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Greg Githens is the author of How to Think Strategically (2019). He is a recognized thought leader in designing and delivering strategic initiatives.-
Read these recent articles
- The Skills Stack for Resilience
- Five tips for speaking truth to power
- Better Conversations Generate Better Strategy
- Insights Are the Secret Sauce of Strategy
- How a Strategic Decision Differs From a Tactical Decision
- Unlearning, learning, and a culture of strategic thinking
- How Mapping Can Improve Your Strategic Thinking
- How to Measure Business Acumen
- Strategy Execution as a Learning Process
- Why I favor a mental stance of disorder
- Critical Asking
- Transcending the Status Quo
- Connecting Strategy to Execution
- Complexity: Four Principles for Program Managers
- Use the PAVER Framework to Assure Strategic Commitments
- Strategic Experiments & Agile Responses
- Avoiding Four Pitfalls of Rapid Growth
- Operational Excellence or Strategic Excellence?
- Design Thinking: Five Landmarks for Strategic Initiatives
- Seven Must-Do’s for Better Strategy Execution
- Strategy as Problem Solving: An Example from a Large Technology Organization.
- Five Mental Anchors that Impede Your Strategic Initiative
- Five Must-Know Patterns of Disruption
- Beginners Guide: Competent Strategic Initiatives
- Volatility, Uncertainty, Complexity, & Ambiguity (VUCA)
- Four Recommendations for Effective Program Governance
- Six Strategic Thinking Skills: Developing the Proactiveness Habit
- What’s the #Strategy? Let Me Tell You a #Story
- Benefits of Being a Visible Expert
- Strategy is Not Long-Range Planning, Vision, Mission, or Values
- Five Ways to Involve Smart New Voices in the Strategy & Agile Innovation Conversation
- Is it Possible to Have a Perfect Strategy?
- Facilitating the Business Model Canvas: A Few Lessons Learned (Part 1)
- Designing Strategic Initiatives for Results: The Two Kinds of Coherence
- Perspective is More Powerful than Vision
- The Real Reason Strategy Implementation is Difficult (and the Solution to It)
- Grasping Essentials When You’re NOT the Expert
Talk to the Expert
Need a strategic planning facilitator, implementation coach, neutral mediator, workshop, seminar, or hands-on program manager? Greg Githens provides coaching, workshops, hands-on, and more. Contact him at GregoryDGithens@cs.com or 419.424.1164Categories
- Ambiguity and Strong-Minded Thinking
- Competencies of Strategic Initiative Leaders
- Examples of Strategic Initiatives
- How to Improve Your Story Telling Chops
- Incremental Benefits Delivery
- Interpreting Strategy Documents
- Program & Portfolio Management
- Strategic Planning Issues for Strategic Initiatives
- Strategy
- Strategy Coaching and Facilitation
- Strategy, Ambiguity, and Strong-Minded Thinking
- Success Principles for Strategic Initiatives
- Transforming the Organization
- Uncategorized
- Useful Practices & Management Tools
Tag Archives: Decision making
Fast and Effective Decisions Drive the Strategic Initiative
Fast and effective decisions drive the strategic initiative program. Greg Githens provides useful ideas for making faster and better decisions. Continue reading
Posted in Strategy Coaching and Facilitation, Success Principles for Strategic Initiatives, Useful Practices & Management Tools
Tagged agenda, Decision making, Decision tree, fast decisions, management tools, meetings, Problem Solving, program management, Strategic initiative, strategic mindset, strategic thinking, strategy execution, teams
5 Comments
Interpreting Vague Strategy: The Compact Approach
Strategic initiatives are often launched with a vague directive. Ask these three questions: What are the mistakes I must not make? What are the mistakes that others must not make? What resources do I have to deal with the unexpected. Greg Githens calls this the Compact Approach to Strategy. Continue reading
Pillars of Strategic Initiative Success
Greg Githens explains that good strategy, strong commitment, and strategic planning and thinking are the strategic pillars for success with strategic initiatives. Continue reading
Posted in Strategic Planning Issues for Strategic Initiatives, Success Principles for Strategic Initiatives
Tagged anticipating obstacles, Business, commitment, Consulting, correct strategy, Decision making, Forbes, good strategy, Management, program management, Strategic initiative, Strategic management, strategic pillars, strategic planks, Strategic planning, strategic thinking, Strategy, strategy execution
3 Comments
A Practical Tool for Gaining Program Management Insights
Greg Githens describes the SIMple model (SIM = Strategy, Inquiry, Metrics) as a tool for framing key issues in a strategic initiative. He recommends starting with inquiry and metrics, and using that to evaluate and refine the program strategy. Continue reading
Posted in Program & Portfolio Management, Success Principles for Strategic Initiatives, Useful Practices & Management Tools
Tagged Business, Chief learning officer, Decision making, Greg Githens, inquiry, Management, measurement, metrics, program management, questions, Strategic initiative, Strategic management, strategic thinking, Strategy
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Does Your Strategic Initiative Need a Fresh Perspective?
Greg explains how to overcome headwinds in a strategic initiative with 4 perspectives: storytelling, learning, integration, and decisions. He illustrates how each role is applied through a case study.
Posted in Competencies of Strategic Initiative Leaders, Examples of Strategic Initiatives, Strategy Coaching and Facilitation, Useful Practices & Management Tools
Tagged ambiguity, chief decision architect, chief integration officer, Chief learning officer, Chief storyteller, Competencies of Strategic Initiative Leaders, Decision making, Greg Githens, intuition, Issue management, Learning, management tools, partitioning problems, program management, questions, Strategic initiative, Strategic management, strategic thinking, strategy execution, teams, transformation, vision
1 Comment
Strategic Thinking (Part 2): Framing Decisions with the Four Types of Ambiguity
Good strategic thinkers are strong minded; they cope effectively with ambiguous information. This article explains how to recognize the four types of goal ambiguity (methods, metrics, priorities, and outcomes). The strategic initiative leader needs to frame decisions to cope with this ambiguity. Continue reading
Posted in Competencies of Strategic Initiative Leaders, Strategy, Ambiguity, and Strong-Minded Thinking
Tagged agile, ambiguity, Business, buy in, Competencies of Strategic Initiative Leaders, Consulting, Decision making, Greg Githens, Initiativeto strong mind, Management, questions, Strategic initiative, Strategic management, Strategic planning, Strategic Planning Issues for Strategic Initiatives, strategic thinking, strong minded
10 Comments
Strategic Thinking (Part 1): A Fight with Ambiguity
Strategic thinking is necessary for execution, as well as strategy formulation. Ambiguity (multiple meanings) is at the heart of strategy, so the Strategic Initiative leader’s top priority is to recognize ambiguity, clarify metrics, and develop sensible action plans. Greg Githens explains how they find the balance of patience and action. Their skillful conversation fosters understanding and gain commitment. Continue reading
Posted in Competencies of Strategic Initiative Leaders, Interpreting Strategy Documents, Strategy, Ambiguity, and Strong-Minded Thinking
Tagged ambiguity, Business, buy in, Competencies of Strategic Initiative Leaders, Decision making, fast decisions, Greg Githens, Management, Nokia, Strategic initiative, Strategic management, Strategic planning, strategic thinking, strategy execution, strong mind, transformation, vision
26 Comments
Five Things SI Leaders Need to Know about Innovation
Leaders use the word innovation frequently, but often it’s a buzzword. Innovation is not the same thing as invention or as creativity. Innovations do not sell themselves. It is a gross exaggeration to declare that people “resist change.” Innovation involves choices and decisions. Leaders help others cross the chasm. Greg Githens explains the TACOS criteria for speeding the adoption of an innovation. http://wp.me/pZCkk-fH Continue reading
Posted in Competencies of Strategic Initiative Leaders, Success Principles for Strategic Initiatives, Transforming the Organization
Tagged ambiguity, Business case, commitment, Competencies of Strategic Initiative Leaders, Decision making, Greg Githens, innovation, open innovation, Organizational culture, Strategic initiative, transformation, vision
8 Comments
How to Energize Strategic Initiatives with Outcomes
Performance outcomes are time-based trends that serve to crystallize the strategic vision. This “how to execute strategy article” explains that the strategic initiative team builds a cause-effect model. Applying its model, the team develops the strategies that lead to the desired improvement in performance outcomes. Helpful tips are provided. Continue reading
Posted in Interpreting Strategy Documents, Strategy Coaching and Facilitation, Success Principles for Strategic Initiatives, Useful Practices & Management Tools
Tagged ambiguity, change management, collaboration, Competencies of Strategic Initiative Leaders, Decision making, Greg Githens, innovation, Management, management tools, program management, questions, revpar, stkeholder expectations, Strategic initiative, Strategic management, strategy execution, success metric, teams, transformation, vision
12 Comments
Strategic Initiatives Drive Growth and Innovation in the Travel Industry
Competitive industries – for example the travel industry – use strategic initiatives to create competitive advantage. Greg Githens explains that there are 5 important tasks for leaders of strategic initiatives to create growth through innovation: understanding the brand promise, understanding the voice of the customer, effectively leveraging business intelligence, establishing appropriate success metrics, and driving effective and fast decisions. One example is how Vancouver’s port made it easier for US citizens to clear customs for cruise ships. A second example is how Hilton is innovating in its design of hotel business lounges. A third example for Marriott hotel’s bedding initiative. Continue reading
Posted in Examples of Strategic Initiatives, Success Principles for Strategic Initiatives, Transforming the Organization
Tagged airline, brand promise, Business, business intelligence, Competencies of Strategic Initiative Leaders, cruise line, cruise port, Decision making, fast decisions, Greg Githens, growth, Hilton Hotels & Resorts, Hilton Worldwide, hotel operations, innovation, Management, Marriott, ncl, norwegian, Problem Solving, Strategic management, strategy execution, strategy formulation, success metric, Tourism, transformation, Travel, vision, voice of the customer
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Leading Strategic Initiatives 