Today’s Morning Buzz is brought to you by Matt Horn, Director of Strategic Growth and Development for MRB Group, and widely recognized as one of America’s least competitive golfers (I once nearly killed someone with a golf ball – but more on that another time). For non-golf-related advice, connect with Matt on LinkedIn.
- What I’m reading: “The Creative Act,” by Rick Rubin – heavily influenced today’s installment.
- What I’m watching: “Hard Knocks” on HBO Max. Be Good. Do Good. God Bless. Go Bills.
- What I’m listening to: “Solved” Podcast and Growth Series by Mark Manson. Check it out!
- Least favorite food: Cooked cabbage. I mean…why cook it? WHY?
“I’m sorry I don’t memorize every word that comes out of your mouth…sometimes I like to just think…think my thoughts…” -GOB Bluth
This year I took on a new role, which really excited me. The general idea was that my firm is looking at its next evolution of growth, and they wanted a position whose responsibility was to understand the market forces at play in our world, and help program leaders craft strategies to protect us from the bad winds, and capture the good ones. Sounds amazing, right? It is…
I always liked to think about myself as a strategic guy. For the last decade or so I’ve been helping communities craft strategies for economic development, growth, and operational excellence. So…strategic. But when I really reflected on the work I’ve historically done, I realized that I have been acting from my “do-er” brain. Even in the strategy work I’ve done, I prided myself on approaching it with an implementation focus. Why plan for something you can’t do?
In the private sector, the imperative for strategy and innovation is clear – if you aren’t growing and evolving, you’re not going to last through the next business cycle. I believe the same to be true for communities and local government leaders. You are in constant competition to attract and retain residents, businesses, investors; your whole existence depends on you distinguishing yourself from the pack.
But strategy and innovation require thought…which requires time…to think. As a local government leader, your day can quickly devolve into chaos; you walk in the door with a plan for the day, and then the phone rings. Fire after fire (even some literal fires), and before you know it, it’s 5:00. So when is thinking time?
The simple but challenging answer is, you just have to make it. You must orient yourself and your schedule to a place that designates and protects thinking time. Then you must use that time wisely; thinking time typically isn’t just staring at the wall (although it can be – see below). It should include reading new works, journaling new ideas, and researching new opportunities. But none of this can be done with Outlook dinging and the phone ringing. Very few new ideas can be found in the 22nd reel on your Facebook feed.
Here are a few techniques for identifying and structuring thinking time –
- Idea Capture – When you’re moving as fast as most of this column’s readers move, ideas tend to bubble in and out. You’re driving to your next meeting and you see something that catches your eye. Unfortunately, 10 minutes later you’re in that meeting and the idea gets buried by the crisis du jour. Make a habit of physically noting when an idea comes along. Don’t feel the need to do anything else but note it. Keep your ideas collected in one place – a journal, an idea board, anything. Just someplace you can sit and look at them all together.
- Formal Calendaring – Set aside bigger blocks of time specifically for future thinking. Put it on your calendar, mark it as “Busy,” and protect it with everything you’ve got. Any time is good, but try to give yourself enough to really get into a deep thought environment. Two to three hours a month is good. Four to six is better.
- Idea Cultivation – This is the staring-at-the-wall part. Remember that idea collection? Time to take it out and stare at it. I use an idea board, so I literally find myself staring at the wall. See what grabs you on a particular day. See if the ideas can be grouped and a deeper idea emerges. If something is just jumping off the page, pull it out and start thinking through the steps it would take to get it started. If nothing jumps out today, then move on.
- Blue Sky Brainstorming – Once you’ve settled on an idea to pursue, start from a position of “what if anything were possible?” This is the hardest part for me, because my “do-er” brain springs to action and starts countering ideas. Do what you can to think from an abundance mindset. There will be time later to comb out infeasible ideas. For now, just think big.
- Thinking Agenda – A few days out from your calendared time, put together an agenda – things you want to think through, articles to read, quiet space with your idea board. Structure it, or it will get away from you.
If your community is really going to stand out in the crowd, you’re going to have to be a big part of what leads them there. That’ll take intention, curiosity, and creativity. In short, take some time today to just stare at a wall. It’ll pay off one day.