Creative thinking and strategic planning are considered by many to be complex processes that are not well understood. In addition, people will comment that ‘I’m not creative’, obviously assuming that you’ve either got it or you haven’t.
Creative, strategic thought is indeed a process, and by understanding the steps involved, we can begin to apply a structured framework and methodical approach to generating creative and strategic outcomes. This makes the process more accessible to all, and provides a concrete pathway to follow when we are in uncertain ground.
 Thinking Outside the Bow™ is such a process. It breaks the thinking process into a series of pieces, which can be tackled separately, in order to clarify where we are in the thinking process.
This is particularly useful when working in groups to clarify strategic issues, because we can stay together rather than getting lost in the range of ideas that otherwise tend to emerge.
Thinking Outside the Bow™ can be used for any issues or topics that are not clear, where there is a wide range of related information and considerations, and where more clarity is sought.
It has proven to be a robust and scalable framework for strategic planning. Whilst organisational opportunities and issues are complex, the essentially simple nature of Thinking Outside the Bow™ provides a common sense guide to contain those complexities.
The four main elements of the framework can be related to the metaphor of shooting a bow and arrow.
- Outcomes (the Target) – Where do we want to go?
- Current Reality (the Bow) – Where are we now?
- Strategies (the Arrow) – How shall we get from here to there?
- Evaluation (reload & refocus) – How will we measure success, and continuously improve?
NB. This model is adapted from Robert Fritz’s work on the creative process, outlined in his book “The Path of Least Resistance”
Using the Model
1. Outcomes (The Target)
What do we want to achieve?
Being clear on what you are trying to achieve as a result of this topic or issue is an important first step. Artists and musicians hold clear pictures in their heads of what it is they are creating. In strategic planning or problem solving, the outcomes may not always be clear at the outset, but may emerge following work with Current Reality.
Keep in mind the following
- Clear statements of what you want and when
- Stated in positive terms, not what you don’t want
- BHAG’s (Big Hairy Audacious Goals) can be inspiring
- Chunk down big goals into achieveable parts
2. Current Reality (The Bow)
Where are we now?
This is in many ways the most important component of creativity & strategic formulation. Yet it is also the most overlooked and least done.
Current reality involves getting a full picture of where we are now, in relation to our desired outcomes. It is about awareness. Being aware of the range of information, experience, and perceptions that all the varying stakeholders have.
It is captured and expanded often by asking good quality strategic questions, not only of what we know, but also what we don’t know.
Keep in mind the following
- What is all the information relating to the outcome
- What don’t we know? Be honest with yourself
- Obvious but overlooked information is often useful
- Beliefs and assumptions influence your perception
3. Strategies & Actions (The Arrow)
How shall we get from here to there? What action do we take?
A common desire in business is to jump straight from #1, Our outcomes, to this step… and begin asking … what are we going to do about it. This leaves little space for the creative process to unfold.
Creativity arises from the tension between where we are now, (Current Reality) and where we want to be (Outcomes). The clearer we get about those two, the more our Strategies and Actions will emerge and evolve in response to these. This helps us to think more widely about possible approaches, to break from habit and try new things.
Keep in mind the following
- Develop multiple approaches
- Notice habitual actions and try something different
- Clarity and depth in 1 & 2 will help ideas to emerge
4. Evaluation (Reload & correct aim)
How will we measure success, and continuously improve?
Often our approaches miss the mark. Or get close, but we recognise the need to keep improving. Part of the creative and strategic process is to ensure we build in an evaluation step, to ensure that we revisit regularly our thinking and plans, check our progress and adjust accordingly.
Keep in mind the following
- Rework 1, 2 & 3 if not achieving desired results
- Invaluable, but infrequently done
- Plan a time to evaluate on a regular basis
Whilst this is more a part of implementation of strategy than the creative design, it is an important but often overlooked component to ensure that plans are implementable as they are created.
|
Meeting Tools
Quick Links
Testimonials
