Using strategic thinking to improve your career

Strategy can sound like an ambitious word. But strategic thinking isn’t a concept reserved for organisations, and it doesn’t have to be a big undertaking. It simply means thinking consciously about the choices we make, as opposed to operating on autopilot. We can all be strategic in our life, career, and day-to-day. In fact, we should be. If we don’t choose our priorities, these choices will be made for us.?

In a recent Mindset Matters Live interview, I chatted with David Lancefield, former Partner at PwC, coach and strategist, who shared his expertise in creating a strategic mindset that can help transform your career. David defines strategic thinking as making conscious decisions about where you want to go and how to get there. It’s about having a view of the future and considering what you do or don’t do to make that future happen.

Are you clear on the choices you make every day that influence your impact and the contribution you make? I asked David how we could all start thinking strategically today. Below are four practical tips from our conversation.?

Make the most of your time and energy

Planning your time and energy in a way that maximises your impact requires you to be intentional about how you’re using it. Look at where you can direct things in your schedule, so it’s aligning with your priorities - are there areas creating a lot of value that you could focus more on? Or are things taking up unnecessary time??

Before any meeting or decision, give yourself a few minutes to think about what you want the outcome to be, what the most important questions are, and why you’re asking them. Do you need half an hour to catch up with someone, or could it be ten minutes? Is your return on investment for the meeting high, or could it be an email instead? What exactly would you like to achieve? Where should the focus be? Considering questions such as these will help you make your actions purposeful.?

This doesn’t mean that everything you do needs to be serving productivity. It’s also essential to make time for rest, connection, and activities that boost your mental and physical wellbeing, which will allow you to do your best work. Here's a quick coaching video video I posted on Instagram today to help you manage your energy:

Focus on your favourite aspects of work

Start by mapping out your schedule for the upcoming week. Rather than just noting down things already in your calendar like meetings and deadlines, write down all the things you plan to and want to do. This makes your actions more deliberate.?

Once you’ve done this, highlight the activities that play to your strengths, that you enjoy, and that will create the most impact in your working week. Focusing on these activities gives meaning to your day, and you’ll often find that it helps you get through some of the other, less fulfilling aspects of your job quicker.?

Get the less exciting stuff out of the way efficiently

Rather than just “getting through” the less exciting things you need to do (like admin), think consciously about how you can get those things done well with the minimum amount of your involvement. Supercharge your focus during these activities so that you can spend less time on them. It’s easy to do things how they’ve always been done, especially in periods where you’re under pressure and stress, but take a few moments to widen your perspective and ask yourself whether there are better ways to accomplish something.

Ask yourself:?

• What has worked for you before??
• What could you do differently??
• How would someone else do this?

Strategic thinking is about asking questions, looking at situations from different angles, mixing up how you work through problems, and blending the analytical with the intuitive to make a conscious decision about the next steps you take.

Observe and adapt

Coherence between your personal strategy and the field you’re working within - be that the broader market or your organisation, for example - is crucial. Although it’s necessary to think about what you want, it won’t always make sense without being considered in context.?

Be conscious of what’s going on around you and where your skills and expertise can play in, and find a way to match your strengths and passions to current needs and the signals you’re receiving about what is important to your team, organisation or industry. Consider initiatives being launched, where the business is spending their money, what resources are being deployed, and follow the flow. The key is to get clear on what you can contribute that is valued. Not only does this address an existing need, but it’s also a lot easier than creating something and then convincing people of its value.??

Another aspect of observation involves acting accordingly. If something isn’t working, or the world changes around you, change course with it. Just because you’ve launched a strategy, it doesn’t mean you have to stick with it no matter what.?

Your strategic thinking tips

Strategic thinking is something you can start doing at any level of your career - if you’re starting in your career, running a business, stepping into a new role, or wanting a change. Being strategic means making a conscious impact on yourself and those around you, and you can start doing it right away.?

When have you used strategic thinking in your career? Please feel free to share your tips.

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David Lancefield helps senior executives, professionals and entrepreneurs achieve extraordinary outcomes. He has advised more than 35 CEOs, led 500 projects, structured 15 digital ventures and has 14 years’ experience as a strategy partner in PwC. David is a contributor to Harvard Business Review, a contributing editor of Strategy+Business, and a guest lecturer at London Business School. Check out David's website to find out how he helps leaders, teams and organisations become extraordinary.