Changing the way you think can help you take your career to the next level
As a communications professional, you already have a solid grasp of the technical skills needed to craft compelling messages and execute campaigns. But what sets the great communicators apart from the rest? It’s strategic thinking—the ability to see the bigger picture and align your work with broader business goals.
What Does Strategic Thinking Look Like in Communications?
Strategic thinking isn’t just about coming up with ideas; it’s about understanding how those ideas fit into the overall objectives of your organisation. It’s about approaching your job so you’re not just ticking a series of boxes each day or running through the same steps each time you encounter a problem. It means you’re someone who steps back and considers the bigger picture. You look for patterns when things go wrong so you can figure out how to do things better and you also consider what’s keeping the big decision makers in your organsiation up at night so you can help them rest easier.
These are not small things and becoming a strategic thinker isn’t something that will happen overnight. Here are some steps you can take to start building your strategic muscle:
Look beyond what is immediately in front of you - Strategic communicators don’t just focus on the task at hand. They consider how their work impacts other departments, stakeholders, and long-term goals. It’s about thinking ahead and understanding the ripple effects of your communications. For example, if you have a tight deadline and need a senior executive to approve your work, remember that they will also have important priorities that they need to focus on. Don’t expect that they will be able to immediately respond to what you need.
Solve problems, then prevent them from happening again - When challenges arise, strategic communicators approach them with a solution-oriented mindset. They don’t just react; they anticipate potential issues and think critically about how to navigate them effectively. Once the immediate issue is out of the way, it pays to step back and consider if this is a regular occurrence, a pattern maybe? Consider how you can work to prevent this from happening again and who might be able to help you with this.
Use Influence and Persuasion to have a positive impact - It’s not just about what you communicate but how you influence decision-makers and stakeholders. Strategic communicators know how to present their ideas in a way that gains buy-in and drives action. A good way to become more influential and persuasive is by focussing on what might be driving the decision makers who have an impact on your work. What is keeping them up at night and how can you help them to solve this?