“If you just focus on the smallest details, you never get the big picture right.”
Leroy Hood,
According to Eva Rykrsmith Typical of the Big Picture Thinker
• You can quickly see patterns in complex problems.
• You like to come up with new ideas and new projects.
• You have a low tolerance for busywork, tedious errands, and filling out forms.
• You are great at outlining what needs to be done, but filling in the details can feel exhausting.
• You may have been described as right-brained.
• When you have taken the Myers-Briggs assessment, you were an N.
Big Picture Thinking
The difference between the two is subtle yet important. The big picture is static and usually available to only a few people. Big picture thinking is dynamic and accessible to everyone, from the corner office to the field. Here’s an illustrative story about three stonecutters I’ve hit upon a few times in different writings. It provides a good image of what big picture thinking is:
One day a traveler, walking along a lane, came across three stonecutters working in a quarry. Each was busy cutting a block of stone. Interested to find out what they were working on, the traveler asked the first stonecutter what he was doing. “I am cutting a stone!”
Still no wiser the traveler turned to the second stonecutter and asked him what he was doing. “I am cutting this block of stone to make sure that its square and its dimensions are uniform, so that it will fit exactly in its place in a wall.
A bit closer to finding out what the stonecutters were working on but still unclear, the traveler turned to the third stonecutter. He seemed to be the happiest of the three and when asked what he was doing replied: “I am building a cathedral.”
All three stonecutters were correct in their answers, but the third had his big picture glasses on. He had an understanding of what his actions in the quarry were aiming at and that his contributions were part of something larger. In this case, a cathedral.
Big Picture Thinking is Good by Christian J. Knutson, P.E., PMP
Cultivating the skill of big picture thinking is so important. Instead of being restricted by the belief you lack the material to see the big picture, you are able to develop your own big picture based on the materials you do have. When you maintain big picture thinking it:
Allows You to Lead. Leaders are typically viewed as having “the big picture”. People tend to follow those who have an understanding of where they are headed and where others need to go as well. If you want to lead, then big picture thinking is something you need to be doing routinely.
Keeps You on Target. Big picture thinking is essential to goal accomplishment. When you practice big picture thinking you are capable of seeing how goals fit into the fabric of your organizations, or your own, strategy. This helps you to clearly articulate why you are pursuing a goal and this in turn helps you to identify what needs to be done.
Allows You to See What Others See. It’s important to be able to see the point of view of others. This is one of those emotional intelligence skills all leaders must cultivate to be successful in their careers. When we use big picture thinking, we give ourselves the creative license to open our aperture and see an issue from not only different peoples perspectives, but from different levels as well.
Promotes Teamwork. Big picture thinking allows you to lead. It also allows people to collaborate on something larger than them and on something they can become energized over. A team needs an effective leader to succeed. But it also needs the big picture to effectively coordinate its actions.
Big-Picture Thinking asks questions that look at the past, present, and future. Here are five to consider from the work of Dr. Freek Vermeulen, professor of strategy at London Business School. These five questions are a great starting place for a big-picture conversation with your team:
1. What doesn’t fit that we’re spending time and energy on?
2. What would someone outside of my challenge do if they were in charge?
3. Is the foundation of my business consistent with the strategy I’m implementing?
4. Do I fully understand why we do it that way?
5. What might be the long-term consequences?
Additional Reading
How Successful People Think: Change Your Thinking, Change Your Life by Maxwell, John C
Seeing the Big Picture: Business Acumen to Build Your Credibility, Career, and Company by Kevin Cope
Point of Reflection
“Big-picture thinkers realize there is a world out there besides their own, and they make an effort to get outside of themselves and see other people’s worlds through their eyes. It’s hard to see the picture while inside the frame.”
John Maxwell