But What Does “Be More Strategic” Really Mean?

How to develop that skill in yourself and others

At various points in a leader’s development, they can be asked “to be more strategic”.

Often the request/demand will come in the form of a conversation with one’s manager, in which the manager will say at some point, “David, you simply need to be more strategic.”  Ideally, my manager would elaborate on what that actually means or looks like in terms of my focus or leader behavior.  But oftentimes, there’s no elaboration, which is unfortunate.

The recipient of the request is often left confused, but unwilling to say so, lest they disappoint their manager or appear anything less than uber-competent.

In many respects, asking someone to “be more strategic”, is a bit like asking someone, “How long is a piece of string?”

It’s too vague, and it assumes the other person knows your intent.

Instead of asking your direct reports to be more strategic, instead ask them what they think your three primary objectives are.  If they are to be truly strategic, they must, at minimum, know how to support your objectives and your success (assuming that you too are properly focused on all things strategic).

Depending on the level of trust and candor you’ve established with your team, have them submit their answers with or without attribution.  And let them know you’re not going to “ding” them for getting it wrong… (and you won’t, will you.)

The purpose of this exercise is several-fold:
1) It requires you, as a leader, to have clear objectives.
2) It will reveal the extent to which you have been effective in communicating those objectives.
3) It forms a foundation upon which you can discuss how your people can “be more strategic”.  It gives them a context in which they can determine what they should do as a strategic leader.

And by helping them refer back to superordinate goals, by design you are challenging them to think more strategically.

The next challenge, of course, is getting them to act more strategically.  Once again, a good place to start is with your objectives, and getting them to think what they must do if you, and hence their team/department/company, is to succeed.

And if you are not currently a leader with direct reports, why not have a meeting with your manager to confirm you know what their primary objectives are.  Doing so would certainly be strategic.