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It takes all the running you can do, to keep in the same place.\u00a0If you want to get somewhere else, you must run at least twice as fast as that.<\/span><\/p>\n ~ The Red Queen, Lewis Carroll,\u00a0Through the Looking Glass<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n Strengthening Strategic Thinking Muscles<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n Becoming a strategic thinker is not as difficult as it sounds. Although if we\u2019re not careful, it may mean running-in-place, twice as hard.<\/p>\n It just means practicing different behaviors than what you probably already do.<\/p>\n Being more strategic doesn\u2019t mean making decisions that affect your whole company. Nor does it mean allocating scarce budget dollars. And it clearly doesn\u2019t mean scouring the internet for the right response to the problem you face.<\/p>\n If you want to be a strategic problem solver, you have to learn to focus and block distractions. It is also stepping back to let the mind rest.<\/p>\n It means forcing your brain to slow down and work smarter.<\/p>\n Go To The Balcony<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n Author\u00a0William Ury<\/a>\u00a0gives some of the best advice for practicing strategic thinking. He suggests going to the balcony to get perspective on what is happening and why.<\/p>\n Practicing this mental exercise of going to the balcony for a birds-eye view on a regular basis is a way to adjust our thinking so that it\u2019s more strategic.<\/p>\n Author\u00a0Liane Davey<\/a>\u00a0says that we have to be more diligent and deliberate with our thoughts and actions. She says we need to invest time and energy to reflect on our situation and the decisions that face us.<\/p>\n It requires only that you put the smallest decision in the context of the organization\u2019s broader goals says Davey.<\/p>\n Going to the balcony and understanding how a decision fits within the context of the broader organization\u2019s goals are two behaviors we should practice regularly.<\/p>\n Stop Blinding Your Mind<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n Some of us are addicted to information.<\/p>\n I\u2019ll admit I\u2019m an information junkie. I read a lot. I mean a whole lot.<\/p>\n But the difference is, when I start to write a blog post, create a presentation or work with a client, I don\u2019t start by using the kitchen sink method\u2014searching the internet to find as much about the topic as I can and dumping it all into the kitchen sink.<\/p>\n I intentionally step away from tsunami of information and stop the information flow. I don\u2019t want to engage in the toxic habit of gluttony of information overload.<\/p>\n