Focus On Operational Excellence
Next, we need to focus on operational excellence. Now, most people focus on the word operational when those two words are put together. They really want to get things done fast and efficiently. Others will focus on the word excellence. For these individuals, this translates into things being done perfectly, all day and every day. But very few people actually understand what operational excellence means.
For the answer, I always turn to the work of Tom Peters and his 1982 book called In Search of Excellence. In this seminal work, Peters defines excellence as “a workplace philosophy where problem solving, teamwork and leadership result in on-going improvements or continuous improvements in the organization.” And all of these improvements focus on meeting the ever-evolving needs of the customer. So, when the two words, operational excellence, are put together, the goal is to create a work environment that is continually improving how it mets the changing needs of its’ customers.
With this in mind, recognizing that we are operating during a time period of prolonged uncertainty, we need to have the capacity to plan and the capacity to execute. The late Stephen Covey said we needed to “begin with the end in mind.” However, this end point was not a fixed location as much as an on-going movement in a specific direction, i.e. the union of vision and strategic intent.
As we strive to make operational excellence an integral part of the daily systems, culture, and mindset of those with whom we work with on a daily basis, we need to understand the difference between two key concepts. First, we may need to work on individual competencies of all involved, i.e. a specific person’s knowledge and skills required to fulfill specific role requirements. Second, we may need to work on organizational capabilities, i.e. the collective abilities of the company required to execute a business strategy. While some days, we may work at the competency level and other days at the capabilities level, the key is to do both in a consistent and disciplined manner.
Next, we need to utilize or create two systems to support operational excellence, namely an intelligence collection system and an innovation support system. As Marcus Buckingham and Ashley Goodall in their aforementioned book write, “The defining characteristic of our reality today … the speed of change.” Given this factor, we need to differentiate between a planning system and an intelligence system. As they explain, “The thing we call planning doesn’t tell you where to go; it just helps you understand where you are. Or rather, were recently. We aren’t planning for the future, we planning for the near-term past…. Plans scope the problem, not the solution.” Then, they note, “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.”
I think the thing that most leaders miss about the difference between a planning system and an intelligence collection system is that the latter one helps the former one work better. As a leader and their team utilize the information from the intelligence collection system on a regular basis, they then leverage the information to be better prepared within a VUCA environment. They also create the capacity within the planning system to consider various possible scenarios, ensuring that the company is better prepared for unforeseen variables which could jeopardize the current strategy. In short, the intelligence collection systems access the power of constantly being prepared, no matter what happens.
In order to achieve this level of preparation, Buckingham and Goodall propose a three step process to make this a reality. “First, liberate as much information as you possibly can…. Second, watch carefully to see which data your people find useful… [i.e. they are] sorting the signal from the noise…. Third, trust your people to make sense of the data.” This combination of steps then becomes a force multiplier in the midst of uncertainty, namely it dramatically increases effectiveness, influence, and results over time. From my perspective and observations, a widely utilized, intelligence collection system results in constant tinkering and experimentation rather than singular legendary acts. During prolonged uncertainty, this again is a force multiplier.
We also need to be able to think fast and slow, referencing the work of psychologist and economist, Daniel Kahneman. During uncertainty, many leaders are choosing to just go fast and faster, thinking this will solve all of their problems, technical or adaptive. However, in the world of counseling, there is a phrase that offers a unique insight: Addiction makes you need more and more of what is not working. And right now, we are witnessing an addiction to speed.
Still, we can choose something different than speed as the solution to everything. Instead, we can create time and space to think slowly in order to think through the second and third order implications of our decisions. Once we begin to slow down our thinking, we will realize something very interesting. As Robert E. Quinn explained, “Excellence is a form of deviance. If you perform beyond the norms, you disrupt all the existing control systems. Those systems will then alter and begin to work to routinize your efforts. That is, the systems will adjust to try to make you normal.” But this will never be understood if we are moving at light speed, hoping to catch up and adapt.
Instead, we need to recognize that “existing control systems” can limit excellence. Therefore, we need create people who have the competence and the capacity to catch this when it is happening, and not let excellence be drowned by normalcy. I like how Brene’ Brown understood this when she wrote,“They worked from commitment, not to compliance.” Leaders, who realize that commitment, not authority or compliance, is the key to working through prolonged uncertainty, also understand that it is the foundation for operational excellence in the short and long haul.
Respect Transition Management
When working and leading during a period of prolonged uncertainty, we can often feel caught between what was and what will be, unsure of how to proceed. When I have coached people during this unique situation, I often remind those involved of two key points that Margaret Wheatley noted in her book, Finding Our Way: Leadership for an Uncertain Time. (Berrett-Koehler, 2005). As she pointed out, “... humans usually default to the known when confronted with the unknown,” and “new leaders must invent the future while dealing with the past.” Within both of these insights is the recognition that we all have defaults, conscious and unconscious, and we are always dealing with the past when moving through uncertainty. As William Faulkner wrote, “The past is never dead. It’s not even past.” Therefore, we need to understand the differences between change management, and transition management.
The late William Bridges in his book, Managing Transitions: Making the Most of Change (Perseuss Books, 1991), writes that change management is outcome focused with the hopes of helping an individual, group, or company to achieve a particular goal and/or moving them to a particular destination, i.e. think closer to the vision. It also is very situationally influenced and deals with external issues and problems. Transition management, on the other hand, focuses on the psychological, internal, and emotional process of change. As he explains, “Transition is different. The starting point for transition is not the outcome but the ending that you will have to make to leave the old situation behind.... Transition starts with an ending..... finishes with a new beginning.”
During a period of prolonged uncertainty, a combination of change management and transition management is happening, all at the same time. The difficulty is that few leaders are aware of, or respect the importance of transition management. In particular, they do realize that the letting go of the old ways of working, and the subsequent loss of confidence and clarity that comes with this is very hard to do. Grief is real, and always present during uncertainty.
With the goal being a shared understanding and commitment by all to move forward through the current difficulties, a leader, who respect transition management, needs to do three things. First, they must understand that loss is a subjective, personal experience while leadership is objective and goal oriented. And when loss is subjective, it often surfaces as resistance to doing things differently. When this happens, leaders need to reframe resistance as a form of feedback, because what people are actually resisting is not change as much as the loss of clarity, connections, confidence, and control. We also will typically see grieving behaviors such as anger, bargaining, anxiety, sadness, disorientation, and depression during periods of prolonged uncertainty.
Second, once this surfaces, leaders need to define what is and what is not over during this period, recognizing that people will naturally default to the old ways of doing things rather than embrace new ways of doing things. We are just wired that way. Therefore, leaders need to treat the past with respect, i.e. the old ways of doing things, and, at the same time, communicate what is the line of continuity through the period of uncertainty. In essence, people need to understand and believe that what really matters the most is not being lost in the midst of their struggles and challenges.
Third, when caught between what was and what will be or might be, communication is critical to success. This starts with active listening. Leaders need to understand what people are experiencing rather than react or defend what is happening. In simple terms, they need to understand how others are seeing the process, not simply focus on what they are seeing and doing.
As part of this communication process, Bridges points out that during transitions people need the following four things. First, they need to have a sense of purpose, i.e. an understanding of why are we doing what we are doing right now. Second, they need to have a clear mental picture of what we are seeking to achieve as we move through the transition. From my perspective, if the picture can not be clearly painted, then leaders need to articulate the mindset we need to hold as we move through uncertainty. Third, we need to know the plan, which includes clarity about priorities and the goals. Fourth, we need to know our part, especially our role and responsibility in working the plan that has been proposed.
Respecting transitions during prolonged uncertainty is important and an on-going discipline. It takes time and energy. It also requires operational leaders to be competent in problem solving, communication, and delegation. And it requires strategic leaders to be competent in interpersonal skills, decision-making, and adaptability. But in the end, both kinds of leaders need to discern the difference between change management and transition management, recognizing that how we treat people today will significantly impact how they handle current events, and any future events moving forward.
© Geery Howe 2026
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