Transcript Slide 1

Being Strategic
Annette Lees
Strategy is:
• The essential link between
vision and outcome
• The internal logic that links all
parts of our work
• Both thinking and planning
Six parts to strategic
thinking
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Understanding your mandate
Identifying the problem
Articulating your desired outcome
Picking your scale
Designing the solution
Delivering
1. Understanding your mandate
What authority do you have?
Who do you represent?
Who are you accountable to?
Answers frame the scope and approach of the project.
Working by:
• Legal mandate
• Influence and persuasion
• Building partnerships
2. Identifying the problem
You can’t solve a problem that you haven’t
correctly identified.
Check:
• Is the true and fundamental problem?
• Have you got to the cause of the problem?
• Have you picked the most important
problem?
• Have you picked a problem that can be
solved within your mandate?
3. Articulating your
desired outcome
What do you want to achieve?
An outcome expressed as crystal clear
gives us:
• A strong foundation for strategic thinking
• Clarity for partnerships
• Essential assistance in communication
4. Picking your scale
How big or small do we go?
Ask:
• At what scale are you mandated to work?
• How big is your problem?
• Will your scale solve your problem?
• What is your budget?
5. Designing the solution
Design a solution that will solve the problem.
- Check assumptions
- Strategic planning
- Closely linked operational planning
- Monitoring and reviewing
- Learning and improving
6. Delivering
Effectiveness will depend on:
- Know how and can do
- Alignment in policy, planning and
regulation
- Integration of understanding and
knowledge
- Common purpose
- Good communication