When it comes to transformation, organisations often ponder the need to be able to pivot and change.
Words like ‘agile’ get thrown around to describe a workforce – as though this structure provides the mechanisms to allow shifts…
Company-wide strategies are ‘cascaded’ in the hopes that natural osmosis will see it taken up – but these are then managed and enforced by a rigid KPI cadence.
When it comes to transformation, a critical element is the ability to continually flex and adapt while maintaining a clear business focus.
The key to this flexibility is to be guided by lenses versus concrete milestones
Leaders must always be asking themselves:
- Why does this organisation exist today and into the future?
- What are our longer-term aspirations? (ambitions, visions, missions, goals etc)
- What areas must we strategically focus on over the next 12-24 months?
- How must we lead to achieve our aspirations and be true to our purpose?
These are lenses which must be constantly adjusted depending on what emerges.
Leaders can then collaborate with those tasked to make it all happen and properly engage people around ‘the how’.
The Bottom Line –
Our big message for leaders is to avoid remaining in crisis mode. Be aware of the right time to look toward the horizon … while continuing to operate in the day-to-day.
Time will pass, some things will normalise, some things will continue to change, some things will never be the same … and unexpected events will continue to occur. Rapidly adapting to this reality is proving to be increasingly vital for both business results and morale.
