Block out time for thinking.
Don't let a crowded schedule prevent you from thinking strategically. When things get hectic, it's easy to focus on small details instead of the bigger picture. However, being strategic means being able to take a step back from those little details. Clear out some time in your schedule where you can just sit and think without any distractions. For example, if you're in management, once a week you might block out 2 hours where you think about the big-picture strategy for your department, like the direction you want to take your team and how to proactively prepare for any problems that might arise. Try not to get bogged down in details during your strategy time. If you need to, write down things you'll need to figure out later so you can stay focused on your long-term plans.
Look for trends around you.
Try to identify problems that keep reoccurring. As you're looking at the big picture, like your overall business operations or the scope of your personal life, look for issues that you have to keep addressing time and time again. Once you're able to identify those, it will be a lot easier to create a strategic plan for dealing with those obstacles. For instance, you might notice that when there's bad weather in a certain part of the country, your company has issues with shipping. In that case, you might implement a back-up plan, like designated alternate shipping routes or using a secondary shipping company. If you're playing a game like chess, you might notice that your opponent tends to favor a certain move when they feel threatened. Once you're aware of that, you may be able to pre-empt that move—like by blocking a certain piece, for example. The best way to understand a market that you're trying to enter and the people that are going to use your product is to actually start writing down clear statements of who is going to be using your product and how they should feel when they use it. Use your time and efforts to figure out who already is in this market space and why it is that they won't be able to capture that you will. Look at three or four other players in the market that could potentially disrupt and take advantage of this opportunity in the next year or two and weigh in to see whether you need to enter the market today, wait a couple of years or maybe not enter it at all.
Question everything.
Be curious and let go of assumptions. A big part of being strategic means challenging the status quo, so get in the habit of playing devil's advocate with yourself. Don't be afraid to question why things are done a certain way or how they could be done differently, and dig deeper if you feel like something is unclear or ambiguous. When you do that, you'll find it a lot easier to come up with different approaches for solving any problems that come up. For instance, if you notice that your office filing system tends to get really messy, question whether there's a different way you could organize the paperwork so it's more streamlined. If you're planning to start your own business, ask yourself questions like "How could this go wrong?" and "What kind of problems should I prepare for?"
Get other perspectives.
Reach out to others for their opinions. Don't just surround yourself with people who are going to agree with you—build a team of people who are willing to tell you what they think. Then, when you're dealing with a problem, ask those people how they'd approach the situation. When you do that, you're more likely to get a perspective you might not have considered on your own. This doesn't mean you need to let other people make decisions for you, but listening to different points of view can help you come up with a creative solution to whatever you're working on. For example, if you're working as a project manager and you run into a problem, you might ask everyone from your boss to the boots-on-the-ground workers how they would solve it. Then, you'd evaluate all of those different perspectives to decide which suggestions have the most merit. Especially reach out to people who are regularly willing to challenge what you think, like someone who says, "Have you thought about it this way?" Those opposing viewpoints are crucial for strategic planning.
Anticipate problems before they happen.
Think about a variety of different potential outcomes. If you're constantly reacting, it's hard to stay focused on your long-term goals. Instead, try to be proactive by anticipating changes that may be coming or issues that could arise. When you're thinking a few steps ahead, it will be a lot easier to plan out an effective strategy. For instance, in a business setting, you might stay informed about any advances in technology that could cause your services to become obsolete—then figure out how to incorporate those technological advances so you can use them to your advantage. It's impossible to foresee every situation that could arise, either in your personal or professional life. However, if you're generally prepared for different situations, it's usually easier to adapt when something unexpected does happen.
Focus on how to make things better.
Don't just hone in on what's wrong. Instead, practice looking for what's going right. When you do that, it's easier to look for what you can do to build on the good things that are happening, which will sometimes help eliminate problems before they begin. If you do notice a problem, be the person who looks for a solution—not just the person who points out the issue. For example, if your team is regularly coming in behind deadline, you might strategize how to get through your workload more efficiently so it's easier to stay on schedule.
Set clear goals and evaluate them periodically.
Be strategic by focusing on long-term targets. Use the acronym SMART to make sure your goals are reasonable—goals should be Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, and Timely. In addition, create an action plan with specific steps for how you're going to meet those goals. For example, if your marketing strategy involves improving your social media presence, you might create an action plan that includes things like identifying your target audience, optimizing all of your pages, sticking to a regular posting schedule, and creating a consistent "voice" for your brand. Regularly monitor your progress to make sure the plan is still working for you. Also, be flexible when you're updating your plans—that's an important part of making sure your strategy stays relevant! Keep in mind that this doesn't mean micro-managing every detail of how to meet those goals. In your personal life, you'll need to be flexible as you see how things play out. In a professional setting, it's important to give your team some leeway as long as they're meeting their targets on time.
Stay focused on your most important goals.
Don't let small crises distract you. When you're a great strategist, you understand that getting tangled up in smaller problems can derail you from your endgame. When something comes up that you need to deal with, ask yourself what solution lines up best with your long-term goals. That can make it easier to decide what to do, without spending a lot of times on things that aren't that important. Give yourself time to make important decisions—patience is an important part of strategic thinking. For instance, if you have a goal to pay off your credit cards in a year, and your dishwasher breaks down, you might decide it's more strategic to wash your dishes by hand until you get your credit cards paid off, then save until you can afford to pay cash for a new dishwasher. If you're running a company and your goal is to grow your client base, you might find that it's a good investment to purchase new manufacturing equipment, especially if slow production times are affecting customer satisfaction.
Work on the weakest part of your plan.
Focus your energy on where you need the most improvement. Ask yourself if there's an area where you're especially vulnerable, then find ways to shore that up. In chess, this is known as "improving your worst piece"—but it can apply to anything from managing your personal life to running a huge corporation. Once you've taken care of that issue, find the new "worst piece" and work on that. For example, if you want your home to be neater, you might start by identifying the spot that tends to get messy the fastest. Then, create an organizational system for that area. Once that's under control, move on to the next place that clutter tends to gather.
Balance logic and creativity.
Use both the left and right sides of your brain. Being strategic means sometimes you have to come up with innovative solutions to problems. However, you also have to be realistic and logical about what will and won't work. Try to find a balance between the two that works for you, rather than leaning too heavily on one side or the other. For example, when you're developing a new product, you typically start by coming up with a creative solution to a problem your consumers are facing. However, you also have to be really logical about things like cost-effectiveness, customer acquisition costs, and manufacturing limitations. Don't be afraid to take risks as you're building out your strategy!
Learn from your experiences.
Reflect; don't just react. Sometimes when we're overwhelmed, it's easy just to move from one experience to another without taking time to reflect on what's happening. However, if you want to have better strategic thinking skills, it's important to look back on your experiences to understand what happened, why it happened, and what you can do to prevent it next time. If you spent a lot of time developing a new product that didn't sell well, for instance, you might realize that you need to put more effort into getting feedback early in the planning process. That way, you'll only put resources into something that generates a lot of interest. Learning from your mistakes is an especially important part of becoming more strategic, because it helps you avoid those stumbling blocks in the future.
Play more games.
Spark your strategic thinking with sports, video games, and chess. If you want a way to practice your strategic thinking, try taking it a little less seriously—and turn to some of your favorite games! Chess is well-known for being an excellent way to boost your ability to think strategically. However, there are other fun ways that may help, as well: Video games that involve real-time strategy can actually help you learn to think more quickly on your feet, which can be an important part of adapting strategy in the real world. In addition to a ton of other physical and mental benefits, playing sports can also help you boost your strategic thinking skills.
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