
10 ways to be a better strategist
I’ve spent the last decade as a professional problem solver, using some combination of brute force and pattern recognition (and the bias comes with it) to find the answer. One of the many ways I’ve grown since moving to San Francisco is to bring more thoughtfulness, more creativity, and more listening to how problems are solved and solutions are shaped.
But like any human, when we’re limping we grab crutches. And in moments of ambiguity or fear we retreat to what’s always worked — forgetting what is required to do great work. So I made this list of practices, a patchwork of things I try to remind myself of at the start of, and throughout, every project I’m on. I hope it’s helpful — and I’d love to know what some of your reminders are. See you in the comments.
1. Begin with an essential, beautiful question.
Start the project by identifying the one question that’s critical to the client’s success and at the core of the problem you’ve been asked to solve. Write it beautifully, write it clearly, make it aspirational, and make it your compass for the duration of the project. The question is your gut check to ensure the team — and the client — are focused on the right things. Start with a great question, and you’ll unearth the complexities, perspectives, and dimensions of the problem. Or as Dan Roam put it, “Whoever best describes the problem is the most likely to solve it.”
2. Create hypotheses early, and revise often.
Do not wait until you “have all the facts” to have a point of view. The longer you wait, the more you spin, the more you get stuck. Breakthroughs come from having a hypothesis, testing it, breaking it, and learning from it. Having a hypothesis will guide research, prototyping, and decision-making. Hypothesizing — and testing — is the strategist’s version of making. So embrace the unknown, and begin making right from the start.
3. The solution is the model of the problem.
The way you frame the problem shapes the ideas you produce, opportunities you uncover — and ultimately — the solution you choose. Deeply understand the problem in order to be prolific (and relevant) in your modeling of possible solutions.
4. See the problem. Study the problem. Experience the problem.
Before solving a problem, you must intimately experience it. Desk research, mood boards, and brainstorms with brilliant people are all not as good as first-hand experience. Or, as Frank Chimero once said, “If you want to understand how a lion hunts, don’t go to the zoo. Go to the jungle.”
5. Practice three levels of empathy: company, client, customer.
Empathy is key to solving a problem or meeting a need in an authentic, powerful way. To have empathy for the company you must understand how the market influences the decisions the client’s company makes on everything from product releases to hiring decisions. Don’t just know biographical information; know what moment the company is in, the history of how they got there, and why it’s so difficult. Empathy for the client means understanding their personal and professional history, discovering the experiences that shaped their world view, knowing what their ambition is, all so you can be a better partner and coach to them. Empathy for the customer means being fluent in their needs, beliefs, and behaviors — so you can effectively champion or design for them.
6. Look into the microscope with one eye and the telescope with the other.
Never lose sight of the essential tension that makes for great, impactful, provocative work: brilliantly executing what’s in front of you, while building the client’s ambition and vision for what is possible. If done right, you’ll lay the foundation for an enriching, enduring relationship.
7. Purposefully reconnect to the problem throughout the project.
It’s easy to lose sight of what matters half way through a project. Time, cost, personal politics, and plenty of other things can lead to the team forgetting what it’s all about. Solve this by beginning critical team moments (both with the client and with the team) by reconnecting to the problem or opportunity the project exists to solve. Share personal stories or news bits that poignantly illustrate why the problem — and solving it — matters.
8. Stand on the shoulders of giants.
Chances are, there’s another project out there that’s encountered similar constraints, solved a similar problem, or involved the same client. Meet with colleagues, pick their brains, review past work, and accelerate your understanding and inspiration. This is the lowest hanging of the fruit — and often the most forgotten.
9. Force quit your cubicle (or wood-laden studio, or hip open office, or bean bag filled accelerator).
Moments of brilliance don’t come out of the cubicle. Just ask an artist, writer, or composer. Get out of the office. Be mindful of your team’s (and your own) energy. Be purposeful with your breaks, go out on field trips and get inspired.
10. Critique the boldness and creativity of the work to make it better.
We use what’s worked in the past because… well it works! But we also use what’s worked in the past because it’s comfortable. It’s safe. It’s convenient. That’s not a recipe for greatness. Constantly push yourself and your team’s thinking. Don’t settle for the idea you fall in love with first. Keep asking if it’s creative enough, bold enough, and how you might push it even further. Build a brain trust of diverse, experienced people who will help push your thinking in new, unique, unexpected ways.
A special thank you to the many mentors and friends who’ve taught me so much. Nic, Caleb, Adam, Sherri, Thomas, Keith, Dickie, Tammy — I am so grateful.
Arthur Nelson is a Strategist at SYPartners in San Francisco, and a recovering East Coaster.

