Jonathan Moore - My Boss Doesn't Think I'm Strategic

When starting in SEO, you don’t always have much control over where you start working or who you work with. This means that through no fault of your own, you don’t always know for sure what makes someone “strategic”.

To make it worse, through no fault of your own, someone may even label you as “not strategic”.

This presentation will show you that all is not lost. In fact, there are lots of practical things you can do to level up your strategy game.

Transcript

1. My Boss Doesn’t
   Think I’m Strategic
   Jonathan Moore
   speakerdeck.com/nathanless
   @NathanLess
   

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2. What I do
   I solve problems
   and build
   capabilities
   About me
   Technical SEO
   Consultant
   

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3. #BrightonSEO
   @nathanless
   Why are we here?
   

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4. Strategy is a minefield
   

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5. It’s ambiguous
   

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6. There’s a LOT
   of jargon
   

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7. You’ve got a big list of tasks
   

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8. There are only
   35hrs a week
   

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9. #BrightonSEO
   @nathanless
   And your boss doesn’t think
   you’re “strategic”
   

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10. Today is about
    how to stand out
    

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11. #BrightonSEO
    @nathanless
    What is “strategic”?
    

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12. #BrightonSEO
    @nathanless
    Strategic is an adjective
    

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13. #BrightonSEO
    @nathanless
    Strategic is an adjective
    Strategy is a noun
    

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14. #BrightonSEO
    @nathanless
    My definition of strategic
    

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15. #BrightonSEO
    @nathanless
    Imagine you’re designing a
    house
    

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16. #BrightonSEO
    @nathanless
    You start with the big picture
    

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17. #BrightonSEO
    @nathanless
    And decide what’s possible
    

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18. #BrightonSEO
    @nathanless
    You prioritise what is important
    

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19. #BrightonSEO
    @nathanless
    And you work out the details
    

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20. #BrightonSEO
    @nathanless
    Whilst thinking about the future
    

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21. #BrightonSEO
    @nathanless
    1. Thoughtful consideration of options
    2. Forward-looking perspective
    3. Alignment with a bigger plan
    

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22. #BrightonSEO
    @nathanless
    What can you do?
    

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23. Three skill areas
    

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24. Four behaviours for each area
    

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25. #BrightonSEO
    @nathanless
    Twelve skills to develop
    3 x 4 = 12
    

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26. To move you in the right
    direction
    

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27. #BrightonSEO
    @nathanless
    1) Situational awareness
    

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28. #BrightonSEO
    @nathanless
    

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29. #BrightonSEO
    @nathanless
    Business acumen
    

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30. #BrightonSEO
    @nathanless
    Knowing the business and the
    competition.
    

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31. #BrightonSEO
    @nathanless
    Goals. What we are trying to
    achieve and why.
    

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32. #BrightonSEO
    @nathanless
    Internal. Things we control.
    

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33. #BrightonSEO
    @nathanless
    External. Things we don’t
    control.
    

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34. #BrightonSEO
    @nathanless
    Constraints. What can’t we do.
    

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35. #BrightonSEO
    @nathanless
    Technical learning
    

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36. #BrightonSEO
    @nathanless
    Acquiring new skills and
    knowledge.
    

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37. #BrightonSEO
    @nathanless
    Curiosity
    

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38. #BrightonSEO
    @nathanless
    What will happen if X changes?
    

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39. #BrightonSEO
    @nathanless
    Learning on the fly
    

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40. #BrightonSEO
    @nathanless
    Learning quickly when facing new
    problems.
    

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41. #BrightonSEO
    @nathanless
    Unknown. Unknowns.
    

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42. #BrightonSEO
    @nathanless
    

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43. #BrightonSEO
    @nathanless
    

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44. #BrightonSEO
    @nathanless
    2) Creating solutions
    

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45. #BrightonSEO
    @nathanless
    Dealing with ambiguity
    

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46. #BrightonSEO
    @nathanless
    Make decisions without knowing
    the full picture.
    

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47. #BrightonSEO
    @nathanless
    

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48. #BrightonSEO
    @nathanless
    Innovation
    

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49. #BrightonSEO
    @nathanless
    Having good judgement about what
    opportunities will work.
    

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50. #BrightonSEO
    @nathanless
    

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51. #BrightonSEO
    @nathanless
    Perspective
    

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52. #BrightonSEO
    @nathanless
    Recognising the relationships
    between channels and business
    areas.
    

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53. #BrightonSEO
    @nathanless
    Creativity
    

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54. #BrightonSEO
    @nathanless
    Joining the dots to create a
    harmonious solution.
    

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55. #BrightonSEO
    @nathanless
    Alignment.
    

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56. #BrightonSEO
    @nathanless
    3) Making decisions
    

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57. #BrightonSEO
    @nathanless
    Dealing with paradox
    

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58. #BrightonSEO
    @nathanless
    What works for client X may not
    work with client Y.
    

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59. #BrightonSEO
    @nathanless
    What works for sector X may
    not work with sector Y.
    

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60. #BrightonSEO
    @nathanless
    What worked six months ago X
    may not work today.
    

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61. #BrightonSEO
    @nathanless
    Say “Yes if…”
    Instead of “It depends”
    

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62. #BrightonSEO
    @nathanless
    Problem solving
    

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63. #BrightonSEO
    @nathanless
    Finding effective solutions.
    

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64. #BrightonSEO
    @nathanless
    Be known for recommending
    things that we can implement.
    

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65. #BrightonSEO
    @nathanless
    

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66. #BrightonSEO
    @nathanless
    Prioritisation
    

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67. #BrightonSEO
    @nathanless
    What initiatives are going to
    make the most impact.
    

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68. #BrightonSEO
    @nathanless
    Agility
    

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69. #BrightonSEO
    @nathanless
    Anticipating future trends and
    their impact.
    

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70. #BrightonSEO
    @nathanless
    Known. Unknowns.
    

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71. #BrightonSEO
    @nathanless
    Situational Awareness Creating Solutions Making Decisions
    Business acumen Dealing with ambiguity Dealing with paradox
    Technical learning Innovation Problem solving
    Curiosity Perspective Prioritisation
    Learning on the fly Creativity Agility
    

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72. #BrightonSEO
    @nathanless
    How to develop an
    action plan
    

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73. #BrightonSEO
    @nathanless
    Where do I start?
    

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74. #BrightonSEO
    @nathanless
    1. A behaviour you are untested on
    2. A behaviour you want to strengthen
    

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75. #BrightonSEO
    @nathanless
    Create a matrix
    

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76. #BrightonSEO
    @nathanless
    Business
    acumen
    Technical
    learning
    Curiosity
    Learning
    on the fly
    Unskilled
    Skilled
    

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77. #BrightonSEO
    @nathanless
    Seek feedback
    

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78. #BrightonSEO
    @nathanless
    1. Where you stand
    2. Appreciation
    3. Coaching
    Types of
    feedback
    

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79. #BrightonSEO
    @nathanless
    Situation-Behaviour-Impact™.
    

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80. #BrightonSEO
    @nathanless
    Describe the specific situation in
    which the behaviour occurred.
    S
    Describe the actual,
    observable behaviour.
    B
    Describe the impact of
    the behaviour.
    I
    

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81. #BrightonSEO
    @nathanless
    I think I am doing X. Do you agree?
    

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82. #BrightonSEO
    @nathanless
    Business
    acumen
    Technical
    learning
    Curiosity
    Learning
    on the fly
    Unskilled
    Skilled
    Overused
    skill
    

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83. #BrightonSEO
    @nathanless
    Pick a behaviour
    

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84. #BrightonSEO
    @nathanless
    1. A behaviour you are untested on
    2. A behaviour you want to strengthen
    3. A behaviour you are overusing
    

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85. #BrightonSEO
    @nathanless
    Create a development
    assignment
    

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86. #BrightonSEO
    @nathanless
    Use behavioural hooks.
    

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87. #BrightonSEO
    @nathanless
    Create an action plan.
    

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88. #BrightonSEO
    @nathanless
    When X happens,
    I’m going to demonstrate Y
    by doing Z.
    

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89. #BrightonSEO
    @nathanless
    Be realistic
    

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90. #BrightonSEO
    @nathanless
    Reflect
    

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91. #BrightonSEO
    @nathanless
    Repeat
    

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92. #BrightonSEO
    @nathanless
    GO FOR IT!
    

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93. Thank
    You
    #BrightonSEO
    @nathanless
    

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