How can you coach someone to improve strategic thinking skills?

2 Challenge their assumptions

One of the barriers to strategic thinking is relying on assumptions or biases that limit the scope of analysis and creativity. To help someone overcome this barrier, you need to challenge their assumptions and encourage them to question the status quo. You can do this by asking open-ended questions, such as "What if?", "Why?", "How?", or "What are the alternatives?". You can also expose them to different perspectives, sources of information, and scenarios that may challenge their existing views and assumptions.

3 Teach them frameworks and tools

Strategic thinking is not just a mindset, but also a skill that can be learned and practiced. To help someone develop their strategic thinking skills, you can teach them various frameworks and tools that can guide their thinking process and help them structure their ideas. For example, you can use SWOT analysis, PESTEL analysis, Porter's five forces, or scenario planning to help them analyze the internal and external factors that affect their operational planning. You can also use SMART goals, action plans, or logic models to help them translate their vision into concrete steps and outcomes.

4 Provide feedback and support

Feedback and support are essential for any coaching process, as they help someone to monitor their progress, identify areas of improvement, and celebrate their achievements. You can provide feedback and support in various ways, such as regular check-ins, constructive criticism, praise, recognition, or mentoring. The key is to be specific, timely, and relevant, and to balance the positive and negative feedback. You should also encourage them to seek feedback from others, such as peers, managers, or customers, and to reflect on their own performance and learning.

5 Encourage them to apply and practice

The best way to improve strategic thinking skills is to apply and practice them in real situations. You can encourage someone to do this by giving them opportunities to work on strategic projects, tasks, or problems that require them to use their skills. You can also assign them stretch assignments, cross-functional roles, or job rotations that expose them to different aspects of the organization and its environment. You should also encourage them to learn from their successes and failures, and to share their insights and lessons with others.

6 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?