How to Replace Short-Term Thinking With Long-Term Focus
In the fast-moving business world, it can be easy for both employees and executives to fall into the trap of short-term thinking, especially when they’re faced with deadlines and under pressure to achieve quick results. However, to sustain success, leaders must maintain the team’s focus on the organization’s long-term vision and foster flexible, strategic planning.
Below, members of Business Journals Leadership Trust share some of the best ways leaders can help their teams—and themselves—stay focused and avoid short-term thinking. From crafting a shared vision to asking future-focused questions, these approaches can help your organization stay on the path toward long-term success.
1. Get together to focus and collaborate.
Teams should get out of the office together, with the gatherings including the co-founders and leadership. We have an off-site meeting with our leadership team every quarter to make sure we’re focusing on the right things. The ideas that come up in those discussions are often mind-blowing. – Michael Barnhill, Specialist ID, Inc.
2. Clarify a vision that aligns with values.
Short-term thinking is a product of reactive management instead of visionary leadership; it is about putting out today’s fire instead of achieving tomorrow’s vision. I believe that the most important aspect of a leader’s role is to communicate a clear vision of the future that is rooted in their most deeply held values. When that vision is clear and true to one’s values—and when there is a complete, detailed strategic plan for how to achieve that vision—then short-term thinking will naturally be avoided. The entire team’s decisions and subsequent actions will be proactive in nature, and today’s fire will have been anticipated yesterday and snuffed out at the first spark. Therefore, reactionary, short-term thinking will have no place in your organization. – Cory Porter, Browne McGregor Architects
3. Create cross-functional project teams.
A strategy that has proven to keep teams and leaders from falling prey to short-term thinking is creating dynamic cross-functional project teams that are charged with creating outcomes aligned with the strategic goals of the organization or company. This way, team members and leaders will be clear on how their efforts contribute to the mission, ongoing sustainability and long-term success. Leaders must continue to provide such team-building opportunities internally so that projects are dynamic and provide team members opportunities to lead as well as contribute on a regular basis. – Tracy Williams, Ellephant Parade
4. Utilize the Entrepreneurial Operating System.
We steer clear of short-term thinking by adhering to the Entrepreneurial Operating System. EOS guides us to begin with a 10-year target, followed by mapping out the necessary steps to reach that goal and by crafting a three-year vision. By deriving insights from the three-year vision, we establish actionable steps for the upcoming year. These steps are then prioritized, divided into quarters and transformed into our primary quarterly objectives, known as “rocks” within EOS. – Todd Marks, Mindgrub
5. Work backward from your vision.
I think you have to start with your vision as a goal and work backward. If your vision is to be the premier client experience company, then all your short- and long-term thinking should project to that vision. Another exercise that instills this thinking is to ask everyone to state the pros and cons of not making a decision. Many times, that will create the “why” or “value” to help point direction. Short-term thinking tends to always have an urgency or immediate reaction, but doesn’t necessarily have value. – Suzanne Reed, LBMC
6. Keep your ‘why’ at the center of everything.
You need to remember the “why.” Whether launching a product, building a business or navigating a career, the ability to anchor back to your “why” keeps a person navigating forward during the hard parts. – Crystal Mathis, SignatureFD
7. Identify your organization’s ‘wildly important goals.’
Our company has implemented FranklinCovey’s “The 4 Disciplines of Execution®” methodology in the past decade. Each year, we select one or two high-level goals that align with our strategic plan, referred to by FranklinCovey as “wildly important goals” (or “WIGs”). Our departments make weekly commitments to focus on important, though not necessarily urgent, tasks. By involving employees at all levels, we ensure that even the smallest tasks contribute to the overall company WIG. This approach shifts our focus away from short-term emergencies and toward tasks that further our strategic goals. As a result, our company has achieved several long-term objectives related to retail growth and poverty reduction. – Mark Hohmann, Goodwill Industries of Kentucky, Inc.
8. Establish milestones and celebrate wins along the journey.
Leaders must set clear, achievable interim milestones to ensure regular feedback and recognition. Breaking a project into phases provides structure, prevents burnout and keeps progress tangible. Celebrate small wins along the way—whether through public recognition, rewards or team shoutouts—to reinforce a sense of accomplishment and keep morale high. Additionally, consistent communication is crucial; leaders should check in frequently, address concerns proactively and remind the team of the project’s larger purpose. By creating an environment where team members feel valued, heard and supported, leaders are providing opportunities for personal growth and ownership and driving sustained momentum, commitment and high performance. – Richard Culberson, Moneypenny
9. Question the implications of team decisions.
Leaders should teach their teams to ask future-focused questions. When making decisions, pause and ask, “Will this choice move us closer to our long-term mission, or just put out a fire today?” This simple habit shifts thinking from reactive to strategic. By embedding this mindset in daily discussions, you create a culture where short-term actions serve long-term goals, preventing the trap of quick fixes that don’t last. – Crystal Lazar, Habitat for Humanity East & Central Pasco County
10. Determine how to measure the impact of initiatives.
Leaders can make the “why” an agenda item. When you are launching a new initiative, start with the “why” and the long-term impacts you are looking to achieve. When you have status updates, remind people of the “why”—and, very importantly, figure out how to measure the impact. Is your initiative or strategy to drive more sales? You should figure out how to measure that impact (more opportunities, better close rate and so on). Is it to increase efficiency somehow? What is the measure to see if efficiency is trending up or down? A simple review of metrics can tell you whether you are progressing toward long-term goals. – Gary Braun, Pivotal Advisors, LLC
11. Frame every decision according to your mission and vision.
When it comes to keeping the long game in mind, I have found reframing major decisions and initiatives in terms of the company’s mission, vision and values provides critical clarity. From hiring and firing employees to pursuing new business or even investing in new infrastructure, it all should align with the company’s foundational purpose. – Kent Lewis, pdxMindShare
12. Align everyday decisions to long-term goals.
One strategy leaders can leverage to keep their team from falling prey to short-term thinking is setting long-term goals that are complete with a clear vision. Then, they should consistently align daily decisions to ensure the team stays focused on the long-term goal rather than on immediate gains that will not produce sustainable progress toward successfully reaching the overarching goal. – Barb Smith, Journey Steel, Inc.
13. Cultivate a culture of ownership.
Leaders should keep a clear view of long-term goals by cultivating a culture of ownership. When teams take responsibility beyond immediate tasks—considering impact, efficiency and alignment with broader objectives—they naturally avoid shortsighted decisions. As a leader, model this mindset by ensuring every choice supports sustainable growth, not just quick wins. – Bill Rokos, Parsec Automation
