You cannot afford to stand still in business. Companies must be on the lookout for business dynamics shifting, as well as their customer base. In a time like this, change is inevitable, and even expected. That being said: how can businesses make sure they are ready and equipped for it?
In order to successfully recover from the drawbacks of change, you need to have a clear vision of where, how and when you – as a business – want to come out of the situation. To aim beyond getting back to where you were before, and landing in a better place, you need to envision your success and define a path to get there.
Along with defining your desired outcome, businesses need to put steps in place that build an agile workforce that have the skills to quickly solve unpredictable challenges along the way.
The benefit of defining your destination
Clarifying your ideal outcome opens the door to making assertive, creative and intentional plans to get to your desired destination. Without this, your plans will end up floating in the air without a purpose, and likely landing nowhere.
Having a clear vision also allows your team to step out of the constraints of their current work situation, to imagine the tangible potential for success and enable a sense of purpose to motivate hard work.
How to define your destination
Start by answering strategic questions that will lead to an in-depth and specific vision for your company, such as:
- Which changes in customer behaviours and expectations are lasting?
- Should you strategise according to profit or adaptability and agility?
- At what speed and to what level should you take on a digital-approach?
- Are your operating structures sufficient enough to deliver your strategy?
The answers to these questions will enable you to create a distinct path to success, and pin-point the exact areas of your business that need attention in order to execute your plan. This is how you form a common goal and target an outcome.
How to build a team that can execute your envisioned destination
On top of having a team that has the capacity for creative thinking and problem solving skills, you need employees that are capable of executing your plans. Train a team to have the expertise to help your business recover and thrive in its new space.
Along with constant skills development training, your organisation will need insights and metrics of your internal operations, as well as of external indicators. It’s important to track your pace of recovery – this will keep your process in-check, and ensure you are aware of any necessary changes to implement to your strategy.
Proactive is better than reactive. Get ahead of the game and define your destination now so you don’t have to play catch-up later. Put strategies in place that will shift your team’s mindset from ‘today focused’ to ‘tomorrow focused’, and then equip them to develop a set of outcome-based skills that will help your business thrive in the long-run.
Summit’s approach to improving performance starts with helping you define your end-goal, so we can share comprehensive, but unique solutions to get you there.
Learn more about how Summit can identify the bigger picture and assist you to reach your envisioned destination: https://www.reachsummitglobal.com/resources/case-studies/proactive-always-feels-better-than-playing-catch-up/!