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Get Curious, Get Smart What distinguishes the truly strategic thinkers in the executive suite from the larger
group of general managers you’ll find there in most organizations? Certainly we can point to a recognized set of carefully-cultivated habits of thought and action, and maybe to some innate qualities of being as well. One thing I’ve noticed in my work both in coaching senior executives and consulting on matters of strategy, though, is that the biggest thinkers are the people who are habitually curious.
In this day and age of specialization, niche marketing, and technical expertise, it can be tough to make the leap from “go-to” person in one particular area to “big picture” player on a larger stage. It’s hard to let go of the very thing that has made you so successful – up until now. But strategy lives in the very broad context of history, culture, politics, economics, demographics, science – the rich broth in which we all swim. To get
strategy right, you have to be conversant in all these domains. Given the perpetual busyness of life today, you might think that’s impossible, not to mention downright unappealing. That’s where curiosity comes in. If you reframe the question of how to manage the torrent of information coming at you, to one of how to manage yourself in the midst of the flow, the entire picture changes. And if you
remember what it was like, at other times in your life, to have what some Eastern cultures call “beginner’s mind,” you’re well-positioned to think big. Stay curious about the world and all things in it, and the world will open itself to you. Here are six practices that will help you build healthy strategic thinking “muscle” by getting curious and getting smart about your particular strategic context. Try one, or
some, or all, and see what you learn, about your world and about yourself: - Become a “first-class noticer,” as novelist Saul Bellow put it. Survey the people and places in which you find yourself during the course of your day. What’s different, unusual, or interesting about them?
- Develop your peripheral vision
. Broaden your focus beyond what’s in front of you. Cast your glance from side to side. What do you notice that’s out there on the fringes?
- Acquire a voracious appetite forknowledge and understanding. There’s nothing too small or too subtle for you to notice and learn from. What would it be like to see the world from these various vantage points?
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Cultivate a discerning eye, ear, and mind. Learn to tell the difference between quality and quantity in news, information, and opinion. Which sources are trustworthy, which providers are reliable? Be mindful of what your purpose is, and where you want to go. What criteria will you use to sort out the meaningful from the merely interesting along the way?
- Learn how to speed read
, both figuratively and literally. Build your skills for scanning both the information environment as a whole, and the mountain of reading material that’s available to you. What’s the “take-away,” the one priceless nugget you want to remember from any given book, article, program, speaker, website?
- Exercise ruthless editing. Cast your net widely, but be prepared to cast off
most of what you catch. Once you’ve read, seen, or heard enough to form a strong impression, you can pare away the nonessentials. What’s the simplest and most direct way to describe something you have observed or learned?
Staying curious presupposes an open mind, of course, and a willingness to be surprised from time to time. In that respect, and others as well, it feels more like play
than work. Isn’t that the kind of work we’d all like to have? How good are you at staying curious? If you’ve got a big strategic challenge confronting you now, or you just want to get better at self-management to prepare for future challenges, let’s talk about how coaching can work for you. Call (410)626-6008, or email info@bloomfieldassociates.com. 
As you begin a major project or a new assignment, start a “learning log” by recording each day what you learn of importance to the outcome of your effort. You can structure your learning by dividing each day’s log into specific topics like important concepts, critical information, key people, useful resources, etc. At regular intervals along the way look back at the entries in your learning log and summarize the important insights you
have. You may want to use these insights to further refine, or perhaps to redirect, the focus of your observations to better serve your own learning as you move ahead. When the project is complete, don’t forget to do a post-mortem and record the lessons learned, for yourself and others. |
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The provider of IT services to the Olympic Games in Athens this month, Xerox, will have more than 200 engineers from at least 20 countries working on nearly 6,000 pieces of equipment at the Games. More than 21,500 members of the media are expected to tap into the network using PCs and kiosks to get competition results, event information and background on competitors. A 2003 survey of the largest U.S. publicly traded corporations conducted by Catalyst, a
national women's business advocacy organization, found that women occupied only 9.3% of board seats at technology companies, vs. 12.4% at other companies. In the executive ranks, the differential is even greater. Women represent only 11% of corporate-officer positions in tech companies. Outside tech, they hold 15.7%. According to a recent survey by the Center for Women's Business Research, the number of small companies in which a woman owned 50% or more of the firm grew at
nearly twice the rate of all companies -- 17% vs. 9% -- between 1997 and 2004. Nevada tops the list of states with the highest growth for women-owned businesses. 
Speed Networking The latest craze in London, described as a business version of speed dating. At a
typical speed networking event, small tables for two are set up in a restaurant, bar, or meeting space. Half the participants remained seated and the rest rotate between tables every five minutes for a one-minute introduction and a three-minute discussion. Reportedly, it really works as a way of getting lots of good business contacts in a short period of time. 
 Lovingkindness: The Revolutionary Art of Happiness, by Sharon Salzberg. What I like about it: Once I read the epigraph to the first chapter
(“Only connect.” – E.M. Forster), I knew I was hooked. Although the author, a meditation teacher, writes from a Buddhist perspective, this book is the most practical of guides to cultivating calmness, clarity, and connection to others. Thank you to my Georgetown Learning Circle for this most wonderful gift!
Beth Bloomfield
Executive Coach, Strategy Consultant
Principal, Bloomfield Associates  Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap and Others Don't, by James Collins. What I like about it: Yes, I know this book (a Wall Street Journal bestseller) was published in 2001. I never got around to it. I'm
particularly intrigued with Collins' "Hedgehog Concept" - a combination of what you're best at, what you're most passionate about... and what your target market will buy from you.
Debbie Weil
Publisher, consultant & speaker
WordBiz Report Share what you’re into — books, articles, movies, music, websites — with others on the list! Send us the title and author or other pertinent information, along with a sentence or two on what you like about it, and if we use it in A Different Optic we’ll not only quote you, we’ll provide a link to you or your website. |
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“In the beginner’s mind, there are many possibilities. In the expert’s mind, there are few.”
— Suzuki
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Coaches – Time is running out if you want to register at the early bird rate for Beth Bloomfield’s six-session teleclinic, “Building Your Executive Coaching Practice,” which starts September 14. New for this running: recordings of the calls, and an information-packed handbook that
accompanies the course. We’re limiting the number of participants to 20, and it’s filling up fast. The cost increases on August 20! To learn more, and to register now online, click here. | | |
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