The challenge during difficult times is to define the problems before us, and then to work the problems rather than to react to them. The complexity happens when we realize that we may not be focused on the right problems or we may be experiencing a convergence of multiple problems, some of which are technical, and others are adaptive. And the result of this convergence is that everything can get confusing.
So what should we do when this happens?
First, we need to step back from action mode and engage in thoughtful reflection and contemplation. As Einstein shared, “It’s not that I am so smart. It’s that I stay with a problem longer.” Staying with the problem longer means taking the time to better define the problem or problems, and then to think about them from a place of clarity instead of a place of reactivity.
When I have worked with different leaders and teams in these kinds of situations, I always encouraged them to remember that no problem can be fixed or solved by the same consciousness that created it, a reference to Einstein’s work. Thus, in order to “stay with a problem longer”, we need to comprehend our current consciousness or mind set, and then to reflect on what kind of new consciousness or mind set needs to be in place. As part of this new line of thinking, I often talk with leaders about some thing called Shifting Baseline Syndrome.
First, discovered two decades ago in the fisheries industry, and then wonderfully explained in David Attenborough’s book, A Life on Our Planet: My Witness Statement and A Vision for the Future, Shifting Baseline Syndrome points out that over time, knowledge is lost about the state of the natural world, because people don’t perceive changes that are actually taking place within it. This loss of knowledge, or as I like to say perspective, is perpetuated when each new generation perceives the environmental conditions in which they grew up as normal. It also describes how people’s standards for acceptable environmental conditions are steadily declining.
Translating this into the world of leadership and business, Shifting Baseline Syndrome explains how each new generation defines normal by what it experiences while not knowing what normal once was. It is perpetuated when each new generation perceives the work environment in which they grew up in as normal. It also describes how people’s standards for acceptable work conditions are steadily declining or changing over time. Note: this is an incremental lowering of standards or incremental redefining of standards. For example, think about the change in expectations over time about working from home vs working within the office. The outcome of this shifting results in each new generation lacking the knowledge of previous conditions within which people worked.
Therefore, in the beginning of planning during difficult times, I have urged numerous leaders this past summer to explain the strategic history of the company. They need to help people at multiple levels of the company to understand that past historical contexts, markets and environments strongly influenced past strategic choices. Furthermore, these choices created current operational relationships and networks, plus and current problem solving choices and current operational systems. Once we have historical clarity, then all involved need to understand the current context and current strategy, which again is influencing current relationships, networks, and systems.
One way to create an effective planning environment is to engage in regular, intelligence gathering and analysis. The goal of this exercise is to create a shared mindset about planning and subsequent execution of the plan. Marcus Buckingham and Ashley Goodall in their book, Nine Lies About Work: A Freethinking Leader’s Guide to the Real World (Harvard Business Review Press, 2019) write, “When we understand the characteristics of an intelligence system, as distinct from a planning system - accurate, real-time data, distributed broadly and quickly, and presented in detail so that team members can see and react to patterns in deciding for themselves what to do - we begin to see them everywhere. … the best intelligence wins.”
Now, there are three major intelligence systems that leaders can activate during difficult times. The first is a Warning Intelligence System, which seeks to answer the questions: What is coming at us? What will attack us? This is to prevent another Pearl Harbor, 911, global pandemic, etc. The focus here is on close and present danger. The second is an Emerging Trends Intelligence System, which seeks to answer the question: What trends 5-10 years from now will impact our business? The focus here is to create foresight of what could happen. The third is a Strategic Intelligence System, which seeks to answer the question: What are the factors that will could come together and create a situation that will impact our future? The focus here is to look for an accelerated convergence of which you may or may not understand, or even be prepared for at this time period. The goal is to determine of these three intelligence systems is to determine if the current plan we have needs to be changed, abandoned, or be executed faster.
Buckingham and Goodall encourage us to “First, liberate as much information as you possibly can…. Second, watch carefully to see which data your people find useful…. Third, trust your people to make sense of the data.” I think these three points are useful as long as we have provided people with the tools and the knowledge to work with the information and the data. Otherwise, referencing a popular metaphor, we are giving bicycles to fish, and snorkels to squirrels. While these are great inventions, they are not compatible with each species’s capacity.
Therefore, we, as leaders, need to spend more time understanding the difference between discernment and judgement. A while ago, I visited with my Kitchen Table Cabinet, my circle of advisors and mentors, about this subject, and the conversations were deep, rich, and helpful. One of my mentors defined discernment as the ability to sort the wheat from the chafe and the goats from the sheep. I just smiled when he shared this definition. Later, he pointed out that discernment is the ability to organize your thoughts after participating in a series of listening post experiences.
Another advisor told me that judgement is your conclusion after the conversation, and that it is binary in nature, i.e. right or wrong, bad or good, up or down, etc. Discernment, on the other hand, is about exploring a range of questions and perspectives. It begins by asking the question, “What else could it be happening here?”. It also requires reflection. As he pointed out, the main problem is that they judge or decide something without having all of the facts. As a result, they rush to conclusions or reach unwarranted conclusions.
Now, the dictionary defines discernment as “the quality of being able to grasp and comprehend what is obscure” and “the ability to see and understand people, things, or situations clearly and intelligently.” The dictionary also defines judgement as “an opinion or decision that is based on careful thought,” and “the act or process of forming an opinion or making a decision after careful thought.”
I think the problem when planning during difficult times is that there is not enough discernment before decision making. In essence, there is not enough careful thought being put into place before we engage in planning. I believe this is happening because the world is addicted to going faster and faster, resulting in urgency without reflection. And as a result, we feel overwhelmed by everything.
So, if this is the case, how do we proceed?
First, we need to focus on objectivity, which is the outcome of discernment before decision-making. This will involve a great deal of introspection, contemplation, and dialogue. We need to find structured unstructured time in our life in order to think out loud with people who we can trust to be confidential and clear minded. These individuals are willing to think holistically with us rather than reactively. These people also can look at things from a strategic perspective and an operational perspective while not loosing sight of mission or vision.
Second, we need to focus on the building of trust. While the future may be unknowable, trust, at the personal and team levels, is critical to responding to multiple challenges. More likely the future will entail many adaptive problems. When there is a high level of trust amongst people and teams, there will be the capacity to ask difficult questions and create unique solutions. The key is to create trust before you need it in order to generate new and effective strategies.
Third, while some will choose to lead from above and others from below, I believe that during difficult times, we mostly need to lead from within by walking with others through the challenges before us. This will be difficult for many leaders because they will have to no longer control the situation or problems before the company in order that they can create alignment within the company.
Planning during difficult times is never going to be simple or easy. The complexity of our current environment is mind boggling on so many levels. There are endless scenarios and possibilities that could play out. Still, we can plan and we can prevail.
This fall, we can focus on what we can influence more than on what we can control. We can build strong healthy relationships based on trust, integrity, and respect. We also can build clarity about the company’s strategic intent. In particular, we can focus on recruitment and retention so we have the right people to handle what is happening and what could happen. Next, we can build the company’s infrastructure so we have greater capacity to adapt to quickly changing market conditions. Finally, we can focus on the customer service experience, making sure our current customers in our current markets are receiving an integrated and optimal experience. In short, we need to manage for the short term and for the long term. And then, when the difficult times have passed, the company will be well positioned to thrive in the aftermath.
© Geery Howe 2024
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