James,
Good points. I have recently spent several days in strategic planning sessions in different regions of the U.S. and Canada. One additional point that I would add to your comments is that strategic thinking requires you to step back from the narrow operational focus that is required and an essential part of our daily work and success. Strategic thinking requires you to look more broadly at trends, relationships, connections between ideas, etc... . As technology increases both the productivity and pace of our daily lives I believe it is increasingly important that we step away periodically, quiet the mind, and allow ourselves to think more broadly and strategically. What are your thoughts in this regard?
Dr. Blake Faulkner