- Big picture is fundamental to becoming consequence minded. Consequence minded means being able to think in terms of what your desired goal is, thus, collaboratively making decisions that will reflect such desired outcome. The greater the opportunity to see the big picture the more likely people will be able to step into consequence mindedness.
- Big picture thinking creates context and enables people to honor the values we seek to live (work) by. Most people are not typically drawn to or motivated by values. Typically people are drawn to outcomes.
- The clearer you make the business the easier it is for people to understand and embrace the values that enable the business, even if they would not necessarily choose those values in their personal life.
- The more connected and integral we feel to the business, the less likely we are to subscribe to the “us and them factor”. We feel connected to the business through understanding the big picture. As a result of not subscribing to the “us and them factor,” the less likely we are to disregard our values in dealing with others because we feel more akin to and related to others with whom we share the business.
- When its time to make a judgment call you are more likely to make one in favor of the business. This supports enabling decisions to be made on the battlefield in the midst of action with confidence.
- Big picture is all about clarity as to where you are headed so that everything you do is aligned with the business. With the big picture clearly in mind, every decision you make and every action you take can be considered in light of how it supports or hinders the business
- Well managed IT teams do their work in the context of the big picture. Everyone understands how the IT team is linked to the success of the business as a whole and thus the success of the organization. They do not work on projects with the project itself being the largest view they have of the business. Rather, they view the projects they engage in, within the scope of the larger business and where the business as a whole is headed.
One old story that illustrates the relationship between Big Picture thinking and quality of work goes something like this: A traveler comes across three bricklayers on a scaffold. The traveler asks the first one “What are you doing?”
The first responds, “I am earning a wage.”
The traveler then asks the second one “What are you doing?”
The second responds, “I am building a wall.”
They are doing the same “work”. Which of the two is laying the better brick?
The traveler then asks the third one “What are you doing?”
The third responds, “I am building a cathedral”
It is important that individuals in any part of a business understand how they connect to and serve the overall business of the business. This is particularly relevant for those in IT positions.
Individuals should be organized into workgroups, which, need to be aligned to ultimately serve the true purpose of the existence of the organization – the “business.&rdquo A commitment to serve the business is different than a commitment to serve the workgroup or team. It is equally important however, for individuals to understand how they connect to and serve their own workgroups, department and the organization as a whole, and how that “system” supports the business. It is also important for individuals to understand how they connect to and serve other workgroups and departments in order to work synergistically within the organization for the success of the business of the organization itself. Individuals should measure their decisions and actions in light of how individual decisions and actions serve the business of the business, not merely by how well they serve the outcomes of a project or the needs of a department.
Conclusion, as members of IT teams understand their place in the organization and that they serve the business of the organization and not merely other departments in an organization who serve the business, it is likely that others will view them as critical and necessary partners who can be trusted to provide solutions that don’t merely serve process, but truly serve business outcomes. As a result, they gain more opportunity to influence their internal clients with appropriate solutions. This view of their role, combined with their understanding and commitment to the business, will allow them to create solutions that go well beyond the needs expressed by internal clients, to ultimately benefit the overall business.
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