Ever been told you need to be ‘more strategic’?

Ah, that old chestnut. In my years of running programs on strategic thinking, this is a common thread I hear often. Many operational leaders receive feedback that they need to be ‘more strategic’.

Strategic Thinking vs Strategic Communication: The Career-Changing Difference 

Interesting that everyone can be a strategic thinker, but not everyone's seen as "strategic." Why? It comes down to one surprisingly simple difference.

Most people agree that in order to be an effective operational leader, you need to engage in opportunistic strategic decision making daily, if not hourly! So I often ask them a question. Are you being a strategic communicator as well as a strategic thinker?

The Missing Link

Here's the truth bomb. The gap isn't in strategic thinking - it's in strategic communication. We're all doing the complex mental gymnastics, solving problems at lightning speed. But here's where we trip up. We rarely take the time to document our strategic process, share our thinking, or invite others into our decision-making journey.

The Time Paradox

In our fast paced, distracted workplaces, I hear another common phrase, ‘who has the time for that?’

It's true. You can't document every strategic decision. But here's the game-changer: pick just one or two significant challenges. Document them. Share them. Let others see your strategic process unfold. Watch how perceptions shift when people can finally see your strategic thinking in action.

Getting practical

Choose those strategic challenges that have potential ripple effects beyond your team. When you communicate these effectively, you're not just solving problems - you're showcasing your strategic capability and creating organizational impact. It's about making your invisible strategic thinking visible.

This recent HRB article on 10 Ways to Prove You're a Strategic Thinker provides useful tips for how you might do more of this.

Want to level up your strategic communication game? Or share this approach collectively with your team? If you would like to explore more ways to effectively communicate and share strategic thinking for you and your team, send me an email or book in a time for a chat with me on professional development and team coaching options.

Till the next adaptability factor,