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Strategic Thinking
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In the Strategic thinking article, the author gives multiple examples of strategic thinking. Describe an incident in your life when you used strategic thinking. Did it work?
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Read these article on Strategic Thinking:
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Strategic Thinking:
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http://www.changemakingsystems.com/strategic_thinking.html
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Sun Tzu and the art of strategic thinking:
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75 words only
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Software Testing
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· Discuss the process of formal software testing, including regression testing. Why is this done?
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· Discuss software testing as a career path, and consider what skills would be desirable for a software tester.
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75 words only
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Strategic thinkingWhat do the terms "Strategic" and "Strategic Thinking" mean?: The word "strategic" is used too much these days. It has become a differentiator for status and careers, so now people stick it in as an adjective in front of most every noun, sort of a way of claiming what is strategic, whether or not they actually have it. There is strategic planning, strategic management, strategic issues, strategic positions, strategic actions, strategic alliances, and strategic business partners. Almost all planning now seems to be called strategic planning, even though very little of it is. There are misguided, but popular views that say that strategic planning is long term and futuristic (but it is just as immediate as it is long term); that it is big picture (but it can also be very focused); that it is done at the top of the organization (but it is hopefully being done throughout the organization, top to bottom); that it is linear, analytical, oriented to control, consistency, order, and predictability (but it is also flexible and imaginative(*) In Mind of the Strategist, Kenichi Ohmae says: "Strategy is analysis plus intellectual elasticity so that advantageous responses can be made to changing situations." I believe that "strategy" has to do with intentionally using my assets (like skill or special resources) and neutralizing my vulnerabilities to take advantage of a presented opportunity (often a surprise) to position myself to accomplish a goal (vision) or meet a challenge. "Strategic thinking" is the thought that is put into using assets, neutralizing vulnerabilities, taking advantage of opportunity, and positioning oneself to succeed. "Strategic thinking facilitation" is the role of helping someone or a group or and entire organization or concurrently several organization think through a strategic agenda. "Strategic planning" is when we put the thoughts and decision regarding strategy into a planning format, so that there is an alignment of understanding among the several people who have to work together to execute the strategy(ies). It is most useful to involve many people at one time in planning, since we want buy-in to the plan. |
Few writers from ancient times enjoy the same level of recognition as Sun Tzu, the famous philosopher and general from ancient China. Quotes from his timeless treatise the "Art of War" appear in popular culture and the whole book is frequently studied by business and military students around the world. Sun Tzu's "Art of War" presents thirteen chapters that describe how to factor in all important variables when trying to win a conflict. The principles can be applied to military problems as well as the challenges of the marketplace or even personal struggles.
The precise dates of the birth and death of Sun Tzu are not known, but history has verified his existence around the year 500 B.C.E. in China. Born of Sun Ping, a senior military officer in the state of Qi, Sun Tzu grew up with an education focusing on military affairs. At the time, it was common for Chinese generals to write about their philosophies of war, but it has been the work of Sun Tzu that has survived the ages. What made his "Art of War" so compelling that it is quite literally still in print 2,500 years after it was first inked onto strips of bamboo?
Part of the resilience of Sun Tzu's ideas comes from his success as a general. Ancient China was a complex chessboard of highly civilized yet warring states, and Sun Tzu enjoyed a respectable career within this challenging environment. Sun Tzu was in the employ of He Lu, the ruler of the state of Wu, who made him a general of the kingdom. In this role, Sun Tzu participated in numerous campaigns. His successes included the destruction of the Yue state, the territorial expansion of Wu, and the occupation of the city of Ying.
His successful application of his strategic thinking surely lent his literary work strength. His "Art of War" is not limited to narrow military concepts such as positioning soldiers on the field. Sun Tzu took into account all the forces acting upon a state. War is a tool of the state, and as Sun Tzu wrote, "War is a matter of vital importance to the state; a matter of life or death, the road either to survival or to ruin." But this crucial element of state power could not operate independently of diplomacy, politics, economics, geography, and philosophy. Each chapter in the "Art of War" explores these and other factors in detail and teaches that the application of military force must be used with a multidisciplinary approach. Geography is certainly given great emphasis because the actual land that is being fought over underpins military strategy, but it is not the sole consideration for a general.
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