Strategy Requires Creativity. Creativity Requires Time and Practice.

Think back to when you were under the gun to come up with a ground-breaking idea or solution to a complex problem. How many of those instances produced something revolutionary? Likely very few. ???????????

For example, say you have a staff of factory workers who are required to wear specialty footwear on the plant floor. Paid for by the company, they’re expensive and wear out quickly. But workers are wearing them outside the factory, as they forget to change their shoes at the end of a shift. ???????????

If you have three minutes to think of a solution, you’ll likely default to the usual tactics – signs, reminders, warnings, penalties, or possibly discipline. You might even consider a check-in/check-out process. ???????????

But what if you had three weeks instead? You now have time to consider angles and approaches you might not have prior. You might even come up with the idea of ordering right and left shoes in two different colors. I mean, no one is going out in public with mismatched shoes. Creative, simple, and strategic.

However, too many companies expect employees to spend more time looking productive than being productive. So, with limited time, those appointed to develop a strategy often spend more time on business theater than on contemplating creative approaches to compete.

But organizations consistently measure success only through deliverables – what we completed, how much we completed, and whether it was on time, and within budget. Yes, no job should be simply thinking without action, but no job should be simply action without thinking.

There was a recent study that found 38% of jobs, including managers, directors, and executives, are ‘thought’ jobs. Their roles require time to mentally work through problems, assess situations, and make decisions. ???????????

I’d argue, that’s 100% of jobs. ???????????

Yeah, back in the Industrial Era, if your job was to make a part, it made sense to measure your part production efficiency. But today, if your job is to craft a strategy, you might be productive sitting and thinking about its design or collaborating with others to gain new perspectives. That’s not easily measurable, but incredibly valuable.

But the practice of strategy requires more than just time – you need to be curious. You need to be open to learning and exploring. You need to be willing to look at things in unconventional ways. How? You do it every day. You immerse yourself in it. You practice it.

Can you learn to play the violin by simply reading about it? Can you become an adept violinist if you have an instructor come give you a few weeks’ worth of lessons? What if they gave you a guide on how to play ‘Mary Had a Little Lamb’? Yeah, you’d be able to play that in a week, but you won’t be joining the Philharmonic Orchestra anytime soon. And that’s the only thing you’ll know how to play.???????????

So what happens when you “work on strategy” once every few years? You suck at it. If your employees never practice the craft of strategy, they’ll suck at it too.

About the Author

Andrea's 25-year, field-tested background provides practical, behavioral science approaches to creating differentiated, human-focused organizations.?A 4x ADDY award-winner, TEDx presenter, and 3x book author,?she began her career at a tech start-up and led the strategic sales, marketing, and?customer engagement efforts at two global industrial manufacturers. She now leads a change agency dedicated to helping organizations differentiate their brands and drive adoption using behavioral science.

In addition to writing and consulting, Andrea speaks to leaders and industry organizations around the world. Connect with Andrea to access information on her book, keynoting, research, or consulting. More information is also available at www.pragmadik.com or www.andreabelkolson.com .