While running a business, it can oftentimes be rather difficult to focus on the big picture.
Certainly, being heads down and in the weeds has its place. However, it’s equally crucial to take a moment to look up once in awhile and to reflect on how things are going, to consider alternative approaches, and to ask yourself the hard questions.
But the question is, how can you actually get yourself to step back and take a look at the big picture on a consistent basis?
Read on to discover the top 5 strategies that will help get you thinking about the big picture more often.
1. Block off some hours for creative thinking
This first strategy might sound extremely obvious, but it’s surprising how little we actually make time to do this.
Many business owners live by their to-do lists, and only allow themselves enough time to mark off what they need to do, day by day.
But, give yourself time to focus on non-urgent tasks. Block off time on your calendar, once a week or a few times a month, when you’re your most creative.
This is different for everyone. For some, it’s early Monday morning, while for others it’s late at night. Mark off this time as “big picture thinking time” and don’t use it for anything else.
2. Find a buddy
Once you’ve set aside some time for creative brainstorming, you’ll probably soon realize that it can be difficult to just say “Okay! Now it’s time to think!”
Oftentimes, the best ideas will come to you during a conversation. Therefore, find a trusted employee you can bounce ideas back and forth with.
More often than not, employees that you don’t often interact with will be elated by the opportunity to strategize with you. So not only will this help with big picture thinking, it will also help with team building too.
3. Choose specific goals
Once you’ve done some brainstorming about the big picture, you need to unpack your ideas into specific goals.
For example, let’s say you want to redesign one of your products. First, you can check your Kanban Software Tool to brush up on the analytics and details about the product.
Then, you can draft a roadmap for how you want the product to evolve over the next couple years.
Then, break the roadmap up into actionable goals you want to achieve along the way. Doing this will help your big picture goal feel more achievable.
4. Play strategy games
If you’re struggling to get the engines rolling when it comes to big picture thinking, don’t sweat it.
It can be hard to get in the rhythm of big picture thinking for many, if you’re one of these people, sometimes playing strategic games, such as chess, can help.
Playing strategy games (even some video games work well for this) helps you to develop your mental muscles for both detailed decisions and big picture ones.
5. Look externally
In terms of thinking about the big picture, it’s also very important to look externally for inspiration and input.
Take a look at what the competition is up to and measure yourself against them so you can identify areas which need improvement.
Also, make sure to gather feedback from your clients pertaining to your service and their perception of your company.
