Behavioral Checklist

For the person you are evaluating (self, other), please check the box next to each statement you agree with:

Acumen

1. Comes up with insights that add value to the business
   Yes No
2. Records insights on a regular basis
   Yes No
3. Reviews their log of insights on a periodic basis
   Yes No
4. Schedules time for individual thinking on a regular basis
   Yes No
5. Schedules time for group thinking on a regular basis
   Yes No
6. Uses at least three strategic thinking tools to generate insights
   Yes No
7. Actively creates new value for customers (internal or external)
   Yes No
8. Asks "What's the insight?" after meetings, teleconferences and work activities to build a repository of learning's
   Yes No
9. Asks penetrating questions several layers deep to understand the core issues of the business regarding their work
   Yes No
10. Uses individual and group strategic thinking time effectively by employing questions, frameworks and tools to generate and capture insights
    Yes No

Allocation

11. Doesn't react with a firefighting mentality to urgent but unimportant issues
    Yes No
12. Tracks where their resources (time, talent, budget) are actually being used and continually adjusts to stay on strategy
    Yes No
13. Effectively prioritizes the most important activities and delegates or eliminates others
    Yes No
14. Defines goals and strategies for achieving them instead of being solely opportunistic
    Yes No
15. Stops investing their resources (time, talent, budget) into activities, meetings, projects, reports or tactics that they determine no longer add value
    Yes No
16. Chooses which potential customers not to serve
    Yes No
17. Chooses what to not offer to customers
    Yes No
18. Makes trade-offs and decisions that are in the best interest of the business but aren't designed to please everyone
    Yes No
19. Increases productivity over time by investing more of their resources in strategically valuable initiatives and fewer resources in non-value add activities
    Yes No
20. Understands what comprises competitive advantage and how they contribute to it
    Yes No

Action

21. Understands and can articulate the difference between goals, objectives, strategies and tactics
    Yes No
22. Writes their strategy down
    Yes No
23. Uses strategy to drive their daily activities
    Yes No
24. Translates the corporate strategy to what it means to their work
    Yes No
25. Professionally pushes back when they receive goals, objectives or strategies from others that don't technically fit the respective definitions
    Yes No
26. Understands the organization's current purpose (mission), future purpose (vision) and beliefs (values)
    Yes No
27. Communicates their strategy in a concise and easily understood format
    Yes No
28. Summarizes their insights and strategic action plan in 1-2 pages
    Yes No
29. Updates their strategic plan at least monthly to keep it relevant
    Yes No
30. Communicates the 'why' of their strategies
    Yes No

Overall

31. Contributes to profitability
    Yes No
32. Doesn't blame external circumstances for poor performance
    Yes No
33. Sees the big picture of the business and how their role contributes
    Yes No
34. Includes other relevant people in their strategy development to explore all options and build buy-in
    Yes No
35. Contributes to a culture that welcomes courteous debate and allows for differing opinions
    Yes No
36. Approaches strategy as an ongoing dialogue instead of just an annual two-day event
    Yes No
37. Proactively proposes at least three alternative solutions when bringing up problems
    Yes No
38. Listens to new or dissenting information and shows the mental agility to change course when it's warranted
    Yes No
39. Proactively assesses the business context (situation) to gauge and adapt to changes before they miss opportunities or allow threats to occur
    Yes No
40. Elevates their thinking out of the tactical, day-to-day weeds to regain their bearings and ensure their work is adding value to the strategy
    Yes No