Ten ways to focus on long-term strategy in times of crisis

By Shannon Hynes

The irony is not lost on me that whenever I sit down to work on this piece about long-term, strategic thinking, my time is gobbled up by something that requires immediate attention and a short-term solution. In the midst of a crisis like the COVID-19 pandemic, as in other times of volatility, “short-termism” can grip us and the longer-term horizon can seem less relevant and less attainable. 

But the most successful institutions recognize that short- and long-term goals are mutually reinforcing, not mutually exclusive. They respond rapidly to change using short duration, small scale actions with immediate, tangible outcomes, while also investing in transformative multi-year initiatives that address complex problems. This balance creates an opportunity for incremental and transformative change – which is often needed during a crisis – and can build lasting success, stability and growth.

As a strategist, I’m often asked to provide frameworks and tips to enhance performance. To that end, I’ve developed 10 principles to help teams successfully balance the short- and long-term, especially in times of rapid change or uncertainty. While strategy and planning cannot protect institutions against disruption – and no one could’ve anticipated the current challenges organizations are facing – by applying these principles, we can help navigate through the turbulence.

1. Factor uncertainty into planning. Build out a variety of scenarios to help increase agility in the moment. Identify likely truths and critical unknowns. Check your assumptions at regular intervals to assess ongoing relevancy and flag if, and when, a strategic modification is warranted. In higher education, this type of planning requires interdisciplinary thinking and can mean working with team members from enterprise risk, academic divisions, security, IT and other areas to consider possible disruptions and opportunities. Then you can work methodically to prioritize solutions based on likelihood, velocity and potential scope and scale of change.

2. Learn to pivot and then exercise that expertise. Dial up the areas of the organization that are resilient and responsive while remaining strategically aligned and build that competency through practice.

3. Break long-term goals into short, and smaller, measurable goals. Sometimes smaller incremental changes can lead to transformative change over time. This can also help overcome change fatigue and overwhelm.
4. Connect with key stakeholders and use data to help in decision-making. Strategy and long-term forecasts can sometimes seem abstract and conceptual, particularly when we’ve been stuck in crisis-management mode for so long. To make your strategy feel more concrete, focus on the problems most worth solving. Consider how stakeholder wants and needs have changed, and use this feedback data to evolve accordingly. In post-secondary, this can be particularly tricky as there are many varied stakeholder groups to consider and it might be difficult to juggle the expectations and relative importance of different audiences. While data-driven personas can be helpful, you’ll still need to establish prioritization models and leverage qualitative feedback opportunities to ensure the personas “ring true,” and that you are surfacing and solving authentic and important issues that will advance your strategy by delivering value for the institution and the stakeholders.

5. Be consistent and intentional in communication. Reinforce the strategic direction by reminding your community of both the long-term aspirations as well as more pressing shorter-term priorities. 

6. Celebrate successes. Focus on little wins along the way throughout the institution to demonstrate progress and build momentum, engagement and pride. 

7. Embrace insights from failures. Increase entrepreneurial thinking and innovation by sharing learnings when things don’t go as planned. Ensure teams feel empowered to try to refine new approaches before they have all the answers or a perfect solution. Turn all insights and learnings from experiments into an engine for future and ongoing growth. This can be challenging and uncomfortable for some seasoned professionals in higher education as the need to shift from an “authoritative” position to a “learner” stance feels counter-intuitive and vulnerable yet is becoming increasingly valuable.

8. Create conditions for collaboration. Create and share tools and approaches that enable employees to effectively collaborate across the institution. In times of crisis, it is especially important to find ways to connect and share learnings, but building a culture of collaboration and trust is a long-term proposition and must be consistently experienced over time to be impactful. 

9. Seek accountability and distribute leadership. To be effective and agile in the short-term and aligned with long-term objectives, make sure expectations are clear and realistic and your entire community feels a sense of ownership for organizational success. 

10. Remember, we all need something to look forward to. While urgent and immediate needs consume the energy and focus of the institution, leaders must be intentional about dedicating time to focus on the long-term. Organize a strategic forum and set clear expectations around the discussion to ensure dialogue doesn’t turn back to the tactical and short-term.

    While no one knows what the future holds, a compelling and considered vision can inspire, coalesce, and serve as a touchstone for both the long- and short-term.

At George Brown College, we articulated a vision that includes vivid aspirations for the college’s future state, as well as medium-term strategic sprints and built-in check points that allow us to reassess, recalibrate and pivot along the way. This approach has enabled us to anticipate, absorb and manage change.

Rather than having to change course, as many organizations have over the past year, we have been able to accelerate in the direction of our vision and align our efforts, leveraging the short-term to build momentum toward our longer-term strategic goals.

Taking a long-term approach isn't always easy when confronted with multiple forces driving change with increasing velocity. When faced with uncertain outcomes, it takes deliberate and conscious effort to channel those changes toward long-term, strategic advantage.

Read more on George Brown College's Thought Leadership blog.

Shannon Hynes is the Director of Strategy and Planning at George Brown College.