Strategic Analysis and Intuitive Thinking

Strategic Analysis and Intuitive Thinking

Everyday we make choices in our lives. Sometimes our decisions are based on impulses that
we need to face along with the unfavourable consequences of our actions. We cannot afford to commit
the same mistakes at all times. This is why there are institutions that create strategic analysis at least
intuitive thinking, if the latter makes sense.
According to Urgel, E. (2017), Strategic analysis is the process of examining the organization’s
surroundings and resources to better formulate a strategy to meet the desired objectives and improved
the organization’s performance. It is the understanding of an organization’s external and internal
environments. It also deals with the creation and better utilization of resources in the pursuit of their
objectives and priorities. Such understanding is drawn from the facts data, and instructions at hand.
Strategic analysis, for example, can be done by an organization to analyse its losing
performance. It is based on data and information about the internal profile of its employees and their
capabilities and work attitudes. It can be done by the organization to investigate the external profile of
its surrounding, opportunities, and possible rivals. Moreover, intuitive thinking is sensing or knowing
without using rational processes such as reading facts and instructions. According to the dictionary,
intuition is something that is known or understood without proof or evidence. In short, intuitive is making
choices and decisions according to one’s hunch and gut feeling without knowing the reason why.
Good intuition results from long years of knowledge and experience which enable you to
comprehend how people think, act, and react, perceive and interpret, and interact with one another.
A critical mind or analytical mind usually exercises strategic thinking. Samantha Howland
(2015) identified six elements of strategic thinking designed to encourage strategic leadership among
today’s executives. It is drawn from a study of more than 20,000 executives in more than 175 countries.
The six key elements are abilities to anticipate, challenge, decide, interpret, learn, and align.
1. The ability to anticipate enables the executives to not only focus on the current situation but
also to look at the future. They should monitor the environment to foresee significant changes in the
industry to prepare them for possible threats as well as opportunities. For instance, an executive who
keeps abreast with trends and engages in trendspotting is more likely to be open to product changes
or to beef up the company’s product strength in anticipation of trend. An example is when a garment
executive spots a consumer preference for plaid print, he or she gradually reduces the production of
apparels with floral design and shifts to plaid print.
2. The ability to challenge involves raising questions instead of merely accepting information as
it comes. The purpose of raising questions is to trace the root causes of problems, to challenge existing
beliefs, and to find out biases and possible manipulation of the situation. Probing and investigation may
also be employed.
3. The ability to interpret is shown by testing a variety of hypotheses as well as comparing and
contrasting certain data prior to making decisions on particular issues. The executive avoids jumping
into conclusions without sound basis.
4. The ability to decide enables to executive to make a stand with courage and conviction despite
incomplete information at hand. The executive combines speed and quality in doing this for them to
avoid indecision or “analysis paralysis which prevent a leader from acting fast, thereby missing chances
of opportunities.
 5. The ability to align enables the executive to have different divergent viewpoints, opinions, and
agenda to attain common goals and to pursue mutual interests. Open communication and dialogue will
help address the problem of misalignment and build trust leading to consensus and agreements.
6. The ability to learn is demonstrated by an executive who accepts feedback, constructive
criticism, and even failure which are altogether viewed as source of critical and valuable insights. He
or she shows willingness to immediately return to the right course when going off tract. Failures are
considered lessons for success.
Strategic analysis is useful not only to an organization but also to an individual such as student
like you. Your current situation in striving to finish senior high school can be assessed by the following:
(a) knowing your strengths such as your competencies and values, weaknesses such as negative
attitude and needs to be filled, (b) threats such as events and situations that prevent you from focusing
on your studies, and other factors that can help you improve your skills.
Are you failing or getting poor grades? What good habits can you develop to address this
problem? Whom can you approach to help you improve your grades? Strategic analysis can be a way
to turn your weakness into strengths and to take advantage of situations that will boost your confidence
as a student. It will guide you in staying on course toward finishing senior high school.
The honing and nurturing of a critical mind or strategic thinking must start at an early age.
Students like you should be provided with opportunities to develop this ability for self-improvement. It
can also guide you in giving service to others (for example as an officer in the student council). In such
case, the students develop strategic thinking which is reflected in his or her abilities to anticipate,
decide, challenge, learn, align, and interpret.
Intuitive thinking involves a more spontaneous, instinctive, and unplanned process of solving a
problem. Evaluation of the situation and the perceived alternative course of action are quick and board.
Actions and decisions spring from hunches and gut feeling based on unpremeditated ideas or
experiences rather from facts and hard data. This type of thinking tends to be imaginative and more
applicable in situations where facts are insufficient and previous related decisions are not readily
available.
Intuitive thinkers do certain things which other do not. Carolyn Gregorie (2014), senior writer of
The Huffington Post provided the Ten Things Highly Intuitive People Do Differently. The following
activities are as follows:
1. Listening to an inner voice. They pay attention to intuition and allow it to guide them.
2. Taking time to be alone and to reflect. Spending time in solitude is their way of engaging in
deeper thoughts and creative thinking. It is also called “mindfulness” which means looking into one’s
current experience without making judgment.
3. Listening to their bodies. They tune in to their bodies for gut feeling and physical sensation or
emotion associated with intuition.
4. Observing everything. They take note of the occurrence of odd things and keep an eye on the
frequency of coincidences, unexpected connections, and instantaneous decisions or actions done.
5. Paying attention to their dreams .It refers to the way of getting in touch with their “unconscious
thinking process” and of capturing information on how to live their lives.
 6. Connecting deeply with others and staying in a positive mood. They can read a person’s mind
through his or her words, feelings, and actions. Avoiding negative emotions helps boost their intuitive
judgment.
Analytical thinking applied in strategic analysis is brain-centered and focused. It deals with one
thing and is concerned with time. It is linear and inclined toward the abstract. It efficiently works in a
condition with sufficient time, relative stability, and established criteria for analysis such as rules. It
comes in handy when an explanation is needed. The process can be taught and learned in the
classroom.
Intuitive thinking, on the other hand, possesses characteristics which mostly run in contrast to
analytical thinking. It is heart-centered, unfocused, and is not timebound. It view many things
simultaneously, is nonlinear, and is inclined toward the concrete and the real. It efficiently works in
dynamic conditions, under time pressure, and is instantaneous. It works well when the observer has
gained experience in a particular situation and he is ready to act on hunches and feeling, especially
when an explanation is not needed.
Strategic Thinking
According to Urgel, E (2017), Strategic analysis and planning have five essential components. These
components are the following:
1. Committed people. The initial step in strategic planning is getting the right people at the right
time. They are essential in effectively carrying out a strategy. These people comprise the management
staff, officers, and stakeholders. They are also called engagers.
2. Long-term strategic objectives. The objectives are poised to enhance the organizations
performance. There is need to identify the beneficiaries in the operation who will receive the benefit
from the gains brought by improved efficiency in the operations and delivery of services of the
organization. The people involved in setting the objectives are referred to as aimers.
3. Strategic alternatives. The planning team should be able derive options from brainstorming
and SWOT Analysis. These alternatives may be of higher quality than the current strategy or may
enable the organization to respond with the ease, speed, and effectiveness when changes occur in the
environment.
4. Evaluation and choice of strategies. The process of formulating a strategy which involves
evaluating and picking out which strategies could facilitate the attainment of long-term improvements.
It should include all those revealed by Strength, Weakness, Opportunities and Threats (SWOT)
analysis of the organization. From the evaluation of alternative strategies, options which are superior
to the current approach may be found, and change for organization’s improvement can be undertaken.
Those who participate in searching for and selecting strategic alternatives are called option generators.
5. Monitoring of strategy implementation. There should be a plan for formal and regular reporting
and other measures of plan implementation. These will enable the organization to know whether or not
the plan is carried out properly and the objectives are met. The monitoring system should provide ample
room for correction when improper implementation of the strategies is observed and when objectives
are not being met. Strategizers are those who implement and monitor strategy.
Intuitive Thinking
The components of intuitive thinking differ from those of strategic analysis and planning. According to
Amy Baylor (1997), there are three components of intuition and intuitive thinking: immediacy, sensing
relationship, and reason.
1. Immediacy. This refers to the timing in intuitive thinking. The time involved in intuitive thinking
is quick where decisions, actions, and solutions come up fast without planning or deliberation. Baylor
quotes George Mandler (1995), named it as “mind popping” when thoughts, ideas, and solutions come
to mind non-deliberately.
2. Sensing Relationship. This refers to the establishment or formulation of connections among
ideas. This is basic in intuition. The establishment of connection is necessary is associated with a
person’s knowledge, and
3. Reason. It deals with intuition which involves certain type of reasoning.
The table below shows the differences between strategic thinking and intuitive thinking based on
Urgel, E. (2017)
Element Strategic Analysis Intuitive Thinking
Logic Logical mind needed Logical mind not needed
Reason Starts from an idea or concept Focuses on the idea or concept
and moves on to what can be and its attributes
associated with
Center Brain-centered Heart-centered
Basis Hard facts, data, instruction Hunch, instinct, gut feeling
Time Needs time to finish in one or Spontaneous, quick, finished at
more sittings or sessions one time
Tools SWOT, PEST and other Experiences
analytical tools
Planning Well-planned unplanned

Discovery of Non-Intuitive Things

There are three ways of discovering non-intuitive things. The following are as follows:
1. Gaining more experience.
Experience is a great teacher. More experiences you have the easier it is for you to see the
similarities between new ideas and previous learning.
Experience teaches you to identify if various kind of projects, objectives or problems are straight
forward or not. It also teaches you which one employs non-intuitive (or counter intuitive) issues to
address. In other words, experience hones your intuition. It can make non-intuitive thinking become
intuitive thinking.
2. Experimentation.
Experimentation can help you uncover inconsistencies. Tinkering is a great way to discover
something that isn’t consistent with what you thought.
 3. Learn by reading, studying & teaching and learning process with your mentors.
The more you build your foundation, the more you learn about the nuances, differences and
subtleties of a wide array of mysteries. Then, intuitive thinking and non-intuitive thinking become easier
in the real life context.