The “Unthunk” Series Pt.1 : The Macro-Micro Mental Model

Things that we do that affect our work, which we seldom think about.

Starting a series on the different things I’ve learnt occupy my mindspace. These are my personal views and I am still an unpolished beginner. So please do critique as harshly as possible, it will only help me learn. Now, let’s get straight to it.

The Macro-Micro Framework

This is something one of my ex-bosses shared with me. Based on his observation he figured that there are a few people who are extremely good with articulating their vision, what they will do in the future while also being very clued in to their next immediate goal. People who could zoom in & zoom out like a lens on a phone, effortlessly.

I think what’s at play in their head is that they are keeping a Micro focus & a Macro focus. And at any point in time, one is in the foreground while the other is in the background. And they can switch context quickly between the two.

Overtime, I’m beginning to train my mind on micro-macro for any topic or situation. Like if we are in a review meeting, the micro is the immediate topic being discussed but a macro is the directional alignment of that function/person to the company goals. Another example is how I look at my week — some time of the week is to solve for the next week i.e. micro & some time of the week is to solve for the next three months to years down the line — i.e. macro.

I’ve been applying this to a lot of situations & with increasing frequency & I’ve come to believe the following :

All good leaders end up being very adept at handling micro & macro seamlessly. Otherwise you’re either too up in the air or you’re just too caught up in the details.

Here’s a few simple ways to implement Macro & Micro.

Think about what you’re working on

Is what you’re doing right now about the immediate outcome(micro) or the future(macro)? Become self aware about the way you structure work, through this lens. Think about which should be more important ? This often depends on the stage of the company or the project.

• For large organisations : More data, more visibility. Here the leadership should be thinking about the longer term . Bezos Example
• For Startups : It’s important to course -correct frequently, but here immediate outcome focus works better. Think of this as micro-steps towards a local minima. Example by Max Hodak, Director at Neuralink about Firefighting

Think about when to switch between micro & macro :

• For individual contributors : If you’re not in “explore” mode but working on stable projects, take some regular time off at least once a year. Sam Altman and Bill Gates(famously) do this.
• For managers : Iterate your vision as frequently as possible to course-correct for the longer run. Here Bezos in ’99 . Have monthly/quarterly review meetings to formalise that process.

I have a lot more to share on micro, will share that in another post soon

Follow this series over the coming days and weeks. Things to come :

• Part 2 : Focus : How to Micro

Others :

• Fail-safe : How to make fewer mistakes
• Where to draw the line a.k.a Diminishing Returns
• Biases Pt.1 : How ambitious are you?

I’m currently working on a new idea, you can check the product hunt link here