This week, we continue with the fourth part of our management essentials series. Welcome to:
Management Essentials: Strategic Thinking
The phrase “see the forest for the trees” is used to describe the ability to see the big picture in a situation full of small details. As a manager, this is one of the most important skills one can add to his or her professional arsenal.
Let’s examine an example of this importance of strategic thinking. Start with those who spend most of their careers as technicians; people in roles like these primarily focus on accomplishing one task and moving on to the next. Their work is essential and advances the goals of the organization that they are a part of. Managers, on the other hand, have technicians on their team for that very purpose, while they focus on the bigger picture. Managers are responsible for the kind of strategic thinking that allows for future planning and guides the organization along an effective path to success. Without this overall plan, the completion of action items, no matter how many, may never amount to forward progress.
The best way to be a successful strategic thinker is to build time into your schedule for strategic planning, and make these sessions a priority.
Creating a strategic vision for your business unit isn’t going to happen overnight, so treat these sessions as an ongoing process that will build upon each other and result in a workable plan for the future. Use this time to think about the long-term effects that various choices could have on your company and your team, and practice this type of thinking until it becomes second nature to you. This will allow you to analyze any potential situation or solution going forward on the fly.
Also, don’t forget the principles of collaboration and communication when it comes to your strategic planning.
Share your long-term strategic vision with your employees, and encourage them to incorporate the same principles into their work as well.
Finally, search for a mentor outside of your company who you believe excels at strategic thinking, and schedule collaborative planning sessions so that you can brainstorm new ideas and goals.
Their fresh perspective to your thoughts will prove invaluable as you bounce ideas off of them.
We can help…
Priority Matrix is designed for strategic thinkers and those who wish to be one. By incorporating a design that goes beyond a linear to-do list, this tool that fosters long-term planning and strategy building capabilities. Not only does Priority Matrix allow you to manage short-term tasks and action items, but also, track the long-term goals of your group and organization to help you grow together.