Rosabeth Moss Kanter

Rosabeth Moss Kanter of Harvard Business School suggests the electronic metaphor of “zooming in” and “zooming out”, to characterize a critical practice of changing points of view in strategic thinking.

She says that “zooming” represents the flexible shift from detail to context to better consider other routes to the ultimate goals.

Kanter observed the traditional association of women with the “zoom in” perspective to focus on detail and transactions (such as CFO roles), whereas men are often found in “big-picture” roles that define vision and direction (such as CEOs).

She argues for systematically incorporating both “zooming in” and “zooming out” in strategic problem analysis, and for recognizing potential biases that may exclude men from roles that focus on “zooming in” and women from roles that emphasize “zooming out.”

-*What practices do you use to intentionally shift your perspective from “big picture” to implementation details?

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Blog: – Kathryn Welds | Curated Research and Commentary

©Kathryn Welds