When the Unknown Becomes Your Reality
QUESTION: During the crisis, confusion and disruption of the early COVID pandemic and the subsequent “Great Resignation” and “Great Reset” eras and now, the economic downturn, how many Leaders and their Boards had a first reaction of: “…Wow, we better pull out our Strategic Plan and those Mission, Vision and Value Statements so we that can see how they will help and guide us through all of this mess right now…”
ANSWER: We know the answer, don’t we? No one did that! In times of “unprecedented everything's,” the struggle to find our footing became steps that either felt like quicksand or a series of seemingly out-of-control reactions to new forces that were themselves suddenly powerful and uncharted. For many Leaders, it has become simply “…survive and live to fight another day…”
Why Strategic Planning Documents Failed : Mission, Vision and Values statements were originally created to frame an Organizations clarity and purpose. They were supposed to be statements of ACTION and INTENT that described your CULTURE and DNA.
Over time, Leadership Teams added broadly worded statements designed more to please readers and listeners (like Boards and Stakeholders) than to be operationally useful. The more that Management tried to say, the more they started running out of things to say.
Without any real original thinking, crisp enunciation or even a simple "uniqueness" of design , the language used to describe what was so important became co-opted by almost everyone.
Take this Test: How long do you think it would take me to find and count the number of [different] Mission, Vision and Value declarations and Strategic Plans from [different] companies in [different] industry verticals with exactly the same words used in them like "enabling", "engaging", "excellent", (customer) "experience", "expertise". "empowering", "exceptional" and "ethical"? (And that's just because we happen to have started with the "E’s”!).
Really? Is that the best we can do [or] is ‘Planning’ just dead?
How can we create a new path to the critical definitions of our culture, our goals and our unique performance requirements for the Customers and Stakeholders we serve? and,
How can we understand: (1) WHAT can we count on? (2) WHAT can we sustain and, (3) WHAT is the true source of our strength?
How can we understand: (1) WHAT can we count on? (2) WHAT can we sustain and, (3) WHAT is the true source of our strength?
Your ABILITIES…
What are the specific skill sets and competitive advantages that your workforce possesses?
Are these skills job-related, technical and/or just experience-based?
Can we name them in our organizations by Function, by Department or by Location?
Do we continuously train for them?
What about the Team’s behavioral and interpersonal traits and characteristics; are they : (a) results oriented, (b) assertive, (c) tough minded, (d) high communication skills, (e) goal oriented and, (f) (add yours here)?
6. What about the Team’s behavioral and interpersonal traits and characteristics; are they : (a) results oriented, (b) assertive, (c) tough minded, (d) high communication skills, (e) goal oriented and, (f) (add yours here)?
Your RESILIENCE…
1. What are your “always can count on” attributes of execution?
2. How do we know that these will stand up against good times and the forces of bad times (how tough are we, really)?
3. Can we identify our Organization’s stamina by Function, by Department or by Location?
4. Do we (can we) continuously train for strength and stamina ?
5. What specific situations have we assessed? : (a) loss of key Customers, (b) a technology crash, (c) 20% downturn in revenue, (d) appearance of new competition, (e) failure in a key strategy or execution and, (f) (add yours here)?
6. Do we know how to constantly measure our ‘sentries’ and ‘guards’ against these ‘events’ while still running our business every day?
Your ENERGY…
1. What makes you run in the very best of times? In the worst of times?
2. Who are your ‘always go to’ people (regardless of their titles or places on the org chart)?
3. Can we name them by Function, Department or Location?
4. How do we regularly and purposefully ‘move’ those people around into different parts of our organization to ‘spread’ their good energies?
5. Have we created a specific setting to grow new: (a) Mentors, (b) Coaches, (c) ‘Spirit Guides,’ (d) ‘Field Generals,’ (e) Outside resources to provide us with ‘fuel’ for our Team and, (f) (add yours)?
6. How do we reward, reinforce, recognize, re-fuel and reconfigure our sources of ENERGY?
ONE FINAL NOTE: When the 'new normal' becomes 'normal' what happens to the 'old normal’? How about this: Stop looking for the 'old normal' or the 'new normal' and start focusing on being strong, assertive and resource-rich both in the here and now and in the future!
TAKE ACTION: Connect with and have a conversation with a professional who’s role and energy is in the very important ‘space’ of helping Organizations know who they A.R.E. We would welcome that opportunity!
We welcome your feedback and your questions on any topic that is important to you.
If you would like your Team to learn more about the Principles and the Practices of A.R.E. please reach out to Allan directly at ad@newcenturypartners.com or to 678.595.2587. Information is always free and confidential.
And as always, we wish you continued success!
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