As we enter the second year of this global pandemic, we have all learned an important lesson, namely that thinking strategically is still important. Our first and correct response to the arrival of COVID-19 was to make sure our day to day operations could continue being operational. We did a lot of work around this and had to modify many systems to adapt to the new ways of doing things.
Yet, by the middle of April, some of the best leaders I worked with realized that their organizations were drifting strategically. In their rush to solve operational problems, they had stopped trying to understand the long term implications of the global pandemic and how to create an effective and adjustable business model. In simple terms, they got the trains to run on-time during the pandemic, but had stoped asking the important questions related to whether or not anyone was waiting at the station or actually riding the trains.
As this depth of clarity surfaced, the best leaders I know paused and created time for some important work. They realized that they needed to slow down and think deeply. By creating adequate space for mental stillness, they were better able to see what was happening now and understand the impact of it all during the next 12 - 18 months. Once they had achieved perspective within the midst of their busy days, they choose new and better pathways to move forward individually and collectively. At the same time, they avoided what was very common last spring and during parts of last summer, namely analysis paralysis.
This spring, we need to again create time for slowing down and thinking deeply. We now have a sense of what could happen during the next 6 - 9 months. Our goal is to be well prepared and well positioned for the future. Therefore, we should not rush to action given we are in the beginning of the end of a global pandemic. Instead, we should continue on a thoughtful and disciplined step by step process of delivering operational excellence in combination with strategic clarity and commitment.
This week, schedule some uninterrupted time for big picture reflection and thinking. It will make a world of difference during the busy days and months ahead.
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