The Strategy Zone

Imagine yourself submerging into the serene world of the Strategy Zone, a uniquely transformative state of mind, permeated by an exquisite sense of calmness and clarity of thought. Imagine being in a mental space where you can achieve optimal performance, characterised by supreme concentration and a profound sense of calmness and clarity of thought. This is what the Strategy Zone is all about. It is a mental state where you can achieve out of the box thinking and clarity of thought to take a step back and consider the bigger picture.

The key to unlocking your potential in the Strategy Zone lies in understanding how to create and sustain it. There are a few simple steps you can take to help cultivate an optimal mental space required: focus on your breath, visualise success, stay aware of your thoughts and feelings, practice mindfulness and gratitude, and embrace motivation. Focusing on your breath helps center yourself and keeps you mindful of the present moment.

Why am I talking about being in the zone and what does it have to do with developing strategies?

Over the years I have attended strategy sessions and workshops where the development of strategies is the main topic and discussion of vision and mission statements, values, strategic goals and objectives. I have had good and bad experiences and there have been definite lessons learned from these sessions.

Running strategy workshops can be difficult when participants attend workshops immediately after other meetings or attending to critical issues. Often those participants do not switch off and are not mentally present at the meetings. The advent of the use of virtual meetings has made this situation worse as participants in meetings can be doing other work and not be fully engaged and present in the strategy session. When developing strategies it is vital to have input from all stakeholders as that is required to get a holistic strategy that represents the needs of all parties.

In order to have successful strategies developed for organisations it is vital for everyone to be in the right head space when considering options. In the fast changing world where Digital Business Transformation is vital the complexity organisations face is enormous and requires a good deal of thought and reflection.

Here are three methods I have used to get into the Strategy Zone and obtain the clarity of thought needed:

Mindfulness

The practice of mindfulness, which involves focusing your awareness on the present moment while acknowledging and accepting your feelings and thoughts, can be a powerful tool to enhance your strategising abilities.

At its simplest Mindfulness can include slow and steady breathing. I find it useful for strategy sessions to begin with slow and deliberate breathing. My friends at Beautiful Minds practice straw breathing where you breath in deeply then exhale slowly through an imaginary straw. This is powerful as a quick and easy way to allow you to be calm and come back to the present. As I regularly use this technique when facilitating strategy sessions I have had overwhelming feedback that it has helped people get into the zone quickly. When I explained the technique and used the term Strategy Zone other managers have embraced the concept and ensured their staff are in the right headspace before every meeting. This has led to others practicing mindfulness as an important tool in every managers toolkit.

As you get into mindfulness it can be a practice that can be repeated several times a day to ensure you maintain focus. By cultivating mindfulness, you're sharpening your cognitive skills and developing better decision-making capabilities. It allows you to clear away the mental clutter, distractions, and emotional biases which can adversely impact your strategic thinking. As you nurture a mindful approach, you become more attuned to the nuances of your environment, your strengths and weaknesses, and the potential opportunities and threats that may arise. This heightened state of awareness enables you to devise comprehensive and well-informed strategies that can better adapt to unexpected challenges and yield greater success. When you embrace mindfulness, you can unlock your true potential to strategise effectively.

Mindfulness can help you solve complex decisions or difficult problems and help you make good decisions and strategic choices by reducing your stress levels. By learning to remain mindful in the face of difficult situations, you are better equipped to stay focused on the task at hand while staying calm and collected. This allows you to think clearly and rationally so that you can devise well thought-out strategies which address all aspects of a given problem. With a mindful approach, your strategising capabilities will be more effective than ever.

Mindfulness is an invaluable asset for strategy formation; however, it also requires dedication and effort if it is going to yield tangible results. If you set aside time each day to practice mindfulness and learn how to stay present in the moment as you develop your strategic skills. By establishing this routine, you will be able to steadily grow more mindful and harness its power for successful strategic planning.?Mindfulness can help to fine-tune your strategy-forming capabilities and with practice can lead to powerful strategising.

Swimming

Living in Queensland which provides warm weather for most of the year swimming is my go-to exercise for fun, relaxation and getting away from it all. One amazing discovery has been that it allows me to go into the Strategy Zone.

Swimming, with its rhythmic, hypnotic strokes, naturally invites you to access this powerful space, offering unparalleled opportunities to connect deeply with your inner world while simultaneously sharpening your focus and problem-solving skills. The Strategy Zone is where you relax, breathe, and reassess the challenges that lie ahead of you. It allows you to reframe your perspective, innovate, and create powerful strategies for success. By immersing yourself in swimming, you don't just reap physical benefits, but also mental clarity and strength, paving the way for unparalleled personal growth and achievement. Let the water be your sanctuary and embrace the transformative potential of the Strategy Zone.

Running

Running can be of tremendous benefit and a way in which to enter the Strategy Zone. There are a few simple steps you can take to help cultivate an optimal mental space for running: focus on your breath, visualise success, stay aware of your thoughts and feelings, use positive affirmations, practice mindfulness and gratitude, and embrace motivation. As with mindfulness focusing on your breath helps center yourself and keeps you mindful of the present moment. Visualising success allows you to tap into your subconscious mind’s power of manifesting what you want. Staying aware of your thoughts and feelings helps prevent negative self-talk from taking over. The runners high that you feel provides that clarity of thought and love for life that has the added benefit of enabling you to do out of the box thinking that is necessary when developing strategies.

Anyone can be Strategic

One question I am often asked can you learn to be a strategic thinker or are you born with that skill. My answer is it is a bit of both. There is no doubt some people are more strategic than others and this is what makes a great team to have people that can develop strategic concepts and others that can provide the detail and the rationale to justify the strategic direction developed. Strategic Thinking can be challenging at times but with practice, perseverance, and a sharp focus on progress and growth, it is possible to develop this valuable skillset and reach your full potential.

Mindfulness, swimming or running may not be your cup of tea so feel free to practice whatever you enjoy to relax and get in the Strategy Zone. In this complex and ever-changing world we need to regularly take a step back and ensure that we are going in the right direction and understand the big picture to reap the rewards.