Last updated on Apr 3, 2024
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Delegate and empower
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Prioritize and schedule
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Block and protect
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Learn and reflect
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Here’s what else to consider
As a manager, you need to balance your operational responsibilities with your strategic thinking. Operational tasks are the ones that keep your team running smoothly and efficiently, such as managing budgets, schedules, resources, and performance. Strategic tasks are the ones that help you align your team's goals with the organization's vision, such as planning, innovating, problem-solving, and communicating. However, sometimes you may find yourself overwhelmed by the operational demands and neglecting the strategic ones. This can lead to missed opportunities, poor decisions, and reduced effectiveness. How can you avoid this trap and make time for both types of tasks? Here are some tips to help you.
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- Alok Bansal CEO | Growth Architect | Board Advisor | Executive Coach 9
1 Delegate and empower
One of the most important skills for a manager is to delegate and empower your team members. This means giving them the authority, resources, and support they need to perform their operational tasks without your constant supervision. This will free up your time and energy for more strategic thinking, as well as boost your team's confidence, motivation, and accountability. To delegate and empower effectively, you need to set clear expectations, provide feedback, coach, and recognize your team members.
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- Alok Bansal CEO | Growth Architect | Board Advisor | Executive Coach
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If operational responsibilities overshadow strategic thinking, prioritize tasks that align with long-term goals. Delegate operational tasks where possible and schedule dedicated time for strategic planning. Use time planning tools to ensure strategic focus. Communicate with peers and managers about workload balance to create space for strategic initiatives.
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One thing that has particularly been helpful for me is to empower subordinates and keep them prepared for such an event in case of your constitutional and mental unavailability your team members can handle the task accurately without compromising on the outcome. This can be achieved by constant and regular workshops, team meetings and making long term goals clear for everyone.
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Delegating and empowering others can alleviate the burden of operational responsibilities, allowing more time and mental space for strategic thinking. Identify tasks that can be delegated to capable team members, providing them with clear instructions and empowering them to take ownership. This not only frees up time but also fosters team development and confidence. Additionally, establish processes and systems to streamline operations, reducing the need for constant oversight. By trusting others to handle operational tasks effectively, you can focus on strategic planning, innovation, and long-term goals, ultimately driving greater success for your organization.
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2 Prioritize and schedule
Another key skill for a manager is to prioritize and schedule your tasks according to their urgency and importance. Urgent tasks are the ones that require immediate attention and have short-term consequences, such as resolving a crisis or meeting a deadline. Important tasks are the ones that have long-term impact and align with your goals, such as developing a strategy or launching a project. To prioritize and schedule effectively, you need to use a matrix or a tool that helps you classify your tasks into four categories: urgent and important, urgent and not important, not urgent and important, and not urgent and not important. Then, you need to focus on the urgent and important tasks first, plan ahead for the not urgent and important tasks, delegate or minimize the urgent and not important tasks, and eliminate or avoid the not urgent and not important tasks.
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There are times where even after delegating the task to other team members you can still have a lot on your plate. For which one has to work on their time management and become better at prioritizing what's important and crucial in the current situation. Urgent tasks need to be sorted out right at that moment whereas other ordinary tasks can be postponed and delayed further.
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3 Block and protect
A third skill for a manager is to block and protect your time for strategic thinking. This means setting aside a specific amount of time each week or month to focus on your strategic tasks, such as brainstorming, researching, analyzing, or consulting. This time should be blocked in your calendar and protected from interruptions, distractions, and other operational tasks. To block and protect effectively, you need to communicate your availability and expectations to your team, colleagues, and stakeholders, use a quiet and comfortable space, and prepare the necessary materials and resources.
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A manager needs his time to be allocated and divided according to each Strategic , Tactical and Operational thinking. Strategic thinking is the one which has to focus on the long term with a bigger and wider picture and requires a lot of research and reports to be looked at once. In order to be a better guide and respond to the senior management. This can only be achieved if a time is taken out at least once a week that needs to look upon tactical thinking. Whereas as tactical and Operational thinking matter can be resolved along the way. With compromise on Main and Important strategic thinking.
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4 Learn and reflect
A fourth skill for a manager is to learn and reflect on your strategic thinking. This means seeking feedback, input, and advice from others who can help you improve your strategic skills, such as mentors, coaches, peers, or experts. This also means reviewing your progress, results, and challenges regularly and identifying what worked well, what didn't work well, and what you can do better next time. To learn and reflect effectively, you need to be open-minded, curious, and humble, use a journal or a tool to document your insights and actions, and celebrate your achievements and learn from your failures.
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5 Here’s what else to consider
This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?
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- Christina Allrich Executive Director. Project Management. Strategic Planning. Lifelong Learner.
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You may want to invest in professional development which would hep you be more effective in balancing operational and strategic responsibilities. Sometimes this balance comes as a learned skill.
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