Refining your strategic thinking skills: here’s why and here’s how

As the New Year unfolds, resolutions are put to the test. You may have started visiting the gym five times a week or adopting a healthier eating plan. What about refining your strategic thinking skills?

Strategic thinking skills are important in all levels of your business. I believe there is opportunity for strategic thinking for all employees, and great ideas can come from every part of a business.

I read an article recently that shares four efficient ways to improve your strategic thinking skills, and I think there’s a lot to be learned here.

Harvard Business Review: 4 Ways to Improve Your Strategic Thinking Skills

The first piece of advice that stood out to me is for employees to understand how their jobs contribute to the organization as a whole. Every position is important. Once they grasp why what they do is important and how it adds value, they can take that and run with it. By understanding this, your employees will be more confident in their contribution, feel more fulfilled in their work and set themselves up for future success.

A second important suggestion is to encourage your employees to ask questions and bring their personal perspectives to the conversation. None of the greatest achievements in our history would have been made if one person hadn’t taken a step back and given something a second thought. In this article, Nina Bowman talks about the importance of broadening your myopia so that you can see the different possibilities, approaches and outcomes of your decisions.

This piece of advice relates closely to the first about understanding the role each position plays in your company. Be confident in who you are and what you bring to the table but don’t forget what your employees do as well. There is beauty in a plethora of perspectives. By broadening yours, you will become better at predicting the possible outcomes of your decisions and will make more informed and personable ones in the future.

Here’s the final piece of advice that stood out to me: take time for thinking and embrace conflict. I admit, it’s hard to take time away from a busy day to just relax and think. But it’s something that’s incredibly important if we want to thrive in our business and in our busy lives. We can’t be strategic if we don’t have the time to pause, reflect and learn from each day’s events.

Which part of the article struck you the most? I’d love to hear your plans for refining your strategic thinking skills in 2017. Comment on Verdin’s Facebook page or send a private message, and let’s chat!