This is the last post in our series on “tools” or “exercises” strategists may use to support their strategic management work. We will return to this topic in subsequent blog postings.

Strategic Mental Maps

Every individual has an internal “mental map” that helps to explain reality, guides decision-making and the actions we take. These mental maps are the system of values, beliefs, and interpretations of the different parts of our world. Some mental maps are stronger than others and, correspondingly, some components of mental maps are stronger than others. Mental maps are the result of an individual’s acquired knowledge and experiences throughout his or her life. While not directly visible, they can be inferred from decision and actions and be identified through the science of psychometrics.

In this the second segment of our “Radar” post.  We offer insights into facilitating the learning and strategic thinking processes in leadership teams of mid-sized organizations.  Whether it is in a private sector, public sector or nonprofit organization we believe these principals apply.

Let’s begin with a clear statement of our baseline assumptions.  Accurate assessment of any strategic environment is premised on a competent leadership team having strategic information readily available to monitor, gather, consolidate and mine on a timely basis.   The scope of this information resource should be sufficient to clearly understand the external and internal dimensions of the organization’s environment.

We argue any mid-sized organization seeking to improve their strategic management maturity rating will benefit by systematically developing and continually improving a customized strategic information system designed to meet three specific objectives.

To build strategic information radar requires executive management interact with key managers and staff on a continuous, scheduled basis to gather and evaluate strategically significant information of potential relevance to the strategic management of the organization.

We begin construction by acknowledging what we consider key characteristics of "strategically significant information" to be:

1. Information from any source, direct or indirect, primary or secondary, public or private, free or by subscription, but always only obtained ethically*
2. Information that is fact-based/objective and separated from information that is opinion-based /subjective (both types need to be collected)
3. Information that can be gathered systematically, documented, and summarized in periodic reports to management
4. Collected information that is screened with a set of filtering criteria for its potential relevance to the CEO and his/her core team set up to evaluate this information.
5. Information that is finally assessed by the CEO and his/her core team for its potential relevance to the organization in setting its strategic direction and selecting strategic alternative courses of action.
   * This is not an exercise in commercial espionage, or any such activity that includes illegal, unethical, unacceptable, or unprofessional activities.

By accepting the first three as parameters for system design, we can focus attention on building out four and five, respectively, to establish criteria for screening, analyzing and evaluating strategically important information.  

These tumultuous and unpredictable times call for flexible, responsive organizations. To succeed, leadership teams must be able to effectively assess, think, innovate, formulate, plan, implement, learn and adapt…all within the same cycle.  Attaining this level of proficiency in strategic management is certainly not easy, but it can and is being done.

We agree that a leadership team, in any sector of the economy, by definition, leads their organization’s strategic thinking, planning, implementation and most importantly learning processes. We also make the argument leadership teams of all stripes will improve the responsiveness and performance of their organization through selective use of a continually improving strategic management tool kit.

So what do we mean by a “tool kit?”  Checking a number of online dictionaries one finds the noun tool kit defined as “a set of tools designed to be used together or for a particular purpose.” We use this down-to-earth metaphor to highlight the range of practical strategic management models, concepts, exercises and progressive practices (i.e. tools) available to leadership teams and organizations.