It's also more engaging since asking the question of others has them participate much more than simply telling them what the big picture is. Having the orientation towards asking larger questions helps. The analogy of forest/trees is a nice image, so the question is prompted, "What is the forest in this scenario.we're all looking at the trees but what is the forest?" Much of the time people are attempting to "see the big picture" without the curiosity necessary for it to come into view. Nice advice from others and I would add this - Ask Questions. Artifacts - you can look back at earlier attempts and see if you're getting better over time.īonus fourth value: Other people will notice you as you see things from their perspective. Self-testing - a proven study technique, you're guessing and then checking.ģ. Regularity - it's weekly, so you get regular practice.Ģ. This technique provides you with three things:ġ. Mark down their actual responses next to your guesses. Now, during the meeting, see if those stakeholders do in fact have the views, or face the impacts, that you guessed. In the intersections you've created, try to make some educated guesses - and write a few words that will capture the spirit of how that particular department VIEWS or IS IMPACTED BY that topic. And, add one for "the whole firm." Along the other axis, put the topics being brought up at the meeting. Along one axis, put departments or interest groups around the firm (plus maybe customers and vendors). For that you need attention and repetition.īefore each (say) weekly staff meeting, take a big sheet of paper and create a grid of rows and columns. Like learning a foreign language or a musical instrument, you're trying to build new brain circuits. The most effective way to do that seems to be, to do it for a focused period of time - every few days. You're trying to develop a skill, a way of thinking and seeing. Let me add something in a different direction. Mark and Barry give some excellent advice. Make better "big-picture" thinking a routine part of your 1-on-1 meetings. Share what you've learned with your boss and get his/her input and insights, as well. And another - until you start to recognize some patterns behind big-picture skills and how you can incorporate them into your own decision-making.
Compare and contrast the two and notice the differences in approach and methodology. Now look at one of your more tree-like decisions and ask yourself the same questions. Ask them to explain their thinking in as much detail as is helpful to you. Why THAT decision? What sort of precedence does it establish or work within? Buy them a cup of coffee and ask them about it, how they approached the matter, identified possible options, vetted those options, and ultimately came to a conclusion.
To get a better feel for the difference, look at a decision one of your more strategic coworkers recently made. "Forests" (more strategic decisions/recommendations) are more "one-and-some," meaning they address both the current circumstance/situation AND future choices relevant to it or that may arise as a result of it. "Trees" (more tactical decisions/recommendations) are typically one-and-done - good for the particular circumstance/situation, but not much more. Best of luck.Ī good way to differentiate the "forest" from the "trees" is to think in terms of the precedence or implications of a decision or recommendation. Then align your efforts to support the big picture. Initiate an honest discussion to define the bigger picture. How is your boss's performance judged? What are the objectives of the company? The big picture approach is to meet the revenue objectives, from the desired target market, in the assigned territory, at the desired price, within budgeted costs, etc.Ī starting point is to identify all of the elements of success. Sales Manager: The tactical approach is to meet the revenue objectives of the company. The big picture approach is the customer receives what was contracted, on time, profitably, billed properly, absent organizational disruption, etc. Project manager: The tactical approach is to look at the job from a couple of elements - job complete, on-time and the customer is happy. The frustration of the boss is a result of the fact that tactical implementation almost always leads to unintended consequences or missed objectives in other areas. My experience has shown that a request to be "big picture" implies that one has not included the company and/or departmental objectives in their thinking. If I were to answer the question of what is the most important and immediate step I could take, the answer would be to "define the big picture".
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