Strategic Planning by Human Design
Where do you do your best strategic thinking?
Many people answer with the following:
In the shower (I do my best work there)
While I’m hiking
While I’m paddle boarding
When I’m cooking
On the ski lift
Yet, think about it, we bring our teams together in a sterile boardroom and expect them to be creative. What happens in your typical boardroom? I know what happens in the boardrooms I’ve found myself in:
Intimidation
Self-judgement
Hesitancy
Fidgeting
Day dreaming
How might we capture the energy of our naturally creative spaces and engage our teams in their BEST strategic thinking? How might we capture those creative thoughts and bring them into reality? You know the drill, you jump out of the shower, you get done with your hike – and poof, all those brilliant thoughts evaporate into thin air.
Granted taking my team into the shower with me was off the table, I took them out on the lake for a paddle boarding strategy session. We paddled around a while allowing conversation and connection to occur organically. Then we huddled our boards together, the breeze gently moving us around the lake, the mountains off in the distance, and the creative juices flowing. 2 hours passed by like a fish jumping from the water. One of my team members declared, “I didn’t daze out once”. Our strategy was clear and our next steps were in place. Now that is strategic planning!
One leader I consulted with decided to do ‘Gondola Gab’ where she would invite her team members to take a gondola ride with her and engage them in Stay Interviews to explore their engagement and aspirations. From those conversations new inspiration and strategies always emerged.
Next time you go for that hike, grab your phone and open an email addressed to yourself. Capture those strategic thoughts.
When you’re in the shower designing that next product, record your thoughts as soon as you get out… before they vanish.
Take a walk with your CEO. If you are the CEO, take a walk with your team members. We all have great ideas that are just waiting to be let out!
Ask your team members where they do their best strategic thinking and see how you might capitalize on that!
AUTHOR – Gretchen Reid is the Founder and Chief Change and Leadership Architect for Integrated Growth. She has spent over 25 years coaching leaders and creating award-winning Leadership and Talent Development Programs, directly contributing to multiple awards for her clients, including Fast Company’s 50 Most Innovative Companies, Forbes America’s Best Employers List, Forbes Best Employer for Diversity, and ASTD BEST. She is an Adjunct Professor of Change Management in the Strategic HR Masters Program, Denver University, University College. (MS, Career and Human Resource Development, Rochester Institute of Technology, BA, Psychology & Business Management, University of Rochester)
