I realized that what she was asking me in not so many words was if I could help her team just be more strategic. And yeah. I could do that.
Being strategic at work is about focusing less on quantity—how much you can get done—and leaning instead on doing the right stuff in the wisest and most impactful ways. Here are three strategies to unlock that superpower.
Modern Mentor is hosted by Rachel Cooke. A transcript is available at Simplecast.
Have a question for Modern Mentor? Email us at modernmentor@quickanddirtytips.com.
Find Modern Mentor on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn, or subscribe to the newsletter to get more tips to fuel your professional success.
Modern Mentor is a part of Quick and Dirty Tips.
Links:
https://www.quickanddirtytips.com/
https://www.quickanddirtytips.com/modern-mentor-newsletter
https://www.facebook.com/QDTModernMentor
https://twitter.com/QDTModernMentor
https://www.linkedin.com/company/modern-mentor-podcast/
https://www.leadabovenoise.com/
Hey, it’s Rachel Cooke, your Modern Mentor. I’m the founder of Lead Above Noise—a firm specializing in retaining, engaging, and developing talent. I run a lot of workshops for teams, and just a few weeks ago I did a fun one called “How to Amplify Your Strategery” for a client.
It started with a call from a senior leader who said “My team’s great. They get it all done and done well. But sometimes it feels like they’re spinning in execution. They make to-do lists, they cross things off… I just feel like they could be delivering more impact. Making bigger, more important things happen. Can you help?”
“Oh—also—you have 90 minutes to get this done.”
I realized that what she was asking me in not so many words was if I could help her team just be more strategic. And yeah. I could do that. In 90 minutes or less.
My approach was this: I reviewed my mental Rolodex and landed on 5 people in my life who I personally find to be hyper-strategic. They’re my go-to people when I need a new way of thinking about something, or I’m interested in trends, or I need fresh eyes on a business problem. These people are always able to help move me forward. I interviewed each of them about how they do their magic things, and I pulled out some themes that ran pretty consistently across.
The good news is that what I learned is really accessible to all of us. And applicable, in my eyes, across any industry or function.
I built the program and delivered it to this team who seemed to gobble it up. But today, you be the judge. Here are just a few of the keys to dialing up your strategery. Let me know how they land for you.
Here’s something you should know about me. I have no sense of direction. Like—zero. In my junior year of college, I was given an assignment to draw a map of the campus as I saw it in my head. When I turned it in, my teaching assistant said “Oh Rachel—I had no idea you just transferred here!” I had not.
So, no. I’m not talking geography.
What I mean is step back. Spot the ideal destination, and then thoughtfully start laying out a set of steps or directions to help you move toward it.
Many of us—myself included when I’m not being mindful—are guilty of starting with the steps. The actions. We let our calendars pack up without paying attention to the purpose of what’s filling our days.
But my strategic friends always start with the destination in mind. Rather than letting a bunch of meetings fill their time, they begin with an intention—like to land a new client; to learn a new skill; to network in an industry they’d like to move into.
From there, they sit down and think through what actions—what investments of their time—will move them there. Taking courses, attending events, researching prospective client organizations. They fill their calendars first with these things—and they make every effort to hold space for them. Only then do they allow other people’s agendas to filter in.
They—and you—don’t have control over every minute. But claim and protect whatever windows you can to move in a more strategic direction.
I used to think it was a funny coincidence that my wisest, most strategic friends were also the ones most consistently recommending books, articles, and courses they’d consumed.
I’m only now recognizing how very uncoincidental that is.
Strategic people are always interested, hungry, and curious. Sure they carve out windows in which they do their heads-down work. But they really recognize how much better their outcomes are when they prioritize consuming and connecting.
Based on my conversations with them, here are some questions I’d love to invite you to reflect on. Share them with friends and colleagues—see if you can pool together a collective plan to support each other’s efforts to be more strategic.
I’m what you call a problem solver. To me, often, a problem is a nuisance. And when I see one I want to make it disappear.
But my strategic friends are actually out there looking for problems—each in their own way. To them, problems are data, they’re opportunities.
They’re the ones at work not cowering when a financial target is missed, but rather wanting to dig into what went wrong and what they might tweak next time to achieve a better outcome.
They’re the ones not grumbling about losing a piece of business, but reaching out to that customer to really understand the experience that led to the miss.
They’re the ones not pointing fingers when a colleague drops the ball, but wanting to investigate the whole process end-to-end to ensure that in the future, accountability is clear at every step of the way.
So what are the things you see that tend to make you run and hide? How can you flip the script and seek those moments out, letting them fuel your path forward?
We did cover a few other areas in our program—but this feels like a firm start, don’t you think?
If you’re looking to dial up that strategery in the new year, then I say make a map, eat some facts, or seek out a sexy problem. And don’t forget to let me know how it goes!
Join me next week for another great episode. Until then, visit my website at leadabovenoise.com if your organization is looking to dial up its Employee Experience or deliver some leadership development that activates change. You can follow Modern Mentor on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts. Find and follow me on LinkedIn. Thanks so much for listening and have a successful week.