Leadership, Strategy, and Business Insights for Petfood Scientists
When Everything Is a Priority, Nothing Is a Priority
Last month, I shared the first of the four business capabilities that have shaped my career: Business Acumen.
This month, I want to focus on Strategic Thinking.
For scientists, there is rarely a shortage of things to do. There are projects to deliver, technical problems to solve, customer requests to address, manufacturing issues to troubleshoot, and new opportunities to explore.
And because we are problem solvers, it's easy to get caught up responding to whatever is in front of us.
The challenge isn't finding important work. It's stepping back long enough to decide what matters most.
Lauraā€™s Lesson
I experienced this firsthand when I joined BARK.
It was a fast-growing company, and there was no shortage of things that needed attention. Because I came in with decades of pet food experience, people naturally came to me with questions and wanted my opinion.
And I wanted to help.
But I quickly realized that if I spent my time responding to every question and getting involved in every detail, I wouldn't accomplish what the business really needed from me.
My job wasn't just to solve today's problems. I needed to build the R&D, Quality and Food Safety, and Sourcing capabilities that would help the business grow. That meant creating the team, processes, and ways of working that didn't yet exist.
I had to step back from What needs my attention today? and ask What does this business need us to build?
That required making choices about where I spent my time and what I let others own.
It changed how I thought about being a leader.
Strategic thinking isn't about having an answer for everything. It's about creating clarity around what matters most.
Why It Matters
Scientists are often very good at responding.
We solve technical problems, answer questions, support customers, troubleshoot manufacturing, and improve products. When someone brings us another problem, our instinct is often to help solve that one too.
But as your career grows, your value isn't only in your ability to solve problems. It is also in recognizing which problems are most important to solve.
Every project can't be the highest priority. Every request can't require the same level of attention. Every technical opportunity doesn't need to be pursued.
Strategic thinking means stepping back from the work immediately in front of you and seeing the bigger picture.
The shift is from asking only:
What needs to get done?
to also asking:
What matters most, and why?
That's when scientists begin moving from responding to the business to helping shape its direction.
The PetSpark Framework
I define Strategic Thinking simply:
Understand where you're going, why it matters, and what should happen next.
One idea I've used with teams comes from Patrick Lencioni's work on organizational clarity. I've simplified it into three questions I think any scientist can use:
Where are we going?
Why does it matter?
What should we do next?
The first creates direction. The second connects the work to purpose and business impact. The third forces us to make choices about priorities.
They sound simple. But when you ask a team these questions, the answers aren't always as aligned as you might expect.
And that's exactly why the conversation matters.
One Tool
The Three Questions
Think about a project you're working on right now.
If I asked everyone on the project, Where are we going?, would they give me roughly the same answer?
What about Why does it matter?
And perhaps the hardest question: What should we do next?
One person may think the priority is speed. Another may be focused on technical performance. Someone else may be focused on cost or the latest customer request.
None of those is necessarily wrong. The problem is when the team doesn't have clarity about which matters most.
That's why I like these three questions.
Clarity creates alignment. Alignment creates momentum.
One Action
Choose one project or initiative you're working on right now and answer three questions:
Where are we going? What are we actually trying to accomplish?
Why does it matter? How does this connect to a consumer, customer, or business need?
What should we do next? What are the two or three things that matter most right now?
Then ask someone else on the project the same questions.
Where are your answers aligned? Where are they different?
You may find that the biggest opportunity isn't another technical solution or another meeting.
It may simply be creating more clarity.
That's one small way to start strengthening your strategic thinking.
PetSpark Update
Science belongs at the strategy table.
PetSpark helps pet food scientists turn technical expertise into business impact through practical tools, business capabilities, and leadership development.
Strategic thinking is an important part of making that shift. It isn't about having all the answers or creating a five-year strategy. It's about stepping back, seeing the bigger picture, and creating clarity about what matters most.
Next month: Cross-Functional Leadership.
We'll explore why creating impact increasingly depends on your ability to work with and influence people you don't manage.
Continue Your Journey
If this newsletter resonated with you, here are a few ways to continue your journey.
Explore PetSpark
Learn more about PetSpark, our business capabilities, signature tools, courses, consulting services, and programs designed specifically for pet food scientists.
Take the Business Impact Scorecard
Curious where you are on your journey?
The Business Impact Scorecard helps you assess your current business capabilities and identify the areas that will have the greatest impact on your professional growth.
Take the Free Business Impact Scorecard
Start Learning Today
Ready to take the next step?
Explore PetSpark's self-paced courses, designed specifically for pet food scientists who want to strengthen their business skills and increase their influence.
Check out Full Suite of Courses
Join the PetSpark Community
Coming soon.
Connect with fellow pet food scientists, participate in monthly learning sessions, gain access to practical resources, and continue growing alongside a community of peers.
To help launch the community, Iā€™m offering 3 months free to our early members.
Our first meeting is Tuesday, October 6 at 2 PM MT / 3 PM CT / 4 PM ET.
Weā€™ll start with a topic I believe is foundational: understanding the value you bring as a scientist and connecting your strengths to business impact.
Thank you for joining me for The Petfood Scientist.
Whether you're just beginning your career or leading teams across the industry, I hope you'll find practical ideas, useful tools, and new perspectives that help you grow your influence and create greater impact.
I'm excited to share this journey with you.
Until next month,
Laura Moran
Founder, PetSpark
Creator of The Petfood Scientist
Turning science into strategy.
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