of work-avoiding employees winning new high scores in Minesweeper. But now you’ll see things differently.
You’re the entrepreneur. You set the rules at your business startup. So begin by playing strategy games regularly with all of your first employees; the founding members. Then play with your own marketing and sales teams after you’ve assembled them. And pit them all against each other. Doing this will enable your startup will win market-share faster than any other company out there. You and your company will now use strategic thinking to win.
Improve the strategic-thinking skills within your company
Structure a formal strategy-game time during business hours, one or more days per week. If it’s scheduled by you, nobody will feel strange about playing games while on the clock. And be sure to track the game stats regularly and provide rewards for those who win. Then, don’t hesitate to work with those who don’t fare well. This is now part of their work, so rating them becomes appropriate.
A good litmus test
Require everyone to read this blog post. They will learn better how to develop their strategic-thinking skills. That should help those who struggle a bit. But unfortunately, if some never win at strategy games like Risk, they may not be fit to be your marketing professionals. Make your weekly game time one of your on-going litmus tests for all of them and watch your business grow!
Improve your company’s target-market strategies
Remember, the point of playing strategy games during work hours is to continuously improve the strategic-thinking skills within your company. Therefore, Implement something like this right away. You’ll be shocked and amazed by what you discover. And, you’ll be impressed by your company’s improved strategies in your target marketplace.
Practice mindful contemplation
To craft your strategy based on mindful contemplation, first identify a comprehensive set of solutions in response to a problem or an opportunity. Then highlight the full range of assumptions, values, and external factors at play in a decision-making situation so you can see each and every one of them clearly. Next, ask yourself whether you’ve pinpointed all of the right questions and problems. Lastly, step back and ask yourself whether you’ve identified all of the best solutions.
Uncover additional problems that are unseen by your competitors
After you’ve correctly identified all of the problems, all of the right questions to ask, and all of your best solutions, change your viewpoint and start over – rinse and repeat. Do this as many times as you can. Be sure to remind yourself that the more you practice this, the better your chances are of prevailing. If you follow these steps diligently, you’ll uncover additional problems that are unseen by your competitors. Then YOU can solve them first with the best strategy!
Thank you for reading:
STRATEGIC THINKING – If 80% of success is showing up, 20% depends on strategy
Written By: Greg Hixon of RE-MEX-IMAGE and Hixonic Web Specialists
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