Think More Strategically (#81)
One of your goals in 2021 might be to think more strategically as a way to move up the ladder or perform better at your job. But for those that have never worked above the tactical level, how can you do that? If you’re not sure about the difference between strategy and tactics, check out Post #79.
I worked at the Pentagon from 2012 to 2014. There I dealt with strategic problems such as the drawdown from Afghanistan and potential strikes against Syria. I had to interact with a constellation of general officers, as well as the civilian secretaries. Having just come from the tactical level, it was a steep learning curve to perform at the new, higher level. Here are five ideas that can help anyone begin thinking at the strategic level in your company:
Observe and identify big trends — to be strategic you need to understand context, trends, and driving forces, whether it is in the Middle East, like when I was in the Pentagon, or in your industry. One way to do this is to set some time aside each day to read. I read articles from Foreign Affairs, the Economist, RAND, and the Atlantic to get a broader perspective on the global trends impacting the Middle East. For you, reading the front page of the Wall Street Journal each day or the Economist each week can help broaden your business perspective and help you identify the big trends.
Ask tough questions — using your broader perspective to ask tougher, longer term questions can help increase your strategic thoughts. One great question to ask is “what does success look like at a certain time in the future on this project?” Then spending the intellectual energy to think it through, debate it with colleagues, break it down into steps, and build a plan to get you there can really help your strategic thinking.
Organize your thoughts, speech, and written communication — strategic thinkers are organized. Their thoughts, their conversations, and emails are organized and enable busy senior executives to quickly get to the point. Examine the emails you sent to your boss this week and try to read them from her perspective. If they are not easy to read, think about using the concept of Bottom Line Up Front emails (see Post #27) as a way to get your point across quickly. Also, if you want to have a bigger impact in the organization, try the concept of building an email for your boss to send out on your behalf (see the Tear Line email (or “ghost note”) that I discussed in Post #6)
Think about trade-offs. If it is truly a strategic question for your company or non-profit, part of the decision must include what the organization is not going to do that it is currently doing. With the addition of something new, one of the toughest decisions leaders must make is what no longer needs to happen. If your strategy doesn’t include the trade-offs, it typically isn’t a strategy. Post #37 discusses this in-depth.
Take time for strategic thought — it is important to put time on your calendar, defend it from encroachment, and use it to think through your big issues and problems. Remember — responding to emails is not strategic thinking! Even 10 minutes a day of strategic thinking can give you an advantage. Once again, your decision on how you use your time is one of the most important decisions you’ll make as a leader (see Post #44, Personal Operating Rhythm and #34, Battle Rhythm for more). I currently use a walk around the block with Samantha, my dog, as a way to do some strategic thinking about problems I am wrestling with. It gives me a break from the computer, some exercise, and time to think strategically.
Building your strategic thinking will take you out of your comfort zone. But this effort will give you, your team, and your organization an edge over the competition. Go on the offense in 2021 and use these five concepts to get you and your team to think more strategically.