Strategic thinking is the ability to analyze complex information and data, identify trends and opportunities, and develop creative and innovative strategies to achieve business goals. Employees who possess strong strategic thinking skills are able to anticipate changes in the market and adapt their strategies accordingly. They are also able to collaborate effectively with team members to generate new ideas and approaches.

Performance Review Questions: Strategic Thinking

Based on the answers to these questions, you can determine which rating to assign:

1. Does the employee consistently demonstrate strong strategic thinking skills?
2. Does the employee develop effective strategies that positively impact business outcomes?
3. Is the employee able to analyze data and information to identify trends and opportunities?
4. Does the employee proactively identify potential challenges and develop contingency plans?
5. Does the employee collaborate with team members to generate new ideas and approaches?

• If the employee consistently demonstrates exceptional strategic thinking skills, develops innovative and creative strategies, and proactively seeks out new ideas and approaches, they would receive a rating of Outstanding.
• If the employee demonstrates strong strategic thinking skills, develops effective strategies, and collaborates with team members, they would receive a rating of Exceeds Expectations.
• If the employee demonstrates solid strategic thinking skills and meets business goals, they would receive a rating of Meets Expectations.
• If the employee demonstrates limited strategic thinking skills and struggles to develop effective strategies, they would receive a rating of Needs Improvement.
• If the employee demonstrates no strategic thinking skills and is unable to develop effective strategies, they would receive a rating of Unacceptable.

Performance Review Phrases and Paragraphs Examples: Strategic Thinking

5 – Outstanding

Example Phrases

• Consistently demonstrates exceptional strategic thinking skills
• Develops innovative and creative strategies that drive business growth
• Analyzes complex data and information to identify trends and opportunities
• Anticipates potential challenges and develops contingency plans
• Proactively seeks out new ideas and approaches to improve business outcomes
• Serves as a role model for strategic thinking within the organization, inspiring others to adopt a forward-thinking mindset
• Demonstrates a remarkable ability to synthesize complex information and develop comprehensive, long-term strategies
• Consistently generates game-changing ideas and solutions that significantly contribute to the company’s success
• Proactively identifies and capitalizes on emerging market trends and opportunities ahead of competitors
• Demonstrates exceptional foresight in anticipating potential obstacles and developing effective mitigation strategies
• Effectively communicates and gains buy-in for strategic initiatives across all levels of the organization
• Consistently seeks out and incorporates diverse perspectives to develop well-rounded and inclusive strategies
• Demonstrates a strong ability to adapt and pivot strategies in response to changing market conditions or business needs
• Proactively seeks out and analyzes data and insights to inform strategic decision-making
• Consistently sets and achieves ambitious strategic goals that push the boundaries of what is possible
• Demonstrates a keen understanding of the company’s competitive landscape and uses this knowledge to develop winning strategies
• Effectively collaborates with cross-functional teams to ensure alignment and successful execution of strategic initiatives
• Consistently challenges the status quo and encourages others to think creatively and strategically
• Demonstrates a strong ability to balance short-term tactical needs with long-term strategic objectives

Example Paragraph

John consistently demonstrates exceptional strategic thinking skills. He has developed innovative and creative strategies that have driven significant business growth. John is skilled at analyzing complex data and information to identify trends and opportunities, and he is able to anticipate potential challenges and develop contingency plans. He proactively seeks out new ideas and approaches to improve business outcomes, and his contributions have been instrumental in the success of our organization.

4 – Exceeds Expectations

Example Phrases

• Consistently demonstrates strong strategic thinking skills
• Develops effective strategies that positively impact business outcomes
• Analyzes data and information to identify trends and opportunities
• Proactively identifies potential challenges and develops contingency plans
• Collaborates with team members to generate new ideas and approaches
• Demonstrates a strong ability to think strategically and develop effective long-term plans
• Consistently generates innovative ideas and solutions that drive business growth and success
• Proactively identifies and capitalizes on emerging market trends and opportunities
• Demonstrates foresight in anticipating potential obstacles and developing effective contingency plans
• Effectively communicates and gains support for strategic initiatives within their team or department
• Seeks out and incorporates diverse perspectives to develop comprehensive and inclusive strategies
• Demonstrates an ability to adapt and modify strategies in response to changing business needs or market conditions
• Proactively seeks out and analyzes relevant data and insights to inform strategic decision-making
• Consistently sets and achieves strategic goals that align with the company’s overall objectives
• Demonstrates a solid understanding of the company’s competitive landscape and uses this knowledge to develop effective strategies
• Collaborates effectively with team members and stakeholders to ensure successful execution of strategic initiatives
• Encourages and supports others to think strategically and contribute ideas to drive business success
• Demonstrates an ability to balance short-term operational needs with long-term strategic priorities
• Consistently seeks out opportunities to learn and stay current on industry trends and best practices in strategic thinking

Example Paragraph

Sarah consistently demonstrates strong strategic thinking skills. She has developed effective strategies that have positively impacted business outcomes. Sarah is skilled at analyzing data and information to identify trends and opportunities, and she proactively identifies potential challenges and develops contingency plans. She collaborates with team members to generate new ideas and approaches, and her contributions have been valuable to our organization.

3 – Meets Expectations

Example Phrases

• Demonstrates solid strategic thinking skills
• Develops strategies that meet business goals
• Analyzes data and information to inform decision-making
• Responds effectively to challenges as they arise
• Contributes to team discussions and generates ideas
• Demonstrates a satisfactory level of strategic thinking skills and ability to develop effective plans
• Generates ideas and solutions that contribute to meeting business objectives
• Identifies and responds to market trends and opportunities within their scope of work
• Anticipates potential challenges and develops appropriate contingency plans
• Communicates strategic initiatives and goals to team members or stakeholders as needed
• Incorporates feedback and diverse perspectives when developing strategies
• Demonstrates an ability to adapt strategies in response to changing business needs or market conditions
• Uses relevant data and insights to inform strategic decision-making
• Sets and achieves strategic goals that align with the company’s overall objectives
• Demonstrates an understanding of the company’s competitive landscape and considers this when developing strategies
• Collaborates with team members and stakeholders to execute strategic initiatives
• Supports and contributes to team discussions and idea generation related to strategic planning
• Balances short-term operational needs with long-term strategic priorities
• Seeks out opportunities to learn and improve their strategic thinking skills through training or mentorship

Example Paragraph

Mark demonstrates solid strategic thinking skills. He develops strategies that meet business goals and is able to analyze data and information to inform decision-making. Mark responds effectively to challenges as they arise and contributes to team discussions, generating ideas that help move projects forward.

2 – Needs Improvement

Example Phrases

• Demonstrates limited strategic thinking skills
• Struggles to develop effective strategies
• Has difficulty analyzing data and information to inform decision-making
• Is reactive rather than proactive in addressing challenges
• Struggles to contribute to team discussions and generate ideas
• Occasionally struggles to think strategically and develop effective long-term plans
• Generates ideas and solutions that may not always align with business objectives or drive growth
• Misses opportunities to identify and capitalize on emerging market trends and opportunities
• Demonstrates limited foresight in anticipating potential obstacles and developing contingency plans
• Struggles to effectively communicate and gain support for strategic initiatives within their team or department
• Rarely seeks out or incorporates diverse perspectives when developing strategies
• Demonstrates difficulty adapting strategies in response to changing business needs or market conditions
• Inconsistently uses data and insights to inform strategic decision-making
• Sets strategic goals that may not always align with the company’s overall objectives
• Demonstrates a limited understanding of the company’s competitive landscape and fails to consider this when developing strategies
• Struggles to collaborate effectively with team members and stakeholders to ensure successful execution of strategic initiatives
• Rarely encourages or supports others to think strategically and contribute ideas to drive business success
• Has difficulty balancing short-term operational needs with long-term strategic priorities
• Demonstrates limited initiative in seeking out opportunities to learn and improve their strategic thinking skills

Example Paragraph

Emily demonstrates limited strategic thinking skills. She struggles to develop effective strategies and has difficulty analyzing data and information to inform decision-making. Emily is reactive rather than proactive in addressing challenges and struggles to contribute to team discussions and generate ideas. She would benefit from additional training and support to improve her strategic thinking skills.

1 – Unacceptable

Example Phrases

• Demonstrates no strategic thinking skills
• Is unable to develop effective strategies
• Does not analyze data or information to inform decision-making
• Fails to address challenges proactively
• Does not contribute to team discussions or generate ideas
• Consistently fails to demonstrate any strategic thinking skills or ability to develop effective plans
• Generates ideas and solutions that are counterproductive to business objectives and hinder growth
• Completely disregards or fails to identify emerging market trends and opportunities
• Demonstrates no foresight in anticipating potential obstacles and fails to develop any contingency plans
• Does not communicate strategic initiatives or goals to team members or stakeholders
• Actively dismisses or ignores diverse perspectives when developing strategies
• Demonstrates an inability to adapt strategies in response to changing business needs or market conditions
• Does not use data or insights to inform strategic decision-making
• Sets strategic goals that are entirely misaligned with the company’s overall objectives
• Demonstrates a complete lack of understanding of the company’s competitive landscape and does not consider this when developing strategies
• Actively undermines collaboration efforts with team members and stakeholders, hindering the execution of strategic initiatives
• Discourages or dismisses others’ attempts to think strategically or contribute ideas to drive business success
• Consistently prioritizes short-term operational needs at the expense of long-term strategic priorities
• Shows no interest or initiative in seeking out opportunities to learn or improve their strategic thinking skills
• Actively contributes to a work environment that discourages strategic thinking and stifles innovation

Example Paragraph

Tom demonstrates no strategic thinking skills. He is unable to develop effective strategies and does not analyze data or information to inform decision-making. Tom fails to address challenges proactively and does not contribute to team discussions or generate ideas. His lack of strategic thinking skills has had a negative impact on our organization, and we recommend that he receive additional training or consider a different role.

Related: 2000+ Performance Review Phrases: The Complete List (Performance Feedback Examples)