Tips to Help Build and Strengthen Your Strategic Mindset

Adopt a Life-Long Approach to Learning

• Study your clients and stakeholders. Know their strategic objectives, challenges, and priorities.
• Actively monitor and understand the actions, behaviors, and performance of your organization and industry – as well as competitor actions and market trends.
• Analyze data and scan the horizon to identify trends and opportunities for improvement.

Learn from History and Past Experiences

• Be open to stepping outside your comfort zone and taking appropriate risks.
• Reflect and act upon lessons learned.
• Celebrate failures that provide insight in addition to your successes.

Build Strong Relationships

• Build internal and external relationships that foster a level of trust, and collaboration, with sharing of information.
• Get involved with projects outside your current role to increase your exposure to different viewpoints and perspectives.
• Join a committee, board, or professional organization that positions you to interact with influencers and leaders in your organization or industry.

Challenge Your Assumptions, Beliefs, and Perspectives

• When brainstorming or testing out a possible solution, look for alternative perspectives and seek to understand the beliefs and assumptions of others.
• Remember to step back far enough to see the big picture. Consider how the same issue or opportunity looks from broader perspectives – such as your team, the organization, or the client.
• Be aware of your own biases, judgments, and assumptions and take steps to enable objective thinking.
• Strive to be approachable and curious about new ideas.
• Be flexible and ready to adapt.

Manage Your Time and Priorities

• Be intentional in allowing time for strategic actions. Assess where you are in spending your time and reprioritize as needed.
• Balance priorities around short-term gains and long-term success.
• Invest time in advance of interactions to understand the goals, priorities, and desired outcome of all parties.