Loud Thinking

Get the Boss’s Feedback on a New Strategy

Any strategy needs senior management’s support, but don’t go to your boss with a perfectly polished document that you want him or her to buy into. Instead, share the work you and your team have done and explain the thinking behind your recommendation. Then, be open to hearing what your boss has to say. You need her ideas, and if you’re focused on selling, you’re not listening. Just because you used a rigorous process doesn’t mean it can’t be improved. Rather than defending your work, encourage a genuine conversation. Company leaders often have a unique, enterprise-wide perspective, and chances are they have something valuable to contribute. Incorporating their feedback will improve the odds of the strategy succeeding.

Adapted by HBR from the Playing to Win Strategy Toolkit.