When you move into a supervisor or managerial role for the first time, typically you have been doing the work in your business or organization. You have been making the widgets. You have been selling the widgets. You have been supporting the users of the widgets.
As you move into your new role, one skill to learn to help you become even more successful as a leader is to understand “what’s the big picture”. The more you lead with the big picture in mind, the easier it will be for your team to follow you. Understanding the big picture will also help you make better decisions for and with your team.
The Big Picture includes not only the mission and vision for your organization, but the direction things are headed. Regardless of the size of your organization there is a direction things are headed for personnel, spending, growth, clients, and so on. No plan for change is also a direction that you would need to help your team navigate through. To quickly get up to speed, and keep up your understanding, follow these three simple steps.
Meet with other Leaders in your organization
Before you start meeting with other leaders, draft your understanding of the big picture and any specific questions about it. Then, set out to meet with all the other leaders in your organization (if possible) and ask them to share their thoughts. Share your understanding and ask for feedback if you are on track. Most importantly, develop a guideline of how your team will specifically help the organization as a whole in reaching the big picture. Continue to update this information over time to make sure you are aware of any changes when they occur.
Research outside your organization
You are the only leader of your team. Your team is counting on you to bring in not only knowledge about your specific organization, but industry knowledge as well. Find out how teams like yours are fitting into the big picture in their organizations. Reach out and meet other leaders in similar positions to learn about their big picture. Invest in attending educational or industry events that will help as well. Continue to foster these relationships and grow your industry knowledge over time.
Share with your team
Share your understanding of the big picture with your team. Ask how they see it. If they are off track, find ways to educate them and lead them to the right track. Occasionally, you will find that they see something emerging that nobody is aware of. Capture that and share with your organization as well. Continue to share with your team and lead from the big picture so they make the best decisions possible and know that they are helping lead the organization to success.
As you lead, think about the big picture. Ask yourself how the decision at hand impacts the big picture. When you don’t know which way to go on something, reflect on the big picture before you make a move. Any time you are planning, avoid “this is what we always do” and replace it with “how it will affect the big picture”. You and your team will be able to have a much bigger impact on the success of the organization when you continue to keep the big picture in mind.
Written by Emilie Shoop, Creator and Leader of Shoop Training & Consulting A sought after Coach, Mompreneur, Strategist, Mentor, Speaker, Author, Trainer & Business Consultant, Emilie works with people who are ready for that next level of success, and realize how they work with people is KEY. Her coaching will help you lead, delegate, sell, collaborate, perform, influence, and relate with people to launch your success to the next level. She provides clients, teams and organizations the skills and tools for leadership and professional excellence.
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