Swirl to Strategy

People have different reactions to chaos. Some people run far, far away from it, others run towards it. I like running towards chaos, not to join in the toxicity or dysfunction, but to use my skills and strengths to support forward movement. It’s something I’ve tried hard to do for my clients and when I can help them do this, it feels rewarding for everyone. Having done this for years now, I decided to name this- I facilitate what I call “swirl to strategy sessions” for client executives. It's become one of my favorite ways to support strategic, incisive forward movement for my clients. I start with the trust building, relationship building, empathy, active listening. I ask questions to learn what this executive cares about. Here are some of the questions I like to ask:

• What are the major organizational updates since we last talked?

• Anything that feels worth celebrating?

• Anything feeling hard lately?

• What’s on your mind?

• What’s keeping you up at night?

• Anything else coming up for you?

  
  

The executive will start talking, and will often then pause, and say to me, “Gosh, I’m swirling, is this helpful? Should I stop?” I nearly always say, “This is incredibly helpful. Please continue. Let it all out. Swirl away.” I usually see some physical indication of relief, like shoulders dropping, or seeing a visible exhale, etc. They continue. I am usually taking some notes, but not transcribing. Sometimes I don’t take notes at all and just listen and feel the person’s energy across the table, phone, or Zoom. I often ask clarifying questions or additional probes to check for or deepen my understanding, get clarity on something, or check underlying assumptions.

After the executive has shared what they want and I have asked a sufficient number of questions (to both of our likings, that is subjective), I like to take a breath, pause, and process. I want to give my brain a moment to collect itself. Usually, as the swirling is happening, my brain starts to dance. It starts to organize thoughts, identify patterns, categorizes facts, and thinks of next steps. Sometimes, especially if in person, I like to draw out some of what I am thinking for the client leader. Sometimes the drawing out is replaying what the person said and organizing it in a way that helps us think about next steps. Other times, my brain is already at the next steps and I’m mapping out the action plan. I then like to collaborate with the executive to confirm or revise my thinking. We continue to collaborate and land on an action plan to move forward.

When this happens, I can see and feel a change in the client. As with before, I see physical indicators of relief. I see smiles. Sighs. Shoulders drop. Sitting back in chairs. Even “Wow” expressions, or “That’s it” exclamations. I then like to type up the action plan and share back with the client to confirm alignment and to ensure that we are both clear on the content and timeline for our respective action items.

When I reflect on this activity, I don’t even know if I can articulate how others can replicate it, though I have tried here to identify the steps for others to try. My heart starts the process, leading with openness and empathy. But then something happens where my brain kicks in and starts operating in the background. Then the brain work comes to the foreground and the strategic thinking and planning happens. The heart work is always first, but it’s the combination of the heart and head work that seems to serve my clients the most.

Ok for you, the reader. What are your reactions to this? Have you done this for your clients before? How did it go? Is your process similar or different from mine? How so? When did this go well? When did it go less well? If you are someone who has experienced this from the client side, how did it feel? What was most useful to you? Is this something you need in this moment? I’d love to connect and give it a try together. Let’s GO.