 The script for presentation on strategic thinking:

Matter Manner
Hi, I’m-------------------------------- [Teacher introduces himself]
I daily plan my daily activities which [Teacher introduces the topic]
require a lot of contemplation on my part.
I need to think about different strategies in
order to smoothen them. Everyone needs
to do the same. Don’t you think so? [Teacher asks a question]
Why do you think so?
As I’ve said that strategic thinking is the [the student attempts to answer]
part and parcel of my life since it brings
advantages in the form of increased rate of
success, it can be a nice idea to share it
with you. Are you ready?

Introduction:
You know well that if you want to reach
the destination where you want to go, you
have to choose the path that leads to it. If [The teacher used appropriate accent,
there is more than one path, you’ve a intonation and gestures in order to
choice about determining which way to convince his message forcefully or
go? You would think about the path which convincingly.]
is safe and, at the same time, time saving. [Teacher asks a question]
Then you take all the logistics required for
the journey. Then you’ve a map perhaps or • Which logistics are required for
some magnetic needle to show you the the journey?
direction, in case you loose your path
while diverting away from it for a while • What’s the use of the map?
for drinking water present in the nearby
jungle. This way you preplan your journey
by means of choosing a better path and
necessary requirements in order to be
successful in reaching your destination.
This is what we call preparing a strategy
for the journey. And the thinking
associated with it is regarded as strategic
thinking. Right? If the path is right, you
would reach your destination successfully.

This shows that the means of reaching the

destination is as important as the
destination.
This is what Swami Vivekananda said a [Teacher asks a question]
century ago. A wrong path always leads us
What if the path is wrong?
astray. That’s why strategic thinking holds
importance since it shows a right path or a
correct alternative way to reach your
[Teacher shows the first slide]
destination_ i.e. your success to be precise.
Today, we are going to learn strategic
thinking with its meaning, its drivers and
the resources _ viz. Money, Time, People,
Equipment, Skills_ that form an important
driver of this kind of thinking.
[slide disappears]

Strategic thinking means,

“Systematical planning for the
future”. It indicates the awareness
of_
1. Where you are going
2. Why you are going
3. How you are going.
We should have strategic thinking for
reducing mistakes and errors while doing
some action with a specific purpose and
increasing success rate by means of
planning. This kind of thinking is used [Teacher shows the 2nd slide]
while planning strategic plans for the
future, and involves many brains that
work together to determine what to
achieve, how to achieve, within how
much time, using what and how many
resources and so on. It connects today
with tomorrow in an organized way and
sets a course of systematic action(s). This
calls for a lot of brain-storming,
approximate consensus and collective [slide disappears]
decision-making.

There are four drivers of strategic

thinking. They are:

1. Vision
2. Resources
3. Values
4. Assumptions [yours and your
organization’s]

Let’s deal with them one by one.

1. Vision:
Do you ever daydream? I hope not
ghosts or fairies as I used to in my
childhood. Do you ever think_
while you daydream_ about
something that you want to achieve
or accomplish in your life as a final
goal for self-fulfillment? This is
called vision. Vision is the final
accomplishment which is imagined
and decided by the team. Vision
paves way to the mission of the
team which ultimately is responsible
of formation of principles, priorities,
rules and regulations for the overall
team functioning or proceedings. [Teacher shows the 3rd slide]
This stimulates thinking about their
 formation by collective discussion
leading towards mutual consensus.
Remember that without vision, the [Teacher points out each item.]
leader and his team cannot move in
a proper direction and, thus, leads
itself astray.
2. Resources:
They are:
a. Money
b. Time
c. People
d. Equipment
e. Skills
Let us deal briefly with each of them. [Teacher points out “Vision”]
a. Money:

It’s one of the most important

resources one must explore for
aiding the formation of nearly any [slide disappears]
kind of vision, planning and its
execution. You need to think
whether you have enough money to
realize your strategic goal of the
organization or the team you lead.
You have to think how much money
has been allocated in the budget for
each concerned item and whether [The class bursts into laughter]
you’ve to add or minimize your
budget. The most important aspect
to be considered is to how to get this
resource.
b. Time:
Time is similar to money in how we
use it. When we spend time, there is
no improvement in efficiency,
productivity, or effectiveness. The
time is gone without a return. We
save time when we perform tasks in
less time or with less effort than
previously. We use shortcuts and
processes that streamline activities
 While a vast majority of people
confesses faltering to come to grips • What do you understand by
with time, extremely few can claim rules?
to have made the most of it. How is • Why are they formed?
it that they have got it all done? It’s
because they have managed a way
to figure out how to manage their [Teacher points out, “Resources” in
time effectively. It is managing the 3rd slide.]
oneself in relation to time. You [slide disappears]
have to think if there is enough
[Teacher shows the 4th slide]
time to reach your goal. You’ve
also to think whether your team
can achieve the goal without
[Teacher points out each item.]
wasting your time.
c. People:
People form the most important
resource and act as an agency to
find proper means to procure and
transform raw resources into useful [Teacher points out, “Money” in the
products. They help in strategic
4th slide]
thinking and decision making by
means of providing valuable inputs
or suggestions through meetings,
presentations, seminars, conferences
etc. [Teacher asks a question]
d. Equipment:
Do you have the necessary • How does your private money
equipment to work on and achieve determine your strategic
the plan? Does your vision require thinking about and planning for
updating or purchasing new the expenditure for running
equipments? This is what makes your house?
you think strategically about
attaining your goals in an efficient
manner. [slide disappears]
e. Skills:
Skills are important to process the
raw material into useful product or
products. Skills form an integral part
of any organizational strategic
 thinking and planning. Skills are
different for different tasks and can
be carefully utilized if they are
formed as the part of strategic
management.
[Teacher points out, “time” in the 4th
3. Values: slide]
Values are both personal and
institutional. The latter are the moral
principles according to which
organizational planning and policies
are formed and proceedings are
made to happen. They are
determined by the mind frame the [slide disappears]
team has and ultimately influence
the success rate.
• Do you think time is money?
Why?
Today, we have, thus, learnt strategic
thinking with its meaning, its drivers • How can you save time?
and the resources_ viz. Money, Time,
People, Equipment, Skills_ that form
an important driver of this kind of
thinking.
4. Assumptions:
They form an integral part of strategic
thinking as they are based on logical
thinking, reasoning, intuition and
experience. We assume certain things
to determine certain probable
happenings in future. For example, we
assume that our company might grow
5% more the next year by looking at
the rising graph of product sales.

Conclusion:

Don’t ever forget that Strategic

thinking means, “Systematical
planning for the future”. It shows
a right path or a correct alternative way
to reach your destination. So, it’s [Teacher points out, “People” in the
th
important to develop it for being able to 4 slide]
plan strategically and be successful.
Any questions?
[slide disappears]

• In what way can people help an

organization in decision
making?

[Teacher points out, “Equipment” in

the 4th slide]

[slide disappears]

[Teacher points out, “skills” in the 4th

slide]
[slide disappears]

[Teacher shows the 3rd slide and

points out, “Values”.]

[slide disappears]

[Teacher shows the 3rd slide and

points out, “Assumptions”.]
[slide disappears]

[Teacher concludes]