Tips to Help Build and Strengthen Your Strategic Mindset

Strategic success can only be achieved with the right mindset. 

Adopt a Life-Long Approach to Learning

  • Study your clients and stakeholders. Know their strategic objectives, challenges, and priorities.
  • Actively monitor and understand the actions, behaviors, and performance of your organization and industry – as well as competitor actions and market trends.
  • Analyze data and scan the horizon to identify trends and opportunities for improvement.

Learn from History and Past Experiences

  • Be open to stepping outside your comfort zone and taking appropriate risks.
  • Reflect and act upon lessons learned.
  • Celebrate failures that provide insight in addition to your successes.

 Build Strong Relationships

  • Build internal and external relationships that foster a level of trust, and collaboration, with sharing of information.
  • Get involved with projects outside your current role to increase your exposure to different viewpoints and perspectives.
  • Join a committee, board, or professional organization that positions you to interact with influencers and leaders in your organization or industry.

 Challenge Your Assumptions, Beliefs, and Perspectives

  • When brainstorming or testing out a possible solution, look for alternative perspectives and seek to understand the beliefs and assumptions of others.
  • Remember to step back far enough to see the big picture. Consider how the same issue or opportunity looks from broader perspectives – such as your team, the organization, or the client.
  • Be aware of your own biases, judgments, and assumptions and take steps to enable objective thinking.
  • Strive to be approachable and curious about new ideas.
  • Be flexible and ready to adapt.

Manage Your Time and Priorities

  • Be intentional in allowing time for strategic actions. Assess where you are in spending your time and reprioritize as needed.
  • Balance priorities around short-term gains and long-term success.
  • Invest time in advance of interactions to understand the goals, priorities, and desired outcome of all parties.

By Dennis R. O’Brien, Senior Consultant

RVR has helped numerous clients in the past with strategic initiatives. Please contact us if you are interested in discussing further.