GOTARA REACH REPORT ON STRATEGIC THINKING FOR WOMEN IN STEM

GOTARA REACH REPORT ON STRATEGIC THINKING FOR WOMEN IN STEM

I S S U E 2 S P R I N G 2 0 2 1

R E A C H R E P O R T G O T A R A

S T R A T E G I C T H I N K I N G I T ’ S O N E O F T H E M O S T I M P O R T A N T S K I L L S Y O U N E E D T O S U C C E E D I N Y O U R S T E M C A R E E R

R - E - A - C - H -

RISK EMPATHY ANALYTICS COMMUNICATE HUNGER

-03

VISIONARY THINKERS D S A N G E E T A

Have you ever heard of a leader who climbed the professional ladder to the highest position without having a clear vision and strategy? To grow in an organization, a leader needs to explore, understand and create a vision and strategy. It’s often a skill that only a few people master. And it’s these people who take on executive roles. If you don’t develop this skill, you’ll be known as someone who can execute but not grow the organization or take it in a new direction. An organization uses high-level vision to set goals. The next step is to develop a strategic execution plan with critical milestones and timelines.

One of the first times I tested my strategic thinking skills was when we were developing risk models to predict and maintain the cost of engines over five to 20 years. To achieve this goal, we needed a complicated set of requirements and robust models that our internal teams believed they could deliver in two weeks instead of three to six months. We needed to innovate and understand the customers’ needs. We also had to understand how the current ecosystem worked to imagine new processes and upgrade the talent to meet these new needs. Since then, in every new job I take on, developing a vision and strategy is the first thing I tackle. When I hire leaders, they must have the ability to think strategically to take the organization to a new level and have a genuine impact on the organization and its customers.

READ OUR PREMIERE ISSUE TO DISCOVER TOP ADVICE FROM

SUPERNOVA STEM + STARS

DO YOU WANT TO BECOME A

We focus on strategic thinking for this REACH REPORT because it’s a critical skill for all STEM+ women to master. I asked Dana Ginn, Gotara’s Chief Operating Officer, to share insights she’s gained over the years as she’s an exceptional strategic thinker. I met Dana when I joined Nielsen to launch a business process improvement (BPI) project. As a part of my leadership team, she led our BPI training group. Every time I watched her teach, I marveled at her ability to engage mid-level and senior leaders in understanding and participating in developing strategic solutions. She’s one of the best teachers I have met in my career. She translated high-level strategy into relatable concepts that everyone can learn and execute.

STRATEGIC THINKER? JOIN GOTARA TODAY

We offer personalized and confidential career advice within 24 hours of your asking.

CLICK TO JOIN

W W W . G O T A R A . C O M

S T R A T E G I C T H I N K I N G

-05

S T R A T E G I C MO V E S THE 3 THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW AND ARTICULATE.

Acting in a way that supports the strategy of the organization. S T R A T E G I C T H I N K I N G I S . . . A plan for how you will accomplish the organization’s mission or purpose. B E I N G S T R A T E G I C R E Q U I R E S . . .

I was working as a mechanical engineer in the petrochemical industry when my boss told me that to get ahead in the organization, I needed to be a better “strategic thinker.” I was a highly rated teammember who had received two promotions within four years. Yet I had no clue how to be a better “strategic thinker.” No one at the university, no one in my network and no boss had ever used this phrase with me before. Being only one of a handful of women among countless male engineers like my boss, I couldn’t help but wonder: Was “strategic thinking” the secret ingredient that allowed the men around me to move quickly to higher ranks?

Dana Ginn is Gotara’s Chief Operating Officer. She trained as a mechanical engineer and has worked in academia, consulting and corporate settings. Dana has coached more than 500 women and knows the ca- reer-changing difference it makes when STEM+ women build strategic skills.

As it turns out, this wasn’t a secret ingredient discussed at a sports bar or the putting green; rather, it was a somewhat elusive skill set required of all women and men early in their careers. This skill set was imperative to my career success and one that every STEM+ professional should embrace. Especially if the goal is to move up in an organization, have more growth opportunities and be seen as an emerging leader. The good news is that STEM+ women and men have all the essential ingredients to be excellent strategic thinkers because they think critically, they are natural problem solvers, lifelong learners and they have open minds. The not-so-good news is many STEM+ folks don’t know the specifics of how to acquire and demonstrate this skill. In our Spring 2021l REACH REPORT, I share the three things you need to know and the three things you need to articulate to define your strategy. Plus, I explore some myths around strategic thinking. At Gotara, we work with members to develop personalized action plans to develop their skills. If you want to become a strategic thinker, join Gotara. Start your STEM+ career journey with us—it’s free.

W W W . G O T A R A . C O M

S T R A T E G I C T H I N K I N G

1

Need to know your customers—who they are and why they buy or use your product or service. Need to know the marketplace you compete in—what the trends and competitive threats are. Need to know —what your organization’s purpose or mission is and what your core competencies are.

3 THINGS

2

TO KNOW

3 +

3

THINGS TO ARTICULATE TO DEFINE YOUR STRATEGY

1

Need to articulate how you will compete to win over customers.

2

Need to articulate what could prevent your success.

3

Need to articulate three to five measurable strategic goals.

W W W . G O T A R A . C O M

S T R A T E G I C T H I N K I N G

MYTH 1 STRATEGIC THINKING IS ONLY REQUIRED OF SENIOR LEADERS.

Nope. In today’s fast-paced, complex and often geographically dispersed organizations, strategic thinking allows all team members at all levels to contribute to the innovation and growth of the organization. Thinking strategically also ensures that team members understand how their work aligns with the strategy so they can focus on the highest-impact work. I worked in a Center of Excellence (COE) within a large global organization. Team members worked independently with various business units. You would think it would be challenging to stay aligned as a team and to the business strategy, but it wasn’t. Why? Because our leader was an excellent strategic thinker and taught us all to be strategic thinkers as well. She frequently reviewed our list of projects and tasks and reprioritized if needed to ensure we delivered real impact to the organization and our customers. We also measured our performance using KPIs directly linked to the higher-level strategic goals. Strategic thinking allows all team members at all levels to contribute to the innovation and growth of the organization. “

5 TOP MYTHS ABOUT STRATEGIC THINKING

— DANA GINN

W W W . G O T A R A . C O M

S T R A T E G I C T H I N K I N G

S T R A T E G I C T H I N K I N G

MYTH 2 STRATEGIC THINKING ISN’T A NECESSARY SKILL FOR STEM + WOMEN. Hardly ever true. Even the most technical roles and individual contributors must align with the organization’s strategy to increase value to the customers and minimize wasted time, energy, resources and dollars. The organization’s strategy aligns with every team member. Do you know your organization’s strategy? Do you know how your work directly contributes to the strategy of your organization? Do your goals support the annual strategic objectives of your organization? If the answer is yes, that’s great! You will be more effective and considered an essential contributor to the organization.

MYTH 3 STRATEGIC THINKING IS JUST A MINDSET.

Think again. I learned early on that becoming a better strategic thinker takes more than just wishing it so. How did I develop the skills? I conducted my research and took on stretch assignments with role models who gave me the insight I needed. These role models taught me that strategic thinking requires methods, tools and skills that I didn’t have on my own. For example, to develop a robust strategy, you

EXPERT TIP

must research customer and market needs. This requires methods and tools. If you’re in a position to deploy strategy, again, there are methods used to ensure alignment through metrics and tools used to track overall progress. If you are simply trying to align your work to the strategy, you still need methods and tools to develop your metrics and prioritize your work.

Do you know how your work directly contributes to the strategy of your organization? ?

Becoming a better strategic thinker takes more than just wishing it so .

BE STRATEGIC! JOIN GOTARA

CLICK TO JOIN

W W W . G O T A R A . C O M

W W W . G O T A R A . C O M

S T R A T E G I C T H I N K I N G

S T R A T E G I C T H I N K I N G

— DANA GINN

MYTH 4 BECOMING A STRATEGIC THINKER REQUIRES A LOT OF TIME AND WORK. Not necessarily. I learned this skill over a couple of years, but the good news is that at Gotara, we have packaged advice that will help you become a strategic thinker based on advice from many people like me who went through the grunt work so you don’t have to. We provide specific actions you can take in your daily work to implement your new skills.

MYTH 5 IF YOUR ORGANIZATION DOESN’T HAVE A CLEAR AND DOCUMENTED STRATEGY, YOU DON’T NEED STRATEGIC THINKING SKILLS. Not in my experience. In fact, this is an excellent opportunity for you to shine! If nothing else, do your best to understand and align your work and the work of your team. This will demonstrate you have leadership chops. A couple of years ago, I was in a meeting where colleagues working on a financial product were brainstorming ideas for improving the product because it hadn’t achieved the anticipated revenues. Tensions were high. Concepts were flowing freely, but some ideas would have taken the product strategy in a very different direction and would not have aligned with customer needs. After about an hour, Bhavya, the most junior product manager on the team, asked a simple question: “How do these ideas support our strategy and the most underserved customer needs?” The question was a pivotal moment and brought the team back to align with the most important product features and uses. After that meeting, top leaders recognized Bhavya as someone worth knowing!

!

Become a strategic

thinker based on advice from many people like me who went through the grunt work so you don’t have to.

W W W . G O T A R A . C O M

W W W . G O T A R A . C O M

S T R A T E G I C T H I N K I N G

As a member of the Gotara global career network for women in STEM + , you ...

BE STRATEGIC! JOIN GOTARA! We offer personalized and confidential career advice within 24 hours of your asking. And that’s not all...

1 Get connected. Get a job.

2 3

CLICK TO JOIN

Grow in your STEM

career.

W W W . G O T A R A . C O M

W W W . G O T A R A . C O M

R E A C H R E P O R T I S S U E 2 S P R I N G 2 0 2 1 GOTA R A