What does it mean to be strategic?

At one point or another, many of us have heard a colleague say something along these lines, “Oh, the team did a great job on this plan; they’re really strategic.” High praise in the communications world. In fact, it’s something of a gold star beside your name to be considered strategic.

But what does it really mean? What is it that those anointed as “strategic” actually do that the rest of us don’t?

My observation over years working in government communications? First and foremost, being strategic means to think.

There are key things to consider before you even start to type. Carving out the time (even a small amount) to get the lay of the land is one of the secrets to a truly great strategy.

In most circumstances this is the exact opposite of updating last year’s strategy and calling it a day.

Great strategists take a step back to consider both the context in which they’re working and how their issue fits into this context. Sounds simple enough, right? But there are a bunch of things strategic people do to get to a place where they can quickly and accurately evaluate these factors.

They keep up with changes in the public landscape—they stay abreast of current events, subscribe to publications or social media channels about their subject matter, keep in regular touch with their clients, and know their stakeholders’ positions. Ask them anything about the issues they’re working on, they’ll know. They get really, really good at their jobs.

Strategists have to keep a project-management approach in mind. Every step of the way, they ask themselves “Ok, now what comes next?” They remind us that problem-solving is an invaluable form of creativity!

They understand that thoughtfully designed communications efforts are critical—giving full consideration to government and departmental priorities, studying the audience, thoroughly examining the public and internal environments, and thinking through how they’ll know if their communications reach the intended audiences. They know it’s all about how they make decisions, and with practice, they become proactive rather than reactive.

When directors and DGs ask about their comms approach, the thorough prep work they’ve done puts them in a position to say: “We’ve consulted with experts, studied the situation, and this is what we consider to be the best approach.” So much stronger and professional than, “I have an idea” or “I think this would work.”

Finally, they flex the same strategic muscles they use in their outside-of-work lives. They do it instinctively, like running errands in batches to save time or money, planning vacation days around stat holidays, and ordering coffee pods in bulk—all great examples. If you want or need to hone your strategic-thinking skills, start here! Chances are you’re already more strategic than you think.