Ask Pam Green

This bi-weekly LinkedIn Newsletter will address common and not-so-common questions leaders and executives, like you, have about the culture of the c-suite.

I've been serving in executive roles, reporting to Boards, CEOs, and Executive Directors since my early 20's. I've seen and experienced quite a bit, but mostly, I've learned a lot. These experiences are what led me to executive coaching.

If you're serving in the C-Suite or are headed in that direction, I'd like to hear from you. It's not often you can find a trusted advisor to answer your most pressing questions - for free. So here I am, let's talk!

This Week's Question:

Dear Pam:

I've been told that I'm not "strategic." That I'm not thinking strategically, and I'm unsure what to do with this feedback. I got nothing useful when I asked what "strategic" looks like. I'm wondering if they know what "strategic" really is.?

Strategic Uncertainty

This Week's Response:

Dear Strategic Uncertainty:

In truth, there is something to "thinking strategically," but I find that leaders sometimes confuse thinking strategically with strategic planning. One refers to your ability to think critically and in unique and different ways to identify a series of potential options or outcomes that address a situation. The other is a chosen process or series of steps implemented to solve the problem.?

If you've been told you're not thinking strategically, it may be that you are focused on how your technical skills can resolve the situation rather than examining the slate of possibilities that include your technical skills. It could also be that you're focused on immediate outcomes rather than exploring long-term implications.?

And what about the ability to properly allocate resources for the good of the organization rather than a particular business unit? I see this a lot with executive leaders. A job becomes available, and instead of strategically thinking of that position as an organizational resource, it's viewed as a department resource that belongs to a particular business unit. Instead of discussing how to strategically deploy the resources where they are most needed in the organization, the position is simply backfilled.?

I also often see a lack of strategic thinking regarding whom to include in strategic decisions and long-term goals. For example, when looking at growth goals, a strategic thinker will want to ensure that the right people are at the table and ask questions about the resources needed to support and sustain growth, not just hitting the goals.

Consider these types of questions to promote strategic thinking:

• What decision-making tools ensure we make a sound decision that considers all the arguments and can be well executed?
• What are the potential obstacles we face?
• Do elements of our plans, structure, or culture need to be decentralized to improve customer satisfaction?
• How do we keep our best talent engaged, satisfied, and committed?
• Is what we're planning easily imitable by competitors?
• What knowledge, resources, skills, and tools will ensure we obtain and maintain our competitive advantage?
• How can we leverage technology to support and sustain our achievement?

The list is endless, but if you're not asking questions that make others in the room look up and out at the decisions that must be made about the organization's present and future, then it's time for a shift in your thinking. A complete list of strategic questions is included in my?Executive Playbook,?available on Amazon.?

Let's hear what others think...

Have a question you'd like for me to answer? Send it to?[email protected]. Remember, your full name and contact details will never be published or distributed.