The power of collaboration
Strategic thinking can be done collaboratively as well as individually. By thinking strategically in groups, you gain other people's perspectives on critical and complex issues—an important benefit in today's challenging business landscape.
Every manager in your organization has a unique view of how the company operates. By asking peer managers questions about how they interact with people from various parts of the enterprise, you strengthen your understanding of how your actions might affect them and their work.
For instance, suppose you work in accounts receivable and want to overhaul your billing system. You know that the IT group, as well as all managers who generate bills, will be affected. However, you decide to ask others in the organization about how changing the billing system might impact them. Through conversations with people in the marketing department, you learn that your proposed changes will have significant consequences for the package design group. Why? All designs will now need to incorporate a larger bar code to accommodate changes in the billing-system technology.
By collaborating with others, you gain greater insight into the complex ramifications of even seemingly minor decisions. This insight, in turn, helps you make more strategic choices.