Previously published on Leader’s Digest, July 21, 2021 and Golden Key Thought Leaders, 2021
“You need to be more strategic.” These are words are thrown around a lot and for task-oriented leaders, these words instill fear and panic. But they don’t need to. You will be surprised at how easy it is to demonstrate strategic thinking, while leaning on your superpower of focusing on the details.
What is Strategic Thinking?
The Center for Management & Organization Effectiveness defines strategic thinking as “an intentional and rational thought process that focuses on the analysis of critical factors and variables that will influence the long-term success of a business.” In short, the ability to see all of the pieces of the puzzle and communicate them effectively.
As a task-oriented leader, you already do this! You know the steps that need to happen, as well as the risks/contingencies to consider. Here’s a process (task-list) to help you demonstrate your strategic thinking.
Lay Out the Puzzle Pieces
First, identify all the pieces of the puzzle.
· List the starting point and the ending point. Where are things now and where do they ultimately need to be?
· List all the steps to make that happen.
· Add an estimated timeframe for each step. Make sure your estimates are realistic.
· List any stakeholders that need to be involved, informed, or consulted.
· For each step, identify any risks and dependencies. What could possibly go wrong?
· Define actions to mitigate any risks that you have identified. What contingencies need to be put in place? Is there a “Plan B” if that step is not possible or it is delayed?
You now have all of the pieces of the strategy defined. Let’s start putting it together.
Putting the Pieces Together
The next step in the process is to put the pieces together to form the full picture, a.k.a. the short-term and long-term strategies. Start by bucketing tasks/steps by their timing. Don’t worry about the risks, contingencies and mitigation quite yet. We’ll discuss that in the next step.
· For the items to do in the current year, bucket tasks by the most logical timing. This could be by month or by quarter. This creates your short-term strategy.
· For anything further out, bucket them by year: 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025. This creates your long-term strategy.
Communicate the Puzzle You Created
The last step is to showcase your puzzle and your ability to put all of the pieces together (strategic thinking). It is typically best to present your strategy visually, so that others can see everything in a logical sequence. But use whatever method resonates with your intended audience.
Good news – you don’t have to start from scratch. There are many templates and models available to help you with this (PowerPoint, SlideModel.com, etc.) The key is to present it in a clean, concise way that your end user can follow. Here are some tips to create the visual:
· Identify a theme/trend for each bucket: Analysis, Development, Implementation, etc.
· List the steps within each bucket.
· For each bucket, highlight the stakeholders, risks and mitigation actions.
Congratulations! You now have a comprehensive strategic plan – you just had to put the pieces together and present the completed puzzle!