Strategy and Details - Can We Do Both at Once?
I used to think so.
Then, recently, I had to do so, and I FAILED.
I was the main contact for a project that required a high level of detailed tasks related to live training registration, attendance tracking, make-up work, and overall learning coordination for hundreds of people. The LMS where I needed to complete the work was not efficient. Each individual task required several manual clicks.
The work was necessary. It was tied to the major organizational initiative for which I had been hired. I had designed the learning strategy and now it was time to execute.
I don't mind rolling up my sleeves to ensure everyone gets the learning they need and answers to their questions, but I was not prepared for what happened to me amid of that work.
With a large number of email requests arriving in my inbox at an impossible pace, paired with research and the completion of a manual task(s) in the LMS, I was working furiously to assist. I was cranking out answers and tasks as fast as my fingers could type them.
When a question that should have been related to strategy arrived in my box from an initiative sponsor and VP, I answered it quickly and moved on. Just like I was doing with all the other messages in my box.
My partner in the project, who wasn't as busy with her duties at the time reached out, "Are you sure that's the right answer?"
I stopped in my tracks and realized what had happened.
Buried in the details, I had responded to the strategic question in the same way I was responding to the detailed task execution questions - with the attitude of, "I've got this. Answer the question, service the team member, and get this request out of my inbox." In that moment, my strategic brain had been completely ABSENT from the response.
I responded completely out of character.
In any other situation, I would have been the one who asked the questions to ensure we were on track with the strategy and not responding knee-jerk just to get through the day. I started kicking myself and squarely hitting my forehead with my palm.
Then it hit me. This is a reason WHY.
Needing to "get the detailed work done," especially when it is coming at us fast and furious is one of the reasons WHY we, in L&D, sometimes fail at working strategically.
I often talk about how, if L&D could work more strategically on a more consistent basis, it would help us to increase our impact and better work with the business, as opposed to doing things for the business. We could better align with the business and we would have a clear path away from doing our work as "order-takers."
I've seen, led, and experienced the alternative, an L&D team that worked strategically and transformed from order takers to trusted business advisors. It was amazing and exhilarating!
But working strategically requires a different mindset than simply "solve, service, and move on," and SWITCHING that mindset in the midst of the details is harder than it seems.
If we are truly buried in the details, as I was in this project, we have very little space left to think differently.
It isn't that we don't have the ability to do so, it's that we don't have the space in our brains. The "get it done" monster takes over and there isn't any room for the "think this through" hero to make an appearance.
So, what do we do?
Practice thinking strategically outside of the daily workflow. It won't be easy if you are working in an intense, deadline driven environment, but schedule some time to focus and realign on strategy outside of the daily workflow. I recommend a minimum of 1/2 a day each quarter.
Block strategic thinking appointments for yourself within the daily workflow. Put the time on your calendar to think strategically about the work you are doing (Are you working in a way that is aligned to the overall strategy?) and respond to the requests that need more than a quick answer. Then, make a conscious shift in your mindset before responding. The amount of time you block may vary depending on your current workload. However, if you want to keep moving forward and get out of the hamster wheel of order-taking, don't eliminate the strategic thinking entirely from any given week.
Resist the urge to respond quickly. This is difficult to do, especially when your inbox is overflowing. I have put post it reminders on my computer, used colored flags on specific emails, and created specific tasks to respond at a time when I can think differently. By doing the work in #1 and #2, this step will get easier as well.
Bottom line, we CAN work in both the strategy and the details, but rarely (if ever) at the exact same time. They require two different types of thinking that don't tend to play well together. If you have a role where you need to do both, make sure you are creating the time and space for each.
At Almlie Consulting, we're focused on helping L&D leaders and teams get out of the hamster wheel of fulfilling orders and start working as trusted business advisors who use their skills to solve talent and business challenges.
I'm currently booking team strategy sessions (a time to remove you from the workflow) to clarify your initiatives and goals and make them achievable and measurable. If your team is ready to stop taking orders and start working strategically, contact me and we will schedule a time to connect.