Spark 7 – How to think more strategically: Space to Think: Insights

In our relentless pursuit of actionable outcomes and tangible results, there lies a subtle yet profoundly powerful element that is too easily deprioritised or forgotten completely: the act of creating the space and environment to think.

This is about being present. In the moment. Giving the right attention to your thinking. Even in space, you need space to think…

In the sprawling cosmos of the Gemini Sector, aboard the flagship Nexus, Captain Elara faced a cacophony of urgent issues demanding her attention. The communications console was awash with alerts, each presenting seemingly critical problems from various departments of the ship. It was a classic scenario where the loudest voices often dominated strategic decisions. However, Captain Elara, a proponent of the strategic concept of ‘space to think’, decided to take a different approach.

Understanding the importance of clarity and focus in decision-making, Elara initiated a quiet period aboard the Nexus. This was a deliberate strategy to temporarily distance the command crew from the barrage of pressing but potentially distracting issues. By creating this mental and physical space, she aimed to provide herself and her team with the opportunity to think clearly and deeply about the broader mission objectives, rather than reacting impulsively to immediate demands.

In this calmer environment, free from the constant noise of incoming communications, the team could reflect on their priorities with a clear mind. This approach allowed them to distinguish between genuinely critical issues requiring immediate action and those that were merely loud or urgent, but less important in the grand scheme of things.

How to think more strategically: the results

Captain Elara’s space-to-think approach proved to be transformative. In the newfound quiet, the team could discern that many of the urgent alerts were, in fact, minor or could be resolved with more measured responses. This period of reflection enabled them to prioritise tasks more effectively, focusing on decisions that aligned with the Nexus’s long-term strategic goals and mission success.

By shifting focus from reacting to the loudest issues to contemplating the most impactful ones, Captain Elara and her team crafted a more thoughtful and efficient strategy. This approach not only resolved the immediate barrage of problems more effectively, but also paved the way for more proactive and calculated decision-making in the future.

Captain Elara’s leadership in the Gemini Sector became a case study in strategic management, highlighting the importance of creating mental space to think clearly amidst chaos. Her ability to filter out the noise and focus on what truly mattered ensured not just the success of the Nexus’s immediate mission, but also its sustained effectiveness in the longer term.

On Earth, drawing upon my experience across the for-purpose and nonprofit sectors, I’ve observed over and over again how transformative strategic decisions can teeter in the chaos of everyday life. How great ideas are malnourished because of a lack of time or attention.

Let’s untangle this idea. At its essence, creating the ‘space’ isn’t about carving out a physical or temporal niche. It’s about fostering an environment that encourages deep contemplation, unburdened by the immediate pressures of ‘doing something’. Yes … I can already hear you say, ‘What time?!’

Good strategic thinking needs air to breathe.

It’s a realm where thoughts are allowed to marinate, intermingle and evolve, giving birth to strategies that aren’t just reactions but are well-considered responses. As the philosopher Bertrand Russell once remarked, ‘The time you enjoy wasting is not wasted time.’ This sentiment, while seemingly counterintuitive in our hustle-centric culture, captures the essence of our discourse.

How to think more strategically: real world example

Want an example of how we can apply this to earthlings?

Let’s talk about The For-Purpose Foundation, a nonprofit that was perpetually in crisis mode. Grants to apply for, stakeholders to please, communities to serve — you name it. Knowing something had to change but not quite sure what, they reached out to my firm.

What did we do? We implemented a mandatory, weekly space-to-think hour. These were sacred, non-negotiable pockets of time that employees spent away from their usual work. Now, you might be thinking, ‘An hour a week? That’s it?’ But let me tell you, that hour worked like a charm. It empowered the team to step back and take a 10,000 – foot view. It became a crucible for aligning their actions with the broader strategy of the organisation.

The result? Remarkable. Productivity surged, not because they were doing more, but because they were doing what mattered. Their grant success rate increased by thirty per cent, and employee turnover plummeted. They discovered innovative solutions to chronic problems that were sapping their resources. Like the proverbial pause that refreshes, this practice acted as a system reboot for the organisation, giving it the clarity it desperately needed.