Episode 139 - Be More Strategic… Whatever That Means

<h2 data-pm-slice="0 0 []"><strong>Summary</strong></h2> <p class="">Have you ever received the feedback that you need to “be more strategic”? We pick apart what this might mean for your development.</p> <h2><br /> <strong>Transcript</strong></h2> <p class="">Welcome to episode 139 of the Leadership Today podcast where each week we bring research to life in your leadership. This week we explore what it means to be more strategic.</p> <p class="">As I coach and work with a range of people, it’s amazing how often people share they’ve received feedback that they need to be more strategic. They’re typically no more clear about it than that - just that they’ve been told to be more strategic. </p> <p class="">If this sounds like you, the first advice I give is to setup time with the person who provided the feedback to better understand what they meant. In a non-challenging way, ask for examples. Have them describe what being more strategic would look like in your role. This is likely to draw out a clearer picture of what you should be working on and the impact it is having on your performance.</p> <p class="">I believe there are four main areas where we can all be more strategic. That being strategic is about time horizon, breadth of focus, interpersonal consideration and openness to new ideas. Let’s take a look at each of these.</p> <ol data-rte-list="default"> <li> <p class="">Being more strategic could be about the time horizon you bring to your work. We can all end up not looking far enough into the future, particularly when we’re under pressure. We all have a tendency to focus on immediate threats, rather than longer-term threats and opportunities. Take time to look and plan further out into the future.</p> </li> <li> <p class="">Being more strategic could be about the breath of your focus. Sometimes we can become too narrowly focused on our own interests or areas of expertise. Take the time to look more broadly beyond your specialisation. What are people doing in other industries or geographies? What broader tren