Strategic Thinking

In Episode 001, I touched on the subject of Higher Level Tasks.  In that episode, I talked about how you can position yourself for advancement by transitioning from process oriented tasks to higher-level tasks that leverage more discretion and judgement.  This week, we'll revisit that topic and discuss additional strategies for making this transition.

Process oriented tasks are those that follow a standard flow and can be done more through rote action than through personal agency.  Higher-level tasks are often unique and require more understanding and experience to resolve.  These types of tasks usually provide more value to the organization leading to additional responsibilities and, eventually, a coveted promotion.

Previously, I offered several methods you could use to showcase your creativity, problem solving, and decision making skills.  These included optimizing processes that you owned and volunteering to take work from senior members of your team.  This week, I'll cover some additional options for stepping into higher-level tasks.

Understanding the BIG picture

Higher-level tasks are often focused on decisions that move the organization forward.  Having an understanding of the values of the company and its leadership, allows you to align your decisions with them.  So, how do you go about learning about other areas of the business?

First, you can pay attention during organization-wide meetings.  During these types of meetings, they will often talk about projects that are important or that have a high, cross-departmental impact.  This will give you insight into what ideas and initiatives you could champion in your area that would build on those important projects.

Next, look for cross-functional teams that give you exposure to people in other areas.  Leverage those teams to build your relationships and expand your network.  Schedule sessions with these new contacts to discuss what they are working on and how that relates to your work.

Lastly, keep up with trends in your industry.  Dedicate time each week to read up on everything related to your industry and competitors.  Are there new approaches or new technologies that you can bring to your organization?

Strategic Thinking

Once you've built an understanding of the big picture, you'll be better positioned to develop your strategic thinking skills.  There are a few exercises you can undertake that will take your understanding of the big picture and use that to think strategically.

First, practice Critical Analysis of your existing work.  Challenge the assumptions underlying each decision.  Use techniques like the "Five Whys" to get to the actual root of them.  Ask probing questions to understand why those assumptions are believed and look for evidence that those assumptions are still valid or if they need to be changed.  When you determine that the assumptions are incorrect, analyze how that changes the original decision.

Next, leverage Systems Thinking.  With each problem that you face, focus on the interconnections between the different systems involved in the problem.  The interconnections will be where changes will have the biggest impact.  Start by understanding the system at the highest levels and spiral down to lower and lower levels looking for areas where you can have the highest impact.

Finally conduct Scenario Planning exercises.  Using the knowledge of the industry trends, play "what if" to see how those trends could be beneficial or detrimental to your company.  What are some changes you could champion that would turn negative trends to your favor?  How would that impact your current projects?  What if your competitor is in a better position to take advantage of these trends?

By understanding the big picture and utilizing strategic thinking, you will be showing your ability to handle higher-level tasks.  When you have your one-on-one meetings with your leaders, be sure to highlight how you have continued to grow and that you are interested in taking on additional responsibility and advancing your career.

Is there something that you would like for me to cover on a future episode?  If so, go to the ManagingACareer.com website and drop me a note via the Contact Form.  I'll do my best to schedule that topic quickly.