You’re not quite there, are you? And it isn’t your fault.
At a time when disruption waits eagerly around every corner, we often don’t know whether we are coming or going.
The good news is that disruption is a prompt for change, and the nudging to organisations large and small, as well as individuals across the board, to envisage, strategise and then claim what lies on the other side for them. This is similar to what Canadian ice hockey legend, Wayne Gretzky was referring to when he revealed his secret to unprecedented success – skating to where the puck is going, and not to where it currently is.
Going to where the puck is going implies ‘levelling up’ as an organisation. It’s upgrading your business models, the team’s dwindling drive and systems, our productivity levels and innovation output to levels that set us up for a future of consistent disruption.
Note that I said ‘your business’, because what’s vital to note is that your team’s next level is heavily reliant on where you currently are, your industry and its influences, as well as your team ethos and other systems and principles you wish to uphold. Your team – in all of its uniqueness.
Here’s the unfortunate part: when your team is either not sure of what this ‘next’ is or even how to get there, when and how you get there is severely compromised.
Here are 3 ways to help your team Claim their Next Level this year and every other time they need to skate to where the puck is going:
1. Take A Good Look ‘Round – “A desk is a dangerous place from which to view the world” – John Le Carre. It has never been more important for teams to not only track trends, but understand first hand, the implications those trends may have on their operations and business relevance. It’s what one brand is calling ‘being on the frontline’.
Setting up what is next for the team involves a clear picture of your horizon which could include (our team has a framework for this called TIDES):
Environmental (climate change, renewable & clean energy, health & wellness etc.)
Social & Political (diversity & inclusion, cybersecurity & surveillance, big and thick data stewardship, nationalism & globalisation etc.),
Institutional (e-commerce & e-commerce, mergers & acquisitions, fiscal policy changes, alternate currencies etc.)
Your next level is highly dependant on and influenced by your global and industry surroundings, so grab your binoculars and take a good look around.
2. Stay Strategy Flexible – Think about a time you had to travel to meet with a colleague or client you were eager to make an impression on? Did you choose your route?
Adaptability is one of the key skills that will set organisations and teams apart as the 2020s progress. Using the travel analogy, an example of adaptability would be using your surrounding context and influences to decide which route or mode of transport to use in getting to the meeting.
A principle that you may consider applying is ‘being strict about your destination, but flexible about your route and mode’. Translated, your mode and route would be your tools and strategies.
3. Support The Transition – Knowing what to do and how to do it is not enough for us to transition to our ‘next’. Very few can say they don’t know that texting while driving is ill-advised, and many know the solution to be – stay away from your phone when behind the wheel, but how many of us still take the risk and send a quick text or check WhatsApp when driving?
When we expect well-informed individuals to transition into the organisation’s next, we must ensure that the team is well supported to make true behavioural changes. This includes an environment with as little friction as impossible, making the change as easy to execute as is possible.
It also includes supporting teams in and outside of the workplace, to see the urgency of the ‘next’ as well as their role in the exciting change and giving them the assurance that they will have the business scaffolding needed to clearly envisage and explore new strategies to move the organisation forward.
Wish to help your team either rally their powerful ‘next level’ vision, influence lasting behaviour change, understand the value of transition support given or just looking to get your team in the ‘next level’ state of mind? We’d love to chat.