I remember the review I had when I was up for a promotion from account supervisor to managing supervisor.
I was ready for the promotion, I knew I'd been working in that capacity for a good six months, and I had my business reasons outlined and rehearsed to present to my boss.
The review went swimmingly. Everything was perfect until the very last comment: "You need to be more strategic."
I was 27 years old. I had all of five years of experience. And suddenly I had to be more strategic if I wanted that promotion.
The reason that has stuck with me all of these years (I mean, the last three years) is that no one told me what that meant. My boss just said it and that was that. I don't think even she knew what that meant, in retrospect. That's why she couldn't answer my questions.
Today, as a boss, I never provide that feedback to someone without explaining what it means, providing examples, and giving them a clear path to get there.
And, trust me, this conversation comes up a lot, particularly in the PR industry. As a whole, we tend to be much more tactical than strategic.
Be a PR Strategic Thinker
That's why, when Clay Morgan sent "Six Habits of True Strategic Thinkers" to our team yesterday, I was compelled to read, share, and comment.
Giving the author, Paul J.H. Schoemaker, full credit, the six habits he listed are:
- Anticipate
- Think critically
- Interpret
- Decide
- Align
- Learn
Let's break those down, from a PR perspective.
Anticipate
Yesterday, I wrote here about the big move Visa made by firing their PR agencies and bringing all of that work in-house.
I have no idea if this is a trend other large companies will follow or if it's a silly mistake that will soon be rectified. But I do know it's something to anticipate could happen, therefore I'm keeping a careful eye on it.
If it begins to happen with other companies, we've already begun thinking about how that could affect our communications firm and have a pivot plan in place to move with the trend.
To be a strategic thinker, watch the trends. Pay attention to the economic signals. Watch the big moves happening in the industry. Anticipate how all of this could affect your career or your business.
Think Critically
Yesterday, while I was walking Jack Bauer, I saw a bumper sticker that said, "Critical thinking: The other national deficit." I thought, "No kidding."
We tend to take things at face value and don't use our critical thinking skills to question what's in front of us.
You see this happen online all the time. My favorite is a photo of Abraham Lincoln with the caption, "Don't believe everything you read on the Internet just because there is a picture with a quote next to it."
We get complacent, we stop questioning, we become less curious...and all of that forces us to lose our competitive edge.
To be a strategic thinker, stop taking things at face value and use that brain of yours.
Interpret
It's fairly easy to look at the Visa example I used above and dismiss it as one big mistake the company is making. It's easy to think to yourself, "Next we'll be hearing news they've hired three more PR agencies."
But if you want to be considered a strategic thinker, you don't take news like that at face value.
You pay attention to what other large companies are doing, particularly trend-setters such as Proctor & Gamble and Johnson & Johnson.
Watch what they do with PR and with their agencies. Find similarities in how they launch new campaigns. And interpret what you think that could mean for your organization or your client's businesses.
To be a strategic thinker, you must watch trends, pay close attention to industry news, and interpret what it could mean for you.
Decide
Raise your hand if you overanalyze everything (I'm looking at some of you!).
Some people tend to get analysis paralysis and can't make a decision to save their lives. They get wrapped up in all of the data and trying to interpret what's there, they paralyze themselves from moving forward.
In Sheryl Sandberg's "Lean In," she describes a poster they have on the wall at work, "It's better to finished than to be perfect."
To be a strategic thinker, you need to be decisive, fast, and finished.
Align
This is one of the hardest ones for me for two reasons: I want everyone to have a voice and I have a need to be liked (I'm working on it).
It is impossible to have complete consensus (anyone who has planned a wedding knows you will never make everyone happy), but a strategic thinker will listen to all sides, assess the risks, bring tough issues out in conversation, and figure out where the balance is.
From a PR perspective, we do this nearly every day. We know how to communicate with different stakeholders and how to turn brand detractors into loyalists.
Now take that talent and turn it inward. How can you align the team you lead or the client's organization or even your executive team?
To be a strategic thinker, stop being fearful and use your communication skills to align your teams.
Learn
One of my favorite sayings is, "It doesn't matter if you fall, but in how you get up when you do."
During the Great Recession, I had that taped to my wall and I looked at it every day.
To say I learned a ton in that three year period is putting it mildly.
Because of that (and other mistakes I've made), I'm a big believer in failing if you learn something from it.
To be a strategic thinker, you have to fail so you can learn. It's the only way to do work on the other five habits.
So there you have it...a complete look at the habits you can develop to become a strategic thinker.