I’ve written about how, earlier in my career, I was not good at strategic thinking. I didn’t seem to be able to connect the dots across the business, and it was the thing that was going to hold me back if I couldn’t figure out HOW to do it. One thing that helped was moving to a smaller company where visibility across all aspects of the business was much easier to get. I had direct access to the CEO and how she thought. I had hands-on experience for decision-making, and how those decisions impacted multiple areas of the business. My ability to think strategically about the business improved.
Once I had a grasp on this, the trick was to make sure I allowed myself enough time to actually think strategically.
As a COO, it is very easy to get bogged down in operations. That is your job, after all. However, if I was going to be a leader―one with a vision of where we needed to go and how to get there ―I needed to be able to lift my head up from my to-do list and think.
The next step to build my strategic thinking capability was to create space for it.
I am someone who LOVES productivity. I started listening to books on Audible because I could “read” while I was in the car, walking or running, doing the dishes, or working in the yard. I felt like I was crushing it because I could do multiple things at one time. I feel the same way at work. If I’m waiting for a response to a chat, I’ll jump into something else. If the screen of a work application is loading slowly, I’ll flip over to an email I can respond to while I wait. If I’m in a meeting where the conversation turns to something I don’t need to be involved in, I always have another task I can accomplish quickly while the conversation continues.
I CAN’T SIT STILL. Maybe you understand this feeling.
But, I knew I needed to allow space for a different level of thinking to happen. I’ve listened to related talks on this, like Dr. Sandi Mann’s, “What is Boredom & Why You Should Love It?” where she emphasizes that allowing the mind to wander can lead to unexpected insights and creative breakthroughs. One of the most compelling arguments for the importance of boredom in leadership comes from its role in fostering creativity. Manoush Zomorodi, in her TED Talk, How Boredom Can Lead to Your Most Brilliant Ideas, highlights how disconnection from constant activity allows the brain to process information more effectively and fosters a clearer understanding of complex issues. When the brain is not bombarded with external stimuli, it enters a default mode network (DMN), a neural network that activates during restful wakefulness. This state is where daydreaming and mind-wandering occur, allowing for connections between disparate ideas and the birth of novel concepts.
Boredom offers leaders opportunities to engage in strategic thinking and long-term planning. When freed from the immediacy of daily tasks, we can ponder over future trends, potential disruptions, and innovative pathways for our organizations. By embracing boredom, leaders create a mental space where we can unlock innovative solutions to complex problems and where strategic foresight can flourish.
So, I committed to embracing boredom.
Last year, I began using a couple simple techniques that have really made a difference for me (when I stick to them).
App Notifications
I changed my settings on my phone to limit the notifications that come through immediately. Only my phone calls, text messages, calendar notifications, and security alerts for my home can notify me when they are received. Everything else goes into a “scheduled summary,” which gets delivered once per hour. Trust me, I haven’t missed anything important on Instagram by not checking within the hour.
App Limitations
I also set daily maximum limits on apps that might distract me and keep me from being bored. I have 5- or 10-minute limits on all social media apps. In addition, I track my phone usage and check the data weekly to see if I have done a good job limiting my use of the phone.
Now, I want to take this a step further. I am going to commit to being bored by not checking my phone any time I’m waiting for something. When was the last time you were in line for something―waiting for the doctor/dentist, waiting for the restaurant to bag up your pick-up order, or waiting to be called to board your plane? You can probably think of the last time pretty easily. But when was the last time you were waiting for something and DIDN’T pull out your phone? I’m having a hard time thinking of one, but soon I’ll have an example!
Being Present in Meetings
For a while, I had sticky note on my computer that said “Be Present” to remind me not to multitask when I was meeting with someone. When we meet virtually, it is so easy to get distracted, especially when you don’t have anything to contribute at that point in the meeting. (If you never have anything to contribute to that meeting, you should cut it from your calendar entirely.) This is another way to commit to being bored. You may just find out that you learn something from those times you weren’t normally paying attention. Maybe there is a problem you can fix, or maybe there was something said that will spark a new idea for you about something related, or entirely unrelated!
Boredom Zones
One more that I am going to try is to create a “boredom zone.” I have a great spot in my backyard where I can sit and have no distractions. My plan is to sit there for 5 minutes each day to make sure I’m giving myself time to be bored. I’m going to allow myself only a pad and pen in case I have a brilliant idea, but it will be a “no phone zone” to make sure it stays a “boredom zone.”
I would love to hear how you create space for strategic thinking or embracing boredom. Please share your best tips with me!
About The Author
Robert Seymour: Partner & COO, Signature Leaders
Rob is a strong business operator with a passion for advancing women in leadership. This passion stems from watching Carol’s career evolve, and observing the challenges that his wife Michelle faced, and others still face, as women advancing in their careers.
Carol’s unique approach to addressing these challenges, focused on providing the highest quality development experiences, compelled Rob to join Signature Leaders.
As Partner and COO of Signature Leaders, Rob drives operations, sales and marketing strategy, content development, and strategic initiatives. Rob oversees the team members at Signature Leaders responsible for program delivery and the Signature Collective, which focuses on alumni engagement. He manages about a dozen of Signature Leaders’ strategic client accounts, and he builds new offerings to meet the needs of all Signature clients. He also writes for Signature’s blog, and he edited and managed the production of Carol’s first book, Wisdom Warriors: Journeys Through Leadership and Life, which provides candid stories from over 70 accomplished business leaders, who share their hard-earned experiences to benefit the leaders rising through the ranks behind them.
In 2013, Rob began serving as the CFO for Signature Leaders while working full time as a Manager in Accenture’s Health practice. As a management consultant, Rob navigated clients through process and organizational changes during large-scale technology transformations.
Rob earned a BS in Economics from the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School, where he pitched for Penn’s Varsity Baseball Team for four years. He and his wife, Michelle, live in Los Angeles with their daughter (Blake) and son (Bowen). Rob enjoys coaching sports for his children’s teams, playing golf, finding ways to stay fit, and taking on new challenges in the form of home improvement projects.
