Big Picture Planning For Your Business Or Function

There are a few times a year (such as the flip of a calendar year, the end of a quarter, or after reaching a major goal or milestone) when we naturally look back, review what went well and what didn’t, and make plans to keep moving forward.

I’ve spent many coaching sessions supporting leaders as they prepare for their Quarterly Business Review (QBR) or managing team members in preparing for QBRs or the fallout after a particularly bad QBR, and sometimes I think we make this harder than it needs to be.

While not everybody loves big picture planning, it is crucial for our success.

One organization I worked for would spend almost two weeks preparing the materials, then a week or two revising, and two or three weeks figuring out how to respond to what had cropped up. So by the time they had processed and course-corrected it was almost time to begin the process all over again.

While there is absolutely a benefit in examining the details (it’s critical for roles such as revenue cycle to deep dive and understand the numbers and processes), I’d like to argue that there’s also a place for taking a very broad, high-level overview. It’s important to have a sense of where things stand and which way the winds are blowing.

A Crucial Step For Big Picture Planning

I love the weather app on Alexa, but it doesn’t have the place I live, Daniel Island. It does have Charleston, but temperatures at this time of year can vary a lot from the larger peninsula. And, while I love that my iPhone tells me the temperature depending on how humid or windy it is, it can feel very different.

So, I’ve gotten in the habit of stepping out onto our side porch in the morning - barefoot and mug in my hands. It gives me an instant read on whether or not the kids will need a jacket and what’s going on in my neighborhood for the minute or two I’m out there.

This “getting on the balcony” is a crucial step for leaders to take as well.

Big-picutre planning helps people and employees to see the skills they need to develop to reach their goals.

The idea comes from Ronald A. Heifetz and Marty Lensky’s book, “Leadership on the Line: Staying Alive through the Dangers of Leading”. It’s a metaphorical way of describing an essential skill for effective leadership - particularly in complex and challenging situations.

“Getting on the balcony” is about taking an intentional step back to cultivate a broader perspective, insight, or more strategic view of the situation. It’s easy to fall into the trap of not seeing the forest for the trees and getting caught up in the day-to-day. Intentionally stepping onto the balcony provides you with a much wider, broader, high-level view of the situation, and that perspective allows you to be much more strategic.

7 Benefits Of Looking At The Bigger Picture

// 1 Awareness

This approach allows you to mentally distance yourself from the frontlines of an issue where you can then observe the situation and understand how the moving pieces fit together, support your goals, and assess the various dynamics at play.

// 2 Objectivity

By stepping back to look at the big picture you can temporarily set your emotions aside and see things clearly so that you can make rational and informed decisions instead of merely reacting to what’s right in front of you.

// 3 Strategic Thinking

“Getting on the balcony” allows you to identify patterns, root causes, and potential solutions that may not immediately be visible when you’re mired in the day-to-day.

// 4 Conflict Resolution

When you can step back and see the underlying issues and motivations of various parties, you gain a greater understanding of others' points of view and can better empathize with team members, stakeholders, and those affected by their decisions.

// 5 Calming Influence

In times of crisis or high tension, stepping onto the balcony can give you a moment to catch your breath, and by keeping the big picture in mind, you can approach the next steps strategically while reassuring others and inspiring confidence.

Big-picture planning focuses on the overall goals and skills a business and team needs.

// 6 Adaptive Leadership

Adaptive leadership is all about adjusting to changing circumstances and finding innovative solutions. By taking a moment to look at the big picture, you’re better equipped to adapt while keeping organizational goals in focus.

// 7 Long-Term Focus

Speaking of focus, it can be tempting to jump to short-term fixes, especially when you seem to be constantly putting out fires. However, “getting on the balcony” gives you a moment to pause and consider the long-term consequences of your decision and perhaps find the root cause of the problems.

Keep It Simple

Whether you’re presenting at an end-of-year or a QBR, keeping it simple will help you get your point across. We recommend attending board meetings with one simple message supported by three major points (each of these points is underlaid by more data that isn’t shared).

This approach is easier for people to understand, remember, and get behind. Your audience may not be able to remember five different points, and if you get bogged down in the minutia, they may get confused about where you’ve been or where you’re going.

Sometimes, we’re overcomplicating and overengineering the review process.

AMANDA KATHLEEN ZINKE, MBA, MSOD, PCC

CEO & FOUNDER OF LEAD BEE LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT

Sometimes, it is complex, and the point is to simplify the messaging and not present data in a way that is confusing or doesn't tell a story. Come with a viewpoint, share it, and give three underlying reasons or pieces of data to back this up - you may have three messages, and that's okay - but any more, and your audience may get lost. Dive down into the details as needed for your audience, but if you present something clearly enough, people can "read" what they need to.

Everyone can jump into a discussion about what to do next because that's the whole point of review, not just to review for review's sake, but to review, identify underlying issues, what the goal is (if you are keeping it the same) then take the appropriate action.

Big picture planning helps employees see the overall goals and vision and develop the skills required to achieve these.

One executive I recently coached shared that his team had 12 initiatives on their plate. And I think it’s really common for most leaders to feel like they’re juggling a lot. It can be challenging to prioritize and make time to be involved in, never mind attending the working or even status meetings for that many initiatives.

When we attempt to work on all those initiatives at once, we aren’t able to plan well from an organizational development perspective. Our resources get stretched thin and some of the initiatives may be conflicting, competing, or overlapping in nature. “Getting on the balcony” can prevent disasters before they happen.

Getting Started

Leaders who want to develop this skill may need to engage in practices such as reflection, seeking feedback, and consulting with trusted advisors. Whether you’re leading a team, an organization, or even a community, getting on the balcony can help you make wiser decisions, maintain a clear vision, and better navigate the complex challenges of leadership.

A great place to start is reviewing what worked and what didn’t. Looking back allows you to see where you need to course-correct, where your strengths lie, and better plan for the challenges that lie ahead.

Whether you love big-picture planning or loathe it, it is definitely something you should put on your agenda.

Year-In-Review Questions

Below, we’ve created some year-in-review questions to guide you. They can be easily adapted to suit QBRs, semi-annual reviews, or any period you’d like to look back on.

You may also want to pick out a handful of questions to use at the end of a week or a month to practice “getting on the balcony” more often and keeping that big picture in mind.

Begin by assessing what happened and your current situation...

WHAT DID WE ACCOMPLISH THIS YEAR?

How did our financial performance compare to our forecasts and targets?
What were the key drivers behind any significant deviations from our projections?
Did we meet our KPIs and strategic milestones?
What innovative initiatives did we undertake and what were the outcomes?

WHAT WENT WELL AND WHAT DIDN’T?

What feedback did we receive from customers, clients, and stakeholders?
Were there any recurring concerns or positive trends?
Did we encounter any operational bottlenecks or inefficiencies?
What processes or systems need improvement to enhance productivity or reduce costs?
How adaptable were we in responding to unexpected changes or challenges?
Which goals did we achieve? Which goals did we miss?
Are there particular reasons some things didn’t go well?
What were the keys to our success in specific areas and activities?
Were some of our goals unrealistic or overly aggressive?

Big picture planning is often prompted by an event, such as the beginning of a new year or quarter. It helps to pause for a moment and review what went well and what didn’t, and what you want to achieve going forward.

WHAT REALLY MADE A DIFFERENCE? HOW DID IT HAPPEN?

How did market trends impact our organization?
What changes did our competitors make and how did they affect our position in the market?
Did a new product or service succeed beyond expectations and drive unexpected revenue?
What enabled that success?
Which marketing channel drove the most opportunities and growth?
Why was this channel so successful?

WHAT ARE OUR MISSION, VISION, AND VALUES?

Do we have a clear mission and vision?
Do we need to revisit our mission, vision, or values?
Are you regularly evaluating your initiatives and activities against these guideposts?
Did we advance our mission?
Did we take meaningful steps to realize our company’s vision?
Did we live up to our values as an organization?
How aligned were our actions and outcomes with our overarching goals?
What adjustments are necessary to realign our efforts for the upcoming year?

While many managers prefer to dive deep into the details and implementation of a goal, there is something about big picture planning that ensures we don’t get lost in the small things.

WHO DO WE SERVE?

Did we help our ideal client?
Did we solve their problems and address their pain points?
Did we deliver what we promised?

Once you have a sense of what worked and what didn’t (and why), it’s time to start looking ahead.

WHAT SHOULD WE DO NEXT YEAR?

Are there emerging market shifts or technology we need to consider for the upcoming year?
How can we better align our strategies to meet the evolving needs and expectations of our stakeholders?
Are there areas where automation or technological upgrades could bring significant benefits?
Are there changes needed to resource allocation to better support our goals for the upcoming year?
What are the key takeaways that will influence our strategies and decisions moving forward?
What can we do to start strong in the first quarter?

While the review process is necessary and helps employees and managers see what we need to change, we sometimes overcomplicate and get lost in it. To ensure this doesn’t happen, it’s important to keep the big picture in mind.

WHO IS GOING TO HELP US DO IT?

Do we have resources in place in the areas that matter most?
Do we have the right people with the right skills to drive the key activities we’ll need to succeed?
Are our current team members the right fit for our mission/vision/values?
How can we best support leaders within our organization?
How can we further develop a positive, inclusive culture to retain the talent we need to succeed?
How engaged were our employees and what factors contributed to their engagement or disengagement?
What training or development initiatives were successful and which ones need improvement?
Are there any concerns related to culture, retention, or talent development that need to be addressed?

Our hope is that you’ll get in the habit of taking a few minutes to pause (perhaps with your mug in hand) at the end of a meeting, day, month, or quarter to take an overarching view and note down what you see.

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Facilitated offsites can be a great way for a leader or a team to get on the balcony. You can learn more about our facilitation services here - or connect with us one-on-one. We’d love to chat with you.

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