A challenge our coachees and workshop participants commonly share is: “I’m so busy doing, I don’t have time to think”. They recognise that this, in turn, impairs their ability to see the big picture and operate strategically.
They are not alone. Whilst one survey of 10,000 leaders found that 97% said that being strategic was the most important leadership behaviour, another study found the same proportion said they lacked the time for strategic thinking.
What is clear is that strategic thinking doesn’t happen by accident. We have to deliberately carve out time and space to elevate out of the daily weeds into the blue sky above.
Here are six tactics that may help:
- Remember why you were hired – you were no doubt brought on board to contribute to the organisation’s strategic success rather than for your ability to pump out reactive emails. Are you doing the job you were hired for? Remembering the opportunity (and responsibility) for meaningful contribution in your role can be helpful to reset your focus and priorities.
- Set your intention – begin each day by getting clear on what’s truly important that day and why. Write down your top 2-3 priorities and hone in on them. As James Clear writes, “With focus, the day becomes a beautiful tapestry. Without focus, you end up holding a bundle of loose string.”
- Own your calendar – Recognise your calendar is nothing but a tool intended to support your effectiveness. Reclaim ownership of it and make the rules about what goes in. Time for strategic thinking won’t magically appear, you need to find it, block it and honour it. It’s also important to plan ahead so you know how you will use the time and to resist being dragged back down into the weeds.
- Change the environment – trying to operate differently in an environment where the cues reinforce your habitual reactive behaviour is tough. Instead, change the environment. Work from home, a café, a park – whatever works for you to lift your thinking.
- Space box – strategic thinking can feel daunting if it’s not your modus operandi. Rather than start with a sheet of blank paper, create small boxes with limited space. What’s your vision for the team in just a few sentences? What are the three goals to achieve this year? As Lars Sudmann writes, “Space limitation lets you focus immediately.”
- Practice discipline over motivation –The temptation to err towards the tangible issues that can be solved today over the strategic issues for tomorrow will remain strong. It takes discipline to reconnect with the bigger ‘why’ and rise above the motivation for that instant dopamine hit. You can do tough stuff though and this is no exception. Help yourself out by turning off notifications, removing unnecessary devices and asking colleagues to hold off contacting you.
And if this challenge resonates with you, get in touch. Our coaches would love to help you think and act more strategically.
Esprit Consulting is a boutique leadership and organisational development consultancy that works across industries to cultivate engaging cultures and high performance.
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