Coaching Others to Think and Plan BIG

The leadership quality most critical to an organization’s success is strategic thinking.

According to one study, leaders who score high in strategic thinking and planning are six times more likely to be viewed as effective.

Historically, however, there hasn’t been much training or coaching focused on developing this behavior.

It’s time to change that. To effectively lead others, you must offer coaching and training on strategic thinking. If not, your team will get stuck managing day-to-day tasks, losing track of the big picture. Personal and professional growth is hindered and the results you produce as a team are limited.

If you are inexperienced with strategic thinking and planning, you might find our blog post, strategic thinking and planning hacks, especially helpful. Consider completing the exercise in the post before acting on the following recommendations.

Let’s explore several best practices to help turn your employees into strategic leaders.

  • Ask them to block their calendars each week for strategic thinking and planning. The key to success is to make small time commitments (45 minutes to an hour) for strategic thinking and planning. To avoid cancelling these sessions or allowing others to reschedule them (on the mistaken assumption that this is not as important as other meetings), you might try naming them “personal” or “leadership growth.” One client named her strategic planning meetings “therapy,” so no one would schedule over them. Whatever it takes! Remind your team that this appointment is an invitation to grow as leaders and should not be dismissed. Your “endorsement” and encouragement tells employees it’s okay to set aside day-to-day tasks in favor of big-picture initiatives.
  • Check-in on their strategic progress frequently and during your regular one-on-ones or coaching sessions. If you prioritize the strategic thinking and planning conversation, you signal that you care about this important aspect of personal and team success.
  • Use powerful open-ended questions to challenge strategic thinking. Ask questions like “If time and resources weren’t factors, which projects would you focus on to take our company to the next level?” “If you had a day without meetings or immediate to-dos, what big-picture project would you dig into?” “Which of your tasks ignites the biggest spark in you?” These types of questions push people to think bigger and consider their deepest motivators. Strategic projects require innovative thinking and positive energy.
  • Provide updates or information on relevant trends, current events, and strategic insights (external and internal) that give their day-to-day activities big-picture impact. One of the top-three reasons workers join companies is to accomplish meaningful purpose-driven work. By actively sharing relevant big-picture data, you encourage people to make connections between their tasks and the larger organizational (or global) impact. Do the same with important internal communications. Share intel about how individual initiatives help the organization succeed in accomplishing its mission.
  • Set up strategic think-tank meetings where the team brainstorms and shares strategic ideas. When you make strategic thinking and planning a team event, you ignite the collective spark of innovation. You also communicate that you prioritize and value big-picture ideas (key retention strategies). Don’t be surprised if these meetings generate invaluable ideas and business breakthroughs. Remember to reward and re-enforce positive behaviors. As the saying goes, “what gets rewarded, gets done.”
  • Connect team members with strategic mentors or role models. Many learn by doing or observing. Connections with big-picture thinkers can inspire people in ways words do not. Encourage them to ask strategic thinkers they admire for tips and tools. While it’s your job to coach and lead your team, the mentoring hat sometimes is more effectively worn by an outsider.

EXERCISE:

Pick one of the above best practices and commit to implementing it. It’s easy to get overwhelmed when learning a new skill. Start with a small action step and don’t demand perfection.

Simply by prioritizing big-picture thinking for yourself and your team, you are moving in the right strategic direction for your organization.

 

© 2024 Leadership Cadence, LLC. All rights reserved. May not be duplicated in any form without prior written consent. No links or recommendations are affiliate and are the author's personal recommendations only.