Many companies are trying to figure out how to sail into a brighter future as 2021 begins.
Unfortunately, most businesses simply ride the tide of the prevailing economy, rising or dropping depending on that wave. They float with the current and put little effort into changing their direction when they’re off course.
And many leaders who recognize they need to change fail to understand how to make those changes in turbulent times.
Here are three ways you can change the course of your business:
Play to win
Often as leaders we feel too tired to do anything other than be in the game. However, if we want to succeed we need change our mindset.
Playing to win is a mental concept then enables us to survive tough times. Sometimes we need something to fight for, to strive for, to achieve. Setting goals that we’re going to accomplish with our team gives us something to motivate and rally our team around.
If we have nothing to strive for as people, we become bored.
If you want to improve your business, pick some targets and get your people visualizing what it will be like when that happens. A team that has something to play for usually works harder than a team that’s just coming out to play.
Ninety-day planning
It’s said that as much can happen in 12 weeks as can happen in 12 months if you have a group of motivated people. I’ve observed this in my businesses and with many of my clients.
Having two or three goals to accomplish in 12 weeks and working on a plan to accomplish those goals can be significant. When your team is engaged and working together, there’s less pressure on leadership to get the desired results.
Twelve-week planning can be the ticket that gives spark and direction to organizations when properly managed. This type of planning is often much better than long-range strategic planning for employees because they can see results in a short period.
Change it up
Face it, what worked for us in the past usually doesn’t give the same results in today’s ever-changing economic and technological landscape.
While we need to be cognizant of the reasons for our past successes, we must adapt to enable our organizations to achieve bright futures. Loggers transitioned from axes to chainsaws to feller bunchers, and farmers from horses and plows to tractors.
We too must recognize that there are places and times for the basic tools of our trade.
However, in order to keep up with the times, our technology must advance or we will be left behind.
You will find that there are people in your organization who will resist change. As a leader it’s your job, when necessary, to convince them that change will be good for their future.
There’s no better time than now to figure out how we can take our organizations to the next level.
The times are changing. Are you ready?
Dave Fuller, MBA, is an award winning business coach and a partner in the firm Pivotleader Inc. Need less stress and better outcomes? Email [email protected]
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