How to Make Time for Thinking in a Busy Workplace

I probably don’t need to convince you that strategic thinking is important. Earlier this year, I hosted several training sessions on this topic, and the response was overwhelming. Clearly, people get it! They know they need to think strategically, and my training participants were eager to learn how. But the bigger problem was and is always the same – finding the time to actually do it.

Most of us are already operating at (or even beyond) capacity. Between meetings, emails, and the relentless flow of daily tasks, there’s little room left for things that require deeper focus. By its very nature, strategic thinking demands more than a passing thought. It requires reflection and the mental space to intellectually meander, connect the dots, and look ahead.

If you don’t deliberately create that space, it won’t just appear on its own. Strategic thinking doesn’t squeeze itself between back-to-back Zoom calls. It doesn’t flourish in the 10 minutes before your next meeting. It needs your full attention, and (in my experience) the only way to get that is to put concrete structures into place.

Here are some practical ways to do that:

1. Go off-site, even briefly. A change in environment not only helps shift your mindset, it can also help reduce interruptions and distractions. You don’t need to schedule a full-blown retreat to make this happen. Try sitting in a coffee shop, a library, or even an unused lounge area in your building. Physically going to a different space can be a signal to your brain that you’re entering a different mode of thinking. It’s also a signal to others that you’re serious about focusing on something that matters.

2. Reserve space. If going offsite isn’t possible, consider booking space for yourself in a conference room and treat the time like you would any important meeting. Don’t cancel it. Don’t double-book it. Go in with clear goals and an agenda. Know the problems you want to dissect, ideas you want to explore, and concepts you want to give deeper thought to.

3. Communicate your needs. Let others know when you’re going to be unavailable and why. But there’s no need to overshare! You can just say something like, “I’m in strategy mode this morning. Can we connect in the afternoon?” This indicates that strategic time is both important and intentional, and it could even help set an example for others who might need to do the same but are scared to speak up.

4. Build a rhythm. Like anything, waiting until you just randomly “have time” doesn’t work. Instead, build thinking time into your schedule. Block off 30 minutes every other Friday, for example, or an hour on Wednesday afternoons to review your work with a strategic lens. Don’t get too caught up in the technicalities; the rhythm matters more than the duration and time of day.

5. Capture and revisit your thoughts. Strategic thinking time should be focused and purposeful. If you fail to document your insights, they will likely evaporate quickly. Strategic ideas often build on each other, but only if they have somewhere to land and a way to resurface.

It’s worthwhile noting that these techniques can be used for individual strategic thinking time as well as group strategy sessions. Both are equally important and both offer value in different ways, so don’t default to just one or the other.

Finally, if you’re feeling like you can’t afford to set this time aside, consider this: you really can’t afford NOT to. In a workplace that rewards output, taking time to think can feel like a luxury. But remember that the people who consistently make a deep and meaningful impact aren’t just doing more. They’re thinking better. And that starts with making space.

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