What can a strategic thinker bring to a construction, engineering or environmental company?

What is a Strategic Thinker?

A strategic thinker is someone who has a distinct set of skills that can keep a company growing. They can anticipate, think critically, interpret, decide, align, and learn. But what does this mean? Strategic thinkers can anticipate business needs and solve problems and get to the bottom of a situation by analyzing every aspect of it. They can interpret the meaning behind data related to their success, as well as make executive decisions that will bring them even closer to success. Plus, they can get everyone on the same page by presenting the facts and keeping those around them informed and calm.

The importance of a strategic thinker

Having at least one strategic thinker on every work team is essential for job sites to run smoothly. As the name implies, strategic thinkers can take the information around them and turn it into a detailed plan, addressing the needs of the business in every way possible. Engineers and construction workers who have the ability to think critically possess one of the most valuable traits of a strategic thinker. In fact, it’s hard to even become an engineer without being a strategic thinker. Most people can only assess a situation at face value, while someone who can think critically can run through the what-if scenarios, thus addressing problems with the most appropriate solution. Strategic-thinking engineers can more effectively troubleshoot their teams and find new, more efficient ways to run their business. They do this by being able to interpret data from past experiences and scenarios and learn from past resolutions, combined with anticipating current and future business needs.

Strategic thinkers do very well in managerial positions. With their critical thinking skills and anticipation, they can discern with uncanny accuracy how well a candidate will perform in an interview for the company. His ability to make decisions is incomparable. A project manager on a construction site who possesses the ability to mentally weigh the pros and cons of each potential outcome is an asset any construction company would love to have. They can make educated and informed decisions about potential employees or project proposals. A construction manager who is a strategic thinker will be able to figure out any potential problems with a blueprint or budget spreadsheet and figure out the best way to solve those specific problems. The construction site manager will be able to discuss her concerns and solutions with the company, clients, and her own co-workers and employees to ensure everything runs smoothly with everyone on the same page.

Identifying a strategic thinker in a job interview

I’m sure you are now thinking, “Where can I find one of these people?” Using a few specific tools in your interview process can be crucial in identifying strategic thinkers from employees who “look good on paper.”

First, you can give each candidate a problem to solve. Describe the problem to the potential employee and give them a few minutes to think about it. For example, you ask an environmental engineer how he would correct an excessive amount of waste in the local landfill. Ask them to describe the steps they would take to solve the problem. If you are a strategic thinker, you should have compiled a list of potential problems and a strategic plan, expect future company forecasts and identify external economic or environmental factors, and figure out how to consult with the company’s stakeholders or customers. You are looking for a bypass of any of these steps, such as not addressing how customers might perceive this solution. For example, if their solution dramatically increases the cost of garbage services, they may not be thinking about the customer. Also, be on the lookout for a solution that doesn’t have enough of a strategic focus. They may claim that simply hiring more landfill employees to try to control the situation is all that would be needed, neglecting the fact that it will then cost more money to pay the new workers, which could increase the cost to the customer and reduce the profits for the interested parties.

Ask them questions and pay attention to the questions they ask you. A true strategic thinker will be excited about the potential for a strategic challenge and will ask a lot of questions about it. The environmental engineer will want to know how long the landfill problem has been prevalent, if it has ever occurred in the past, and if it is expected to get worse. Finally, if he’s still unsure, consider presenting them with a flawed solution to a company problem and see how they strategically modify it to make it more profitable. Present your potential construction site managers with a project site that has been rezoned and no longer matches the initial construction plan. They will weigh the necessary changes considering the costs for the clients and the company, as well as the environmental impacts. With enough questions, a strategic thinker will almost identify. Remember, how they answer your specific questions is how they will respond to situations in the work environment.