Strategic Thinking Behaviors
Over and over we hear leaders asking their teams to develop and use strategic thinking behaviors to better “see the big picture” as they strive to create more strategic clarity to grow faster and get important work done.
What is the Big Picture?
But what really does the big picture mean and what do you need to do to “see” it? Strategically, strategic thinking behaviors related to the “big picture”…
Leaders and the Big Picture
In general, organizations count on company executives to have the big picture view and use strategic thinking behaviors to lead. Because leaders operate at a higher level, executives are often better positioned to see things that are more applicable to the entire company rather than to a specific functional area or project.
Executive leaders are typically the ones who have the responsibility for making plans for the whole organization, and, therefore, tend to focus on the overall direction rather than the step-by-step tactics designed to get them where they want to go.
Three Strategic Thinking Behaviors to Better See the Big Picture
If you aspire to create strategic clarity and, in so doing, move on up in your organization, here are three strategic thinking behaviors you need to develop:
If you want to improve your strategic thinking behaviors, look beyond your decisions to the effect they will have on others and into the future.
This means educating yourself about your own company’s situation by reading the annual report, knowing which products and services are in development, and understanding what the KPI’s really mean.
Learn what makes your offerings unique from the competition and find out who your company’s best customers are. And finally know the top three strategic priorities and how your role fits in.
When you have a clear understanding of how you and your team directly contribute to the overall picture, it is far easier to prioritize your actions in a way that promotes the company strategy and aligns with how success is measured and work gets done.
The Bottom Line
To be more strategic in your approach and improve your strategic thinking behaviors, step back from the busyness of each day and give yourself some time to reflect on lessons from the past, what is currently happening and, most important, how you envision the future.
To learn more about strategic thinking behaviors, download How to Ensure Your Strategy is Clear Enough to Act
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