Executives (strategic leaders) set the strategic direction for their organisation. To do this, they need to think beyond the one-year horizon and envision an outcome that may not eventuate for another five to ten years.
This requires being brave enough to ignore existing limitations, be creative and embrace uncertainty.
It also requires patience and selflessness because real change and impact take time. Instead of creating instant fame for themselves or their team, effective executives need to prioritise things that will work in the long run.
But how do you do this if you’re a middle manager, with no previous involvement in creating the organisation’s strategic plan?
1. Take the pressure off yourself.
You don’t start building your strategic skills by challenging yourself to dream up a 10-year vision for your organisation. You start by going to the ‘next level’.
If you manage a business unit that is responsible for implementing a 1-year business plan, try developing a 3-year plan for your team.
2. Make it easier by connecting with existing long-term plans.
An obvious place to start is your organisation’s strategic plan, which is commonly developed for a 3 to 5-year timeframe.
This will immediately give you something to work with and set the parameters of your thinking so that your plan remains relevant.
Identify the organisation’s long-term strategies and performance targets you contribute to and work out how your team can help to progress towards them over multiple years.
3. Start with the desired outcome rather than diving straight into the actions.
I get it. We’re all busy and want to get on with things.
But clearly identifying the long-term result you are ultimately aiming for will help you to avoid short-sightedness and to look at the bigger picture.
It will also help you reduce waste by ensuring that you only include relevant actions in your plan, that actually contribute towards achieving performance targets.
4. Be brave - dream before you edit.
Yes, setting SMART goals involves setting achievable targets. But don’t set them only based on your current circumstances.
Start your planning process by thinking bigger and braver.
You may identify capacity or capability gaps, but maybe they can be addressed over time. This will push you to think beyond the 12-month horizon.
Before you edit your ambitions, see if there are ways of improving your context to build readiness for the change or impact you are after.
I hope this is helpful.