Check. It’s Your Move Mr. Spock
In an increasingly complex world, can three-dimensional thinking eliminate the threat of unintended consequences for today’s corporate executives?
Confession: I love Star Trek. What a great television program and such a lasting memory of my childhood. For anyone, like myself, who grew up dreaming of serving on the Starship Enterprise under the brave command of Capt. Kirk and the cool logic of Mr. Spock, there was one game we wanted to play: three dimensional chess. From the earliest episodes, we saw Mr. Spock pondering his next move on what looked at the time to be a super-futuristic multi-level chessboard. I dreamed of playing it from the first moment I saw it. What were the rules? The complexity must be unbearable? Could I ever defeat Mr. Spock?
Years later, Star Trek fans invented a three dimensional chessboard and rules for the game. I never purchased it. My childhood dreams had already morphed into grown-up ambition. Recently, though, as I became aware that a new Star Trek movie is due for release in May this year, I thought back again to my childhood and the three-dimensional chessboard. Suddenly, I had a realization… I’ve been playing this game every day of my professional career. Actually, it has been a key source of management strength since my days as a mid-level executive.
I realized that understanding the consequences, both intended and unintended, of your decisions at the strategic, tactical and operational levels is one of the primary drivers of success for any manager in any organization. Understanding how your strategic moves will impact operations two levels down from your command is a simple task. You have to take the time to learn, in real terms, how your decisions impact the entire organization. It requires thinking in three dimensions… much like Mr. Spock staring at the chessboard on the Starship Enterprise.
I am going to share some experiences that may give practical tips that will help young executives to develop the analytical skills required for three-dimensional thinking at the strategic, tactical and operational levels. But before we hit light speed, let me first define strategic, tactical and operational to ensure we are speaking the same language.
