“I need your help in getting my team to engage in deep thinking about our strategy”, Richard (not his real name) said when he asked me to facilitate his annual strategic plan review. A long-time coaching and strategy client, he recognises how drastically our world has changed over the last 18 months. He is also aware that we are not out of the COVID woods yet, and there is the possibility that we may not be for a long time – witness: Delta and other variants, emerging just when we thought the worst was over.
As I led the team through a very interactive planning process of virtual team workshops and one-on-one meetings, I observed how unsettled his team members were, their cries of overwhelm and general lack of focus. Hard to discern in the virtual space, I could sense that many were not paying full attention. As a result, many of their ideas were tactical and in keeping with the status quo of their pre-COVID Strategic Plan, despite acknowledging how dramatically things had changed. With my persistent pushing, challenging, and guidance, they were able to dig deep and move their thinking to more strategic levels. Richard was happy but remained concerned about the team’s ability to continue to think strategically.
WHY IS STRATEGIC THINKING IMPORTANT?
Strategy is all about change – in the past, present and what you expect in the future. It is your intended course of action towards the long-term viability of the organization, as defined by clear vision and goals. Strategic thinking is the ability to connect the dots – to identify, distill and pull together the past, present, and future to create your hypothesis for the strategy that you think will win. And herein lies the issue – strategy is about the future, which is uncertain. You think you know the right strategy, but change continues unabated, hence the need for ongoing strategic thinking.
Strategic thinking is science i.e. a tried-and-true process of enquiry and planning, plus art – thinking outside of, and even despite what the conclusions from the planning process may have told you. Strategic thinking engages the left/rational brain, and the right/creative brain. Both have their roles to play.
What are the skills required to think strategically?
Strategic thinking involves the skills of analysis, problem solving and planning. In my observation over many years of facilitating strategy, it also includes:
- Questioning everything – nothing should be sacrosanct
- Thinking outside of one’s own job function, experience, and training to see the bigger whole, and how your part fits (or doesn’t)
- Deep listening to key stakeholders, in particular employees, customers, and non-customers i.e. the people who are not yet buying from you
- Analysing data and discerning trends, gaps, and missing pieces i.e. can you see things that others are not?
- Making linkages that are not obvious – for example transferring strategies across industries that have very little in common.
- Being creative, and maybe even a good dose of crazy, off-the-wall ideas
- Courage to think and articulate what the “pack” isn’t thinking and to go out on a limb and defend your ideas.
WHEN MUST WE THINK STRATEGICALLY?
Most strategic thinking is done at the annual strategic planning retreat when executives are asked to switch off their focus on operations and switch on strategy. And they do. But on the next workday, it’s likely back to the grind and the pressure of day-to-day challenges. The biggest hurdle to strategic thinking is not the actual skills – my extensive experience facilitating strategic planning with hundreds of organisations convinces me that most of the executives do have the skills. The biggest hurdle is TIME to apply the skills on a consistent basis. Ron Carucci, in his HBR article on “Make Strategic Thinking Part of Your Job” referred to a study by the Strategic Thinking Institute and noted: “Nearly all leaders (96%) claimed they lacked time for strategic thinking, again, because they were too busy putting out fires”.
Changes come at us every day. Once a year to think strategically is inadequate. Making the time for regular strategic thinking allows executives to be in a state of readiness for external change, to adjust the strategy with agility, and to keep their organization at the forefront of their industry.
Here are 3 ways to create time for strategic thinking:
- Keep your calendar clear. Ensure as much as possible that you have open space each day. Make sure to check out my blog on Calendar Clearing (link below).
- Make time for strategic thinking a priority – schedule it as an appointment in your calendar, preferably at a time when your mind is fresh, and you will be undisturbed and undistracted.
- Engage your right brain – journal, change your location, move. Many great ideas come in the most unexpected ways – in the shower, on a walk or run, on vacation.
My client Greg, a C-suite executive, told me that he engages in strategic thinking every day. When I asked what he does, he said:
“First I play with the kids. Then I relax in the garden. I sit and allow the ideas to flow, understanding and keeping the big picture clear. But I don’t plan too far ahead. I don’t overthink, but simply enjoy everything in the moment, always seeing everything as learning”.
Creating room for strategic thinking will be challenging at first. Like all habit change, it will require discipline, the ability to stay focused and an insistence on saying “NO” to distractions. But this investment of your time will pay dividends in terms of your success in planning and executing your organization’s strategy.
If you are looking for some extra guidance on how to create time for strategic thinking, email me directly at marguerite@margueriteorane.com, and check out my blog on “Calendar Clearing: How to Create Space for Work that’s Important to You”
