You might have visited a mountain or a hill and might have thought about the big view of the valley that is the zoomed-out or big-picture view of that space, you are aiming to see the big pictures.
Seeing the big picture means the ability of strategic thinking about the wider view, and the long-term outcomes of something. This ability is not an innate one, you can develop this ability.
How can you develop big-picture thinking, what are the benefits and drawbacks, all will be the epicenter of this study. This article is about all the details of focusing on the big picture with specific actions.
Table of Contents
What Is Big Picture Thinking?
Big picture thinking is the ability to look at the long term outcomes and the wider-angle view of something. It is zooming out of something and viewing all the short-term and long-term results, it is studying a context from a higher level.
With the help of seeing, a big picture person can motivate himself/herself and manage goals, decide next moves, manage time, drive in the best direction of his/her career, and can get rid of being trapped in the short-term pitfalls of the business world.
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Long Term and Short Term Picture
Long term picture is something futuristic and viewing the wide-angle view of a scenario while short term picture is you can only zoom shortly of the end of something.
Let’s assume while visiting a beautiful place your eyes catch a view of some trees, thinking about the shadow and fruits, and other full potential features of the tree is short term picture while imagining a forest is long term matter.
Importance of Bigger Picture
The importance of seeing the big picture for business acumen and employees is the following;
Long-Term Targets
Big picture thinking helps you to connect your basic tasks with your future goals and to set the long term target with limited resources. The connection is vital to employees, without it they cannot manage their tasks and long-term targets in business.
Creating More Efficient Goals
While seeing the big picture, you will be able to make your goals more efficient and achievable. Goals must have SMART value; specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound.
Link Between Projects and Company Goals
The big picture will enable you to recognize the link between specific projects and broad company goals. Linking the tasks and other projects with the long term goals is the key for advancement.
Addressing Challenges at Work
With the short term picture, you will recognize the challenges on the spot and then will answer the post questions while in the long term picture, you will be equipped in the beginning to address the challenges of life and to cope with the obstacles.
It was reported in the New York Times bestseller that if you look at the big picture you will be aware of the entire drawbacks and pleasant results of your projects. Self-awareness comes with seeing the zoomed out angle view of something.
Find the Clarity
If you are not clear in your goals, you won’t be able to manage time accordingly and will find it challenging to address the hurdles of life.
If you observe the big picture fun, you will hope to clarify what should be done, and how and when to be done.
Understand the Larger Context
Without understanding the context of something, you will find yourself in a pool of problems. Focus on the big picture, understand the context, and plan accordingly.
Respond to Obstacles
Patience comes with time management and addressing the problems with a solid plan, if notice the broader view, you will be patient while having the solution to every problem in advance.
Manage Time Effectively
While seeing the big picture, you will manage time accordingly and will divide your big projects into chunks of tasks. The chunks of tasks will consume less course of time and will avoid the big problems.
Detailed-Oriented Vs Big Picture Thinking
Detailed-oriented thinking is focusing on a particular aspect of a project, to get productivity within a specific period, so it is short term priority.
The big picture thinking skills are focusing the entire project for the company’s large-term goals, to get quality standards which will meet productivity resulting in the prosperity of the company.
Developing Bigger Picture at Work?
What are the strategies for developing the big picture at work and managing all the plans accordingly? The following are the simple drivers of big-picture ability for the most successful business leaders and students;
Habits Promoting Thinking
Instead of the short term productivity of work, those who examine the big image always keep an eye on the long term profit.
Big picture thinkers not only see the input but always think of the output that will work and benefit the company for years.
Making Organized Lists
It will make you organize to manage your low-priority responsibilities at the bottom while the high priority is on the top of your to-do list. Making a list of doings is vital to develop the ability of big picture thinking.
Chat with Co-workers
Collaboration is good for motivating teammates, arranging meetings with them will open your mind, and sharing your big ideas and approaches to the project will guide them.
Reserve Time for Reflection
Meditate well about all the shortcomings, advantages, pros, and cons of something, talk to them, and share your words and plans with those teammates who are good listeners and reflect your ideas.
Focus On Trial and Error
Always learn from your failures and never quit your goals due to the fear of failure. It will track you to the solutions to your problems along with the confidence to commit more mistakes.
Set End Goals
Setting your short term and long term goals will help you build your focus and your interest in your project.
The steps for end goals are the short term goals, by the end of every small chunk of tasks there will be a milestone for your end target.
Aim for Balance
Learning a balance in between the big picture thinking and the detailed oriented thinking would develop in you to see the wider picture of something.
Moderating the two allies for a project will enable you to get the big picture.
Be A Good Listener
While meeting and sharing your plans with your teammates always learn to them, do not let their negative feedback discourage you. Always listen to positive feedback and let them encourage you to achieve your goals.
Practice Brainstorming
Losing a plot of your plans may take place while implementing them, so penning down your plans and sketching the mind mapping on paper would be better for developing the big picture thinking.
Benefits of Looking at the Big Picture
The benefits of seeing the big image are the following;
Staying Resilient during Change and Adversity
Learning the big picture perspective will help you and your company to stay still during the change and adversity. You will always stay bound to your aims and plans instead of ups and downs.
It Keeps Companies Agile to Challenges
Seeing the big picture will help companies in their tough time and will provide agility to them, to view the big picture is anonyms with seeing both sides of the coin.
It Helps Improve Your Bottom Line
The big picture thinking will help you gain future-mindedness and will improve your bottom line. Your organization will bring creativity and innovation along with success.
It Creates A Culture Of Imagination And Creativity
As mentioned in the previous section, innovation, creativity, productivity, and the long term benefits will be possible if you examine the bigger picture for success in business acumen.
Ability to Adopt Strategic Foresight
The organization’s ability will be increased by zooming out the wide-angle view to adopt strategic foresightedness. It is the ability to keep an eye on the past as well as the forthcoming future of business success.
Drawbacks of Big Picture Thinking
The drawbacks of big picture thinking are the following;
Loss of Focus
While focusing on the wide-angle view of something you may be easily distracted from the short term goals and there is also a possibility of quitting your project before reaching the end goals.
Idealism
While imagining the long term goals of a project, you may become optimistic and cannot see the reality of the end goals. Trying to reach impossible goals may waste your money, energy, time, and manpower.
Spreading Resources Too Thin
The big picture thinkers always say yes to all the projects and never want to turn down any, grabbing every opportunity will stretch your efforts. You will get exhausted very soon and may not be able to complete all the projects.
Conclusion
Seeing the big picture means the ability to think about the wider view, the long term outcomes of something. This ability is not an innate one, you can develop this ability and see the big picture of everything.
To look at the bigger picture, you will be able to make your goals more efficient and achievable.
Detailed-oriented thinking will give you insight into both sides of the coin while the big picture thinking will provide you the strength to implement the strategies you have planned to achieve the end goals.
Frequently Asked Questions
What do I see the big picture mean?
It is zooming out of something and viewing all the short-term and long-term results, it is studying a context from a higher level.
How do I see the big picture?
Manage your time, set your goals, see the drawbacks and the positive aspects of a project, solve problems coming, and you will be able to stay open minded.
What is an example of the big picture?
While visiting a beautiful place you catch a view of some trees, imagining a forest is long term picture. You are climbing a hill and looking down at the zoomed out scenery of a valley.
What does it mean to understand the big picture?
You can motivate yourself and manage your goals, decide your next moves, manage time, drive in the best direction, and get rid of trapped in the short term pitfalls.
