Four ways to overcome the most common roadblocks to strategic thinking
With a title like director of client strategy, creating well-thought-out approaches is pretty much what I do. But in the slew of meetings and emails (an average of 126 emails per day says Radicati Group) and a whole host of “other duties as assigned,” it can be nearly impossible to think strategically on a daily basis.
Because contrary to popular corporate belief: Being busy doesn’t mean you’re doing impactful work.
Firing off emails and checking off boxes is all well and good (and in some cases is what keeps the lights on), but true strategy is where change happens. Innovation. Growth. Excitement.
Without a strategy, the work you do — whether it’s real estate or technology or digital marketing —will never be as good as it can be.
As I’ve grown in my career, I’ve started collecting tips and tricks that work for me when it doesn’t seem like there’s time or space to create a blueprint for success for my clients. These are four of the common excuses I find myself making and some of the tactical ways I’ve learned to overcome them.
“I don’t know where to start.”
This is probably the one I find myself saying the most. Doing the “big thinking” can be intimidating just because it’s, well, big. So for me, I like to start small.
A great place to start thinking about new ways of doing business is to look at your competitors. Think about the things you think they’re doing well and how you might replicate them (in your own way). You might even consider what they’re not doing and how you could fill that gap for your customer base.
This evaluation can extend far beyond your direct competition as well. Some of my favorite thinking has been inspired by brands completely outside of a brand’s category or competitive set. Inspiration is always just around the corner if you’re willing to take the time to look for it.
Use the smart thinking from the brands around you as a catalyst to great ideas for your own brand.
This is probably the one I find myself saying the most. Doing the “big thinking” can be intimidating just because it’s, well, big. So for me, I like to start small.
A great place to start thinking about new ways of doing business is to look at your competitors. Think about the things you think they’re doing well and how you might replicate them (in your own way). You might even consider what they’re not doing and how you could fill that gap for your customer base.
This evaluation can extend far beyond your direct competition as well. Some of my favorite thinking has been inspired by brands completely outside of a brand’s category or competitive set. Inspiration is always just around the corner if you’re willing to take the time to look for it.
Use the smart thinking from the brands around you as a catalyst to great ideas for your own brand.
“There’s not enough time.”
Yes, there is.
Take 15 minutes one day to outline the tasks you feel you need to complete in order to put together a strategy. Then prioritize these tasks and break them out into groups of similar tasks that can be completed a little at a time.
Personally, I put holds on my calendar titled “work time” so that my team knows I need the mental space to get some thinking done. It allows me to make slow but progressive movement forward without making it a big, looming to-do list item.
Trust me: You’ll feel really accomplished after each session as you’ll allow your brain to focus on just a few things really well.
“I can’t do it all myself.”
As leaders, it’s easy to think that all the “big thinking” has to come from us. That it’s our job to put in the extra hours to not only get the job done but to also brainstorm an elaborate business strategy on top of our 9-to-5.
I’ve learned the hard way that this is a tried-and-true path to creative and strategic burnout.
If this happens to you, start pulling your team into the strategic work with you. Set up guardrails or smaller projects that someone else could do to save you time: research a competitor, investigate a new service, call customers to get feedback on a new product.
When you allow your team to help you do some of the leg work as input for strategic thinking, you’ll gain traction on the project and allow them to feel involved — which will improve buy-in when the new strategy roles out.
“It might not be worth it.”
Thinking strategically is always worth it.
Having a plan and a clear path forward will save you time, money and stress by helping you see potential pitfalls you can and should avoid. There may not be a direct ROI for your strategic work, but if it makes you and your team feel like there is a clear path forward, you’ll be more efficient — which will, in turn, provide ROI in other places.
You’ll need to weigh the benefits of having a well-planned approach to spending your money and time against the freedom of winging it and decide which works best for you. But if your business is anything like ours at MAKE, strategy will always win out.
Lisa Frey is director of client strategy at MAKE Digital group, an innovative digital marketing agency that specializes in forward-thinking marketing strategies for small businesses. Lisa has 10+ years of experience creating and implementing marketing strategies for clients in a wide variety of industries. To schedule a free analysis of your marketing strategy, email Lisa at lisa@makedigitalgroup.com.
