Have you spent the past couple of years with your head down, focused only on the latest problem to solve?
Many of us have been operating this way out of necessity during this period of constant change. But it’s time to lift your head up. No, the change isn’t stopping. However, thinking only in the short term will cause you to miss valuable opportunities. If you’re out of practice in looking beyond immediate concerns, here are a few ways to get back in the habit of taking a wider perspective and being more strategic.
Photo by Behnam Norouzi on Unsplash
1. Adjust Your Calendar
Focusing on the right work is the most powerful thing you can do for the long-term health of both your organization and your career. So take a quick pause right now to jot down the three critical areas where you make the biggest impact on the business. Have your “big three” changed over the past couple of years? And does your calendar reflect what your strategic priorities need to be right now? If not, how can you make more room in your schedule for your most important work? For example, maybe there’s a task you can delegate to someone on your team to both free up capacity for you and help your team member develop a new skill. Or perhaps you can change a weekly meeting to biweekly. While you’re working with your calendar, schedule some regular time for strategic reflection. Even 10-15 minutes per week can help you course correct if you get distracted from the big picture.
2. Think Beyond Your Role
Silos are a big problem in many organizations. And in times when resources are scarce, it’s even easier to become territorial and think only in terms of your team or department. But you’ll be a more effective leader, and more likely to get promoted, if you become known as someone who considers the good of the entire organization, not just your own area. Think about relationships you’d like to build across departments. Who are the colleagues in other areas who can help you get things done — or whom you would simply like to learn from? Also think about how often you present ideas that go beyond your current role. What insights or suggestions could you share that would benefit the organization as a whole?
3. Look for the Deeper Issue
Does it feel like you keep putting out the same fires over and over again? Then use some of the reflection time we talked about above to try to identify the root cause of these crises — and how you can stop them from repeating. For example, maybe you’ve just lost yet another team member during the Great Resignation. The short-term solution is finding someone to replace them. The longer-term solution is determining why people keep leaving and making changes to help retain them.
4. Remember to ‘Connect the Dots’
Leading strategically is only part of the equation. You also have to communicate to others that you are focused on the big picture. For example, it may seem obvious to you how your suggestion that benefits your department also helps the organization as a whole. But others may not see that unless you “connect the dots” for them. Even just using the words “strategy” and “strategic” more in your communications can help others understand your motivations.
Which one of these ideas can you use this week to better balance short-term problems with long-term priorities? Remember, we have a wealth of tools you can draw on, no matter what leadership challenges you are facing. You may be especially interested in our new white paper, “Leadership Development for a Changing World,” which explores the demands that leaders face now and the development opportunities they need to succeed in today’s hectic work environment.