Without a doubt, today’s professionals are being pulled in gargantuan sized directions. If it’s not spending the third night in a row trying to crunch out that project milestone, it’s going to the fourteenth meeting of the day.

So what can you do (exhausted as you are) to think and act strategically? In truth, there are a few tactical solutions to being strategic that will better position you as you interact and speak with those in the leadership ranks. Here are just a few:

Rule #1:  Start with the business case before making any emotional argument. How you do this is by remembering the four big pieces to the organizational pie: Product, Process, Profitability and People – in that order.  Interesting isn’t it? You’d think that it would make more sense to start with the people part of the equation since (after all) you are the face of all that is good and human in the organization. However, in most strategic discussions, that’s putting the cart before the horse.

The questions (and rightfully so) that those in leadership are apt to ask have to do with creating a business model in which every product is viable, significant market share will be secured, several operating months of capital are in the bank account and that the best of the best-practice operating guidelines are standardized throughout the company. Only when the framework is solidly anchored can you then talk about the quintessential roles and responsibilities of the (very important and necessary) workforce. For example, what are your answers to the following questions?

Product portfolio. Just how well do you understand the primary market and target customer base… competitive positioning and the value added proposition your organization’s products or services bring?

Processes. Can you speak best benchmarking practices? How well can you ferret out the difference between status quo and re-engineering processes that might actually propel the company down a more efficient operational path?

Profitability. What do you know about cash flow other than the fact you’re $1.50 short for your Starbucks Grande Cappuccino morning wake-me-up?

People. Who are the right people to be on the organizational bullet train? After all, we’re no longer “on the bus” as authors penned a decade or so ago.  When it comes to pace, recent recessionary woes have jettisoned us past rural bus routes and onto a demon speedway.

Do your homework. Be prepared. Know each of these pieces before you sit down with your leadership team.

Rule #2:  Ask bigger and better questions in order to get better data. You’re off to a great start with Rule #1.  However, individual study isn’t enough. What you need is the valuable insight offered by your colleagues (not to mention the benefit of their experience and title).   Ask better (and therefore more “bigly”) questions to gather data to either strengthen or augment your knowledge or to replace it with a more compelling business rationale.

To do this, think in terms of “snippets” versus “stalking.” Specifically:

1. Ask one of your leaders if they have five minutes to grab a cup of coffee so you can ask them a question about operations.
2. Do not stand in front of your colleague’s office with your face plastered against the window.
3. After the staff meeting, send an email follow-up to the leader of the session thanking him or her for their insight and asking if it would be possible to provide you with some additional references for your ongoing review.
4. Avoid asking questions that border on “prisoner of war” interrogation tactics.
5. Do ask open-ended questions such as “What are the pros and cons of seeking a secondary market in nanotechnology extensions?”  “How might we better leverage existing processes across our remote site locations?”  “What are the long term implications of these resource constraints?”

Rule #3:  Translate squishy ideas into concrete (and actionable) tasks. Being strategic does not imply waxing philosophical at every opportunity – quite the contrary.  Strategery (thank you Mr. President) is about translating what is philosophical (a.k.a. nebulous; conceptual; theoretical; ethereal) into pragmatic actions that everyone (from the Chief Information Officer to the receptionist) can understand and act upon.

Not sure how to do this? Try this simple activity:

1. Take the latest (or current) project you are responsible for and illustrate it on a white board. Limit the words to pop up conversation boxes as used in cartoons. Concentrate on drawing pictures or boxes (or even stick figures) to get the key point across.
2. What would make your illustration more concise? What would make it easier to understand?
3. How can you de-clutter your illustration so that you’ve cut through the unnecessary to get to the important?
4. Then, verbalize a short story about the illustration –describing the initiative, its purpose, metrics, resource allocation, impact on results and the people needed to get the job done.
5. Now take your “story” for a test drive with someone you respect. What’s their feedback? Is your message more understandable? Clear? De-cluttered? Excellent!

Chances are you will continue to be pulled in many different directions and forced to wear a variety of work related hats (some of which will almost certainly be garish). However, by adopting a few principles (which are quite tactical in nature), you will also be able to come to the table prepared (and with plans in hand) to offer up well thought-out and clarity-based solutions to the crazy challenges hammering your organization today. Simply put, you will be a valued strategist.