297. Strategic Thinking: Seeing Around Corners

When we are busy and there is lots to do, we're prompted to ask an essential question: What does it mean to be strategic? And can anyone be a strategic thinker? 

Throughout this mini-series, we explore the world of quality human thinking in our ever evolving world of work. 

In this third episode, we explore why strategic thinking is not just for highly academic people - it is being able to plan ahead and consider as much info as possible to be able to gather perspective and predict how to best play the next few moves. 

p.s.  This week, notice the moments where you might make an instant decision and take a beat to think in 4D i.e. how might I perceive this in a few months time. Could level up your perspective and help make a smarter decision.   

Transcript

Why Strategic Thinking Feels Scary

SPEAKER_01 0:15

How's your week been, Dave?

SPEAKER_02 0:17

My week has been really good, full of joy, kindness, lots of compassion going on, and people sort of really resonating with that pause before you speak sometimes, so that you're not a Richard, really.

SPEAKER_01 0:34

And that was episode 295, where we talk all about compassionate thinking. And that was the second in our five-part focus looking at quality human thinking. So being able to just invest a little bit of time about our thoughts and what that means in this world of AI and real busy, noisy lives that we've got in the world of work, whether you're in work, out of work, looking for work, retired, whatever your um your your setup is, that ability to be able to think and in particular think under pressure, yeah, it's surely going to be one of our premium decade defining skills, which is why we wanted to put a focus on it.

SPEAKER_02 1:12

Definitely. And I think this one that we're talking about, I always love this topic because we get wheeled in to say we'd like you to do a strategic team day. And say that I go, that's fine. What do you want out of it? And um basically it's a plan on a page, right? But it's strategy and strategic thinking. Um, and I always love the way that you describe it when you talk about so what is strategic thinking, Lord? Tell us, give us the inside. Because for me, it's like, wasn't that a plan?

SPEAKER_01 1:42

I'm sure it's probably not make much money by saying things are just a plan. That's true, Lord.

SPEAKER_02 1:48

Yeah, that's true.

SPEAKER_01 1:49

We make things feel highly inaccessible and you know requires years and decades of thought, and this isn't in any way downplaying any of those um strategic thinking approaches, but it can make people worry about not being a strategic thinker.

Strategy As A Simple Plan

SPEAKER_01 2:07

Do you know a story that always sticks out to me? So it was a family business that I was working with, and there was an incredibly charismatic um family member that absolutely should have been going for the senior top position. But their fear was, they said to me, I'm not a strategic thinker. I can't do all of those strategy documents. I see what some of that comes out of the board meetings, and I'm just not, I've never really had to write a strategy report, or I'm not a strategic thinking thinker. And I then said to them, Well, what is it that you've got some experience with? And they said, Well, I'd like to set a plan, engage the team, and then check in on them and then fire it up, and then we make lots of money. Like, brilliant, that's strategic thinking, surely. Then at some point, whoever is responsible for the till of the operation, whether that is the caregiver, whether it's the customer service advisor, whether it is the salesperson who's got a million other things going on in their mind, actually, sometimes the more complicated things seem. Yes, that might appeal to people with whom like their information complicated, but if that is wrapped up as being a strategic thinking component, then I think actually we're barking up the wrong tree because strategic thinking surely is I've got this plan now. What do we think about being around the corner? And then how do we then um remain um flexible enough so we can adjust and adapt? But visionary enough so we have some kind of plan and we're not just going around those circles.

SPEAKER_02 3:44

Yeah, I think you're right. And I love the fact that you said, you know, but for me, it's how do

Seeing Around Corners With Data

SPEAKER_02 3:49

people therefore see around corners? Because sometimes like we get asked the question, well, how long should my strategic plan be for? My strategic, how long should I be thinking for? What's my plan for? Um, you know, what if what if this doesn't happen to it? So that seeing around corners, which I know you always shared, what is that all about, Law, when we're strategically thinking, but we're seeing around the corners? What's that mean?

SPEAKER_01 4:12

So it was prompted by some tech that was going to be trialled in the Tesla cars, and that was where there was going to be such an incredible amount of sensors that that was going to equip the driver almost with the ability to see round corners, like quicker than the human eye would have been able to pick it up.

SPEAKER_00 4:29

Right.

SPEAKER_01 4:29

So that desire for what data can I collect that means that I'm not only staying steady right on this uh part of time I'm on right now, but what might be some things that are worthwhile just catching so that we've got a bit of more of an idea to be able to predict what's around the corner. But there are some things that are potentially beyond

Unintended Consequences And Time

SPEAKER_01 4:52

prediction. And where I started to become really interested in all of this is when I first had my wake-up and smell the silicon moment. Yes, look busy, 2015.

SPEAKER_00 5:03

Oh, wow.

SPEAKER_01 5:04

And I started going to all of these like random tech conferences, and there was this brilliant futurist guy that was talking about the law of unintended consequences.

SPEAKER_00 5:13

Yes.

SPEAKER_01 5:13

There was a safety conference talking about tech, road safety, basically. We use that as the example of since the 1970s, roads around the world have become safer and safer. Each decade has brought in a different bit of technology seatbelt wearing, emergency braking, all these types of things, airbags. And as each decade has gone on, um, all that tech has been put in that short term absolutely has has made a better benefit in terms of loss of life. What couldn't have been predicted, well, there's there's apparently been an overall net loss in lives being saved, because road traffic um fatalities are the source of organ donations. And for every one life lost on the road, right? This guy was saying is eight lives are saved as a result of the donation process.

SPEAKER_02 6:05

Okay.

SPEAKER_01 6:06

Now, what couldn't have been predicted in the 1970s was that each bit of tech was then going to have almost like a fourth dimension, as I then went on to call it, which is who knows how the story is going to evolve over time, which is the fourth dimension, to have then arrived at early 2020s, and actually it could be said that the intent was right, but actually the corners weren't being seen around as all as the unintended consequence. And had it been predicted, you could have ensured that um uh organ, um, you know, been able to create organs in labs and all that kind of stuff should have been going on at the same time, and then you would have ended up with overall lives um saved. So I thought that was really fascinating. And I sat there in the audience and just thought, wow, what is it that we can equip then? So we're not worrying about the future, we're not being paranoid, but what are some tools that we can then equip ourselves to not be necessarily be able to see around corners, but at least be a little bit higher up so you've got a bit more peripheral vision and then be able to make some choices. So I came up with a couple of different approaches I like to take teams through.

SPEAKER_02 7:15

Oh my god. Look, I cannot wait to hear that. But um, I suppose when you're thinking that, again, you've got to be in the good mindset to even consider that next step or the next step or the next step and not take it as red, right? So tell us. I'm intrigued. What's the first tool you're gonna take us through?

OODA Loop And The Pause

SPEAKER_01 7:35

So the first tool is um, well, some of these are inherited ones. God, I haven't made these ones up, but to just stop for a moment and pause and read the situation. Right. So um, this is where the UDA loop is just one of my favourite go-to. You love it. I nabbed it from a slide deck of yours from 2010 or whatever. And I just love it. And basically, the OODA loop, I'll explain what they're standing for in a moment, mirrors the joint decision model, which is what a lot of the emergency emergency services are trained in. So basically, if you arrive on scene, if everyone just acts, then you might be making matters worth. So part of their strategic thinking is let's just stop and observe what do we all know? Let's orientate, how's that link to what is the best thing we want to do now? Let's decide. So, what are all the things that we could do, and then you act. And then having that pause for a moment before you just run in, potentially making matters worth. And even having that wherewithal to just stop, look, and listen, yeah, enables you to then think a bit more strategically. Yes, yeah, and because what computers are trading, then hit us with the robot bit. IFTT, if this, then IFTT, if this, then that. Ah, okay. If this then that. So those are those little rules. So if this, then that. But how do you even know what that might be if you haven't, as a team or as an individual, thought about well, what is this right now? So the UDA is a handy little principle that just reminds us to stop, look, and listen. It's the lower level stuff. You haven't got time to raise it up a little bit. Not because you're not intelligent, it's just because you haven't got the airspace in it.

SPEAKER_02 9:19

Yeah, you haven't got the headspace to it.

SPEAKER_01 9:20

Yeah, heads down.

SPEAKER_02 9:21

So, what is the benefit then, Law, of people consciously going through that UDA loop um in their everyday with their teams or anything else? What is the benefit of that? If a leader goes, Oh, I quite like that, what's the benefit to them and the team?

SPEAKER_01 9:36

I think the benefit is threefold. Number one, it gives you cognitive diversity. So being able to get all the different thoughts around the table. And even if that takes 30 minutes of a two-hour catch-up, um, that that 30 minutes, spending 25% of the time just pausing, who knows what about this thing, and going around the table gives you cognitive diversity, which means you've got different perspectives that are then able to be considered. The next benefit is it means it gives you a bit more intelligence to then be able to make some thoughtful decisions. So not only does it get everyone involved, it also means you've got a bit more intelligence to make thoughtful decisions. And then the third aspect is it might give you a different time perspective. And what you're then looking at is then how do we then ensure that we've got short-term, medium term, long term? Because what then enables you to do is then gives you a bit of headspace of

SWOT And PESTLE For Perspective

SPEAKER_01 10:36

actually if this then that, because if I just go right CLA and go and get my mister with me, yeah, that has uh all sorts of sort of consequences in it. So then you need a bit of perspective, right? So to help the observe, this is where a good old-fashioned SWAT analysis can just be worth its weight in gold. What are the internal strengths and weaknesses that we're seeing right now, and what are the external opportunities and threats? So that gives you a discipline to then all to be able to contribute to that. Yeah, what can then help kind of get a bit more strategic, i.e., thinking a little bit above our day-to-day, is I love doing a pestle, Debbie.

SPEAKER_02 11:17

I was just thinking that. Oh, yeah, a good old pestle.

SPEAKER_01 11:21

Good old pestle. So pestle stands for the sort of different perspective. Politically, yeah, what's on the horizon? Yeah, economically, what is worth us thinking about? Yeah, societally, yeah. What is going on that we think is gonna influence this? Technologically, what is gonna be some things that actually we need to be aware of? Legally, are there any big le laws that are about to be passed that are gonna fundamentally change how we do? And then um environmentally, yeah, from an environmental perspective, is there anything else that needs to be on our radar? And I think by nature though, that forces you to be strategic, so strata level, it forces you to go up a level, yeah, not just what's allowed to do list now, yeah, but it gives you as an individual or as a team, yeah, and what do we think could be around the corner? Yeah, and even I mean, no one is able to 100% predict the future. That's why you have stock traders that lose money, you know, exactly. Your bets, yeah, but not every bet is going to come through.

SPEAKER_02 12:22

That's so fascinating because again, they're really simple tools to just run through. They're not they don't need war and peace to do them, but it just needs that, I suppose, that mindset and that ability to stop and pause and just run through that, you know, so that we're coming from a place of being informed. And I think that's you know, that's something where um how do we become more informed or have more information and not just jump to the first easy option sometimes? Because I know when you also use brain and you always use that a lot. I mean, I have used that over the last I th I I mean six or seven workshops I've been doing every single time. Brain comes up as a way of enabling people to make the right decision or to think or to stop and pause and then explore it first with curiosity before making that decision.

BRAIN For Better Decisions

SPEAKER_02 13:14

So talk us through brain, Law, because I love it.

SPEAKER_01 13:16

Oh, it's fab. So I nixed this from my NCT work um workshop, NCT program, which was like, yeah, God, summer 2012, yeah, early 2012. And uh I just thought I knew it was gold when I was when I was sitting there. And um, so brain stands for benefits, risks, alternatives, intuition, and nothing. So you're there, and as a team, you've done your SWAT. So, as part of that UDA, you thought, right, before we just do these three things but a little bit cheaper than last year, let's be strategic, let's just go up a level. We might not be able to predict right around the corner, but let's at least lift up our chairs a bit so we can see out the sunroof and have a little bit of a of a of a wider perspective. So we're going to practice UDA, so that's our observe, and then we can orientate what it is we want to do. And within that, then we've done our SWAT, we've done our pestle, and that's got the cognitive diversity round the room. Basically, everyone has just got their thoughts um thinking about it. And then now what do we do? So let's say out of there are a couple of options that um a team could take. Um, brain will enable you to almost work out the least worst and be able to validate that decision or justify it if uh the corners turn out to be um cliff edges. So brain stands for so benefits. What's the benefits of this? What are the risks of this? What are the alternatives to doing this? What does our intuition tell us about this? And if we were to not do this, what would the consequence be? And sometimes the end, the nothing question is the one that um can prompt the kind of the least worst. And then that wraps up really nicely with a little tool that I um invented sitting there as I was there in this seminar, just going, Oh my goodness, you know, who could have predicted in the 70s safety implications of what looks like at first glance, yeah, absolutely the right thing to do. Absolutely. But once time got in and things evolved, I kind of I really noodled around with this and I came up with my four-dimensional thinking.

Four-Dimensional Thinking For The Future

SPEAKER_01 15:14

And I'm sure there's a fancier approach to this, but this just worked in my point. Well, I think at the time my daughter, she must have been about four or five, and they were learning about 3D shapes and two D shapes. So a 1D shape, a one-dimensional is that flat surface.

SPEAKER_02 15:30

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 15:31

So when I look at this decision, um and I just look at it just as it is, just surface level, does it does it stand up? Let's now put a bit of um depth into it. No, let's put a bit of height into it. Let's think of that second dimension of height. So uh you've got your width, you've got your height, and you've got the length, and then what does that then look like? Yeah, okay, so put a little bit of shape on it. Now let's put some three dimensions into it. So, what might be some other perspectives? How might this look in on this? And let's now put in the fourth dimension of time. In 10 years' time, what might this decision look like? How might this look in as as we have, you know, kind of more things emerging? And I think that can be useful for personal decisions as well. So, you know, yeah, in 10 years' time, what would the consequence be of me staying in this difficult situation?

SPEAKER_02 16:19

Oh Laura, I've got a I've got a really good question because you've just prompted a thought off the cuff in me. So, with the busy, crazy world we live in, 24-7, everything's available to us now. What I've noticed in coaching as well is asking people so if you were looking back on your life 10 years from now, what do you want? What would success look like for you? Some people are struggling to even look past the next two years, let alone 10 years down the line. And I know that's a great interview question, isn't it? It's where do you see yourself in five years? I could never answer it. But I'm just finding it really interesting as to say people are not maybe thinking, and I could I'm being a very general assumption here, because there are people that are, but there seems to be this not thinking forward enough to go, oh yeah, what's over there? That fourth-dimensional thinking isn't happening. What is that all about?

Survival Mode And Long-Term Vision

SPEAKER_01 17:12

I wonder whether that is because we're battling down the hatches, we're in sort of survival mode, and short-term, that might absolutely be the most sensible thing to do. I mean, I wasn't dreaming about my long-term ambitions when I was there checking I had enough money in the count to pay rent and mortgage the next day. So I think these are strategic thinking is almost like a luxury to be able to think strategically means actually operationally we're not in firefighting kind of mode. Yeah. Um, but let me not get stuck in firefighting. So when there is a moment to be able to, otherwise, what's all the fighting and the hassle for? As Winston Churchill was quoted as saying, you know, if we have no theatres, entertainment, um, literature, um, dancing, what's the point of all the fighting? What are we fighting for? What we've seen before. It feels like your life is a real battle at the moment. Yeah, I think it's just checking ourselves that actually, am I stuck? There's there's there are different ways that I can think. And if I can have just a moment to think, actually, is this what I want?

SPEAKER_02 18:14

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 18:15

How would this look if I was explaining this decision to a friend? So that's your second dimension or your third dimension. Yeah. And actually, what might this mean just even in one to two years' time? And for anyone that has younger people in their family network, that can often be an interesting one. Actually, when this kid is is is adult, what would I want them to be saying about how we showed up? So if it's tricky to put yourself interesting, yeah, if you put around you some younger people or even a pet, you know, what I want when when my dog is old, grey, and grizzled, and I'm having to lift it up to uh, you know, you know, to go for a walk, what would I, what where would I want to be? So it just lifts you up. And then Debs, what that did for me at some very good difficult times in my life is that it is a reminder that this too shall pass. Yes. You might be driving over potholes at the moment, yeah, you might be stuck on the edge, you know, you might be stuck in a lay-by, just thinking, it just doesn't feel easy at all. Yeah. But just knowing that you can pop your head out of the sunroof every now and then and just even glance forward around the corner.

SPEAKER_02 19:21

Yeah, that's a good thing.

SPEAKER_01 19:22

I think it's just that reminder of keeping a bit of perspective. And that is probably how I would sum up strategic thinking. Yeah. Like I said to this director, she was absolutely going to smash it. Everyone loved her, but she'd held herself back because of this perceived um kind of untouchable thing of strategic thinking. And actually, it's having perspective, is being able to articulate that and then make a few more wiser, informed decisions based on what you know here and now. Yeah. And then maybe just throwing the time frame backward a bit to be do a bit of a review. Yeah. Current state, what do we all then know? And then what would our goal state be? And that for me is strategic thinking, Debs.

SPEAKER_02 20:01

Oh my god, well, that I love it. And you know, when I think people, when they hear that, it might take the pressure off that they have to be this big, scary strategic thinker. Um, the simplicity of it is exactly as you've just described it, right? Is and we can all do that if we just pause for a moment and remind ourselves that we can. So we are all strategic thinkers in a way, because we all make decisions around do I really want to get that now or later or whenever or never. Um, so I think we do it, but I think you're right, the wording has become this big, scary only big, high important people do strategy. You know, we do it all the time, right?

SPEAKER_01 20:41

Yeah, and you know, I don't know the exact facts of this, but how I take it is strategy comes from the word strat, strata, which is levels.

AI, Simplicity, And Human Leadership

SPEAKER_01 20:49

Yeah, and it just means you're just going up a couple of levels. Yeah, and here's the irony, Debs, right? I wonder how many people sit there going, right? Well, basically, this is the plan to make more money or to prevent compliance leaks or whatever it's going to be. Let me now feed it into my AI to make it look more fancy. Yes. That gets emailed off. Someone else goes, Oh, this looks fancy. Let me feed it into my AI to give me the simple bullet points. And actually, what was the point of that middle bit there? Because you know, if people are busy, like on our compassionate thinking focus we had a couple of episodes ago, when people are busy, they've got less capacity to be able to wade their way through lots of complexity. So I do wonder how much AI is used maybe these days to turn human, really great thinking, making it sound all fancy and putting lots and efforts.

SPEAKER_00 21:40

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 21:40

And then someone else at the other end to then demystify and put it back into the original easy source.

SPEAKER_02 21:46

Yeah, because that's what it is, isn't it? We just want simplicity because we're quite simple people, really, and we just want to know how to get from A to B to C to D safely in a healthy state, looking after ourselves and everybody that comes with us. And I think. That's that's the humans in us, isn't it, really? That hasn't changed, has it?

SPEAKER_01 22:03

No. And Devs, those are the leaders we need in the future.

SPEAKER_02 22:07

Definitely. I'm with you on that. So, what would be your share the secret, Law?

Share The Secret And Wrap-Up

SPEAKER_01 22:12

Okay, here's my share the secret. If you've got a friend or a colleague who is shying away from going for what looks like a more strategic role, this isn't too, this isn't in any way to disrespect the strategic thinking, formal approaches that are out there. But I do wonder how many people are scared off by it seeming very complicated, very academic, and only certain people are allowed to be strategic. So if you've got a friend that you know would be absolutely brilliant in a role that they are maybe shying away from going for, get them to listen to this. And if this just gives um you know a bit of a bit of a reassuring perspective, also these are all the tools that we've discussed that we would run with a team if we were doing a strategic thinking day. So it's also if you've got a team where you know you know it's you you know you want to do a bit of perspective um uh uh increasing, yeah, then um you know get some colleagues to listen to this and you could run a session based off some of the ideas that we've shared.

SPEAKER_02 23:07

Yeah, definitely. Oh, I love that. And I think my call to action is that the fact is, you know, sometimes these big words um can be overwhelming. So demystify them and make them simple. That would be my call to action. And that strategic thinking one that you've done today has really just demystified everything about it, right? I love it, love it. Thank you, Law.

SPEAKER_01 23:28

My pleasure. Now let's feed this in into an AI and make it sound hugely complicated. Yes, exactly.

SPEAKER_02 23:36

Very academic, yeah, and then let's see what actually what does it mean? So what? So what now? Oh, let me just put it back and unpick it.

SPEAKER_01 23:45

Yeah, yeah, absolutely.

SPEAKER_02 23:47

Oh my god, so this has been really cool.

SPEAKER_01 23:50

I know. I'm so loving this focus on the thinkings and being able to focus and navigate our way through these uh fascinating times, yeah, and where we've had a look at compassionate thinking, yeah, um, thinking our way through rocky team dynamics or some complicated team dynamics. What does it mean to have quality human thinking and how can that, particularly in an AI um advancing world, what does that mean? And I'm really looking forward to the fifth and final one where we're gonna be looking at not dwelling but reflecting to then be able to up our level of wisdom. So, Debs, you're gonna get your inner yoda. I am I'm not sure we've got the trademark for that, but we could paint you green.

SPEAKER_02 24:32

Paint me green, yeah. At the end, I'll just bring out a shrek.

SPEAKER_01 24:38

Grogu.

SPEAKER_02 24:39

Oh Grogu. Oh well, I'll be a Grogu rather than the Kermit as well. I'll be Princess Fiona, that would be it, won't you? I love that. I love Princess Fiona, full of wisdom.

SPEAKER_01 24:51

Yeah. I'll be your donkey debt.

SPEAKER_02 24:56

Oh my god, I've loved it. Yeah, thank you. I'm gonna have a whole different approach to strategic thinking now, Law. I really appreciate me demystifying it for us all. So thank you.

SPEAKER_01 25:06

Oh, my pleasure. And everyday school day, you know, whenever you sort of share and you think about these things, think right, what can I then bring, you know, onward just to not necessarily see round corners, but at least have a bit of a peer. So then you look forward to it as well as not kind of dredging it. So I got a one. Right, uh have a good one next week.

SPEAKER_02 25:24

Yeah, you too, lovely. See you later.

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SPEAKER_01 25:31

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