Current and Emerging Areas That Are Creating Strategic Advantage, Research Paper Example

What is DDDM?

Data- driven decision-making refers to a collection and analysis of data to guide decision-making. In other words, it is the practice of basing decision on analysis of data rather than instinct or perception.

Who developed it? Why has it become important?

Recently, DDDM has become important in a number of factors. First, the development of a variety of technology-based tools that support data driven decision, and secondly, increasing the importance given to assessment rather than summative measure of achievement.

Describe the basic characteristics and salient features of DDDM

In simple terms DDDM is about collecting appropriate data, analyzing the data in meaningful forms; getting the data to relevant people; using the data to increase organizational efficiency; and communicating the data driven decision to key stakeholders.

How is DDDM different from traditional ways of decision-making?

Traditionally decisions were influenced by our perception, which were built by life experience. On the contrary, DDDM decision are informed and backed by the data that can be verified.

What are the benefits of using DDDM for organizations and their leaders?

One main advantage of using, DDDM is that it makes employees more accountable. Therefore, it improves the quality of outcome and leadership. Moreover, study has shown that organizations that effectively use DDDM become more successful.

What are the concerns or limiting factors to being data driven decision makers?

When organizations are implementing DDDM, they spend more money. Implementing the system demands serious commitment in data cleanup, maintenance, and training that can translate to huge sums. In addition, implementing DDDM means more time is required to make decision. DDDM process requires one to do more research before making a decision, which will take more time (Gullo 417).

How does DDDM create a strategic advantage?

Knowledge is power, there is nothing powerful than data that helps an organization to develop measurable result for continuous improvement. If used properly, data can help organization improve the quality of leadership and products and thus a competitive advantage.

Forward Thinking Leadership/Culture

What does it mean to be “Forward Thinking?”

To be forward thinking means to be consistently thinking about the future. As a leader in an organization, it is your responsibility to be constantly planning. A forward-thinking leader is future oriented and deliberately plans and invests for the future.

Describe the concepts, behaviors and aspects of a Forward-Thinking leader

A forward-thinking leader values long term planning; such leaders are focused, and have a clear mission to achieve a goal in future. In addition, such leaders value collective leadership and appreciate the benefits of new approaches (Weaver 10). Moreover, these leaders are capable of building and instilling the forward-thinking culture to the rest of the employees by providing them with feedbacks and strategies on how they can prepare for the future.

What are the signs/indicators that one is not Forward Thinking?

A person who is not forward thinking do not value long term planning; his/her aspirations are short- term. Such people do not value investing in future and prepares for the future. Forward thinking and strategic thinking sets conditions for creative sustainability and shared success in an organization.

What does it mean to be a Forward-Thinking culture? Organization?

A forward-thinking culture or organization is future oriented. The culture encourages and rewards behaviors such as delaying gratification planning and investing in future. Data from research reveals that a society that is forward thinking is more innovative, happy, confident, and competitive.

How do you develop leaders, culture, organizations to be Forward Thinkers?

It is possible for a leader to encourage people to be future- oriented. The key to developing leaders, culture, and organizations to be forward thinking is by first setting short-term goals whilst ensuring that they are met, and then gradually increase the time horizons. This will enable managers to instill a sense of control over outcome that may have seemed provisional and remote.

What’s the relationship between Forward Thinking and thinking strategically?

They both value and foster long-term planning and investing in future. As result of these two types of thinking, organizations and societies become more creative, confident, and competitive.

How does being a Forward-Thinking leader/person create strategic advantage?

Study has shown that the societies that embrace forward thinking are future oriented, more innovative, confident, and competitive. In addition, being more aware of the future oriented enables one to prepare and tackle challenges that may arise in future.

Talent Management Organizations

What is Talent Management? What is its purpose and major goals?

Talent management refers to a set of integrated organization and human resource processes that are specifically designed to attract, develop, and retain top talent in an organization. The goal of the talent management is to improve performance and attain the organizational objectives.

Describe the major concepts and elements of Talent Management.

A complete talent management process is composed of workforce planning, recruitment, on boarding, performance management, training and performance support, succession planning, compensation and benefit, and critical skill gap analysis (Muntean 302).

How does Talent Management compare with traditional Human Resource Management?

Some of the roles of the traditional human resource management such as recruiting, work force planning, compensation, and training are similar to the role of the talent management.

What is distinct or different about Talent Management?

One distinct feature of the talent management is critical skill- gap analysis role. This involves identifying the individuals, roles, competences of various positions, and determining those that are critical to attainment of the organization goal.

What is the role of frontline managers/leaders in Talent Management?

The role of the talent managers include; recruiting the best talents, accelerating the level of development of employee, identifying talent pool within an organization, implementing strategies to attract talent pool, evaluating and planning for the projected departures of employees, and identifying critical passion that are key to attainment of organizational goals among many others.

How does focusing on Talent Management create strategic advantage?

As a process of developing and implementing organizational long-term goals, talent management is a road map that leads an organization from where it is to where it intends to be.

Other points related to Talent Management?

There are four criterions for accessing the talents. They include performance, readiness to take responsibility, willingness to assume new role and criticalness or an employee to success of an organization.

Works Cited

Gullo, Dominic. “Improving Instructional Practices, Policies, And Student Outcomes For Early Childhood Language And Literacy Through Data-Driven Decision Making.” Early Childhood Education Journal 41.6 (2013): 413-421.

Muntean, Silvana Nicoleta. “Talent Management and Its Contributions to the Performance of the Multinational Organizations.” Revista Academiei Fortelor Terestre 19.3 (2014): 300-306.

Weaver, Frank J. “The New Health Care: Report From The Strategic Marketing Leadership Forum Reveals Initiatives Of Forward-Thinking Marketers.” Journal Of Health Care Marketing 2 (2014): 10.