Based on a post I read this week, it seems that strategic thinking is included more and more in leadership development programs. (Should strategic thinking be covered in leadership development programs?). Citing the rapid pace of change and resulting challenges, the article recognizes that new solutions need to be identified through stronger strategic thinking skills.
The post continues with a quick review of the three key elements of strategic thinking - recognize patterns, make effective choices, and manage risks. The author points out that managing risk is the least well-practiced step, saying that leaders tend to have a good plan without spending time on what could go wrong. It is at this critical step that I propose two questions:
What would we do if we wanted to fail?
Managing risk could be as simple as this question. Rather than thinking about all of the brilliant actions you could take, turn your thinking 180 and think about all the things you would do if you wanted to fail. The resulting list of actions is the risk you are trying to avoid!
Focusing on failure – what could go wrong – is often a very fruitful activity because it plays to our tendency toward negativity. The Negativity Bias is our brain trying to protect us from danger. If you’re wondering how this particular bias would help in strategic thinking, just consider all the times when a new program or idea was suggested and the first responses sounded like “that will never work” or “we tried that before…” This may be one of the only times when encouraging negativity produces positive results! It clearly identifies what could go wrong.
What of these are we already doing or planning to do?
Once you have a list of all the things that could sabotage your plan, ask this “gut check” question. It requires honesty and commitment to fess up to the actions, projects, etc. that are already in play and that could thwart the success of your plan. However, in doing so, you give your team an opportunity to eliminate or change what is in the works in service of the desired result. Note, that it is equally as important to consider this question from both your own perspective and the perception of others (ouch!).
Whether you are a new leader learning the art of strategic thinking or a seasoned leader, you can improve your ability to mitigate risk by asking these two questions. They are an essential part of the 180 Rule, an innovative problem solving process that capitalizes on our negativity bias. In leveraging the 180 Rule you are much more likely to set yourself, your team and the plan up for success.
If your team could benefit from a workshop or facilitated planning session using the 180 Rule, contact me for more information and scheduling. The 180 Rule for Newly Promoted Leaders is available at Amazon and details the process, along with an example and case study of how using the 180 Rule changes the way in which you train and onboard new leaders.
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