Observation
This only is certain, that there is nothing certain.
Pliny The Elder
This has been a funny old month.
Within a period of 72 hours I had two extreme client conversations. One resulted from the shareholder taking a decision that I hadn’t seen coming and which had a very dramatic impact upon my client. The other involved my client being exposed to a personal tragedy, that even as a fan of Scandi Noir, was beyond my belief and comprehension – and yet this was real life.
Thankfully my role was the easier one, it was to listen and help my clients gain some perspective, but I still struggled to get my mind around what had happened. On reflection it was probably not helpful to try and make sense of it. There are continual potholes along life’s highway, many of which we cannot anticipate or understand. How we respond and support those around us, is what matters.
However much we plan and anticipate, our businesses will be hit by uncertainties and I believe, like many, this will be an increasing phenomenon. Equipping ourselves and our colleagues to deal with the constant shocks will mean learning to accept uncertainty, finding ways to process our feeling and moving on to what we can influence and change. Denying the reality, shouting at other people, or casting blame about, do not seem productive ways to handle what is an inevitable part of the leadership role.
Walking to my local gym, I was reflecting on these thoughts. I looked up to cross the road and immediately in front of me was a prone cyclist who had obviously been hit by a car. Several people were already helping and so I continued to the gym. Sadly, when I left an hour or so later, the presence of four emergency vehicles suggested it was very serious. That cyclist and his family would not have been expecting such a day when he set off for a ride along the glorious Kent coast
As I said, it’s been a funny old month.
Challenge
Keeping it simple is not easy –but it does make a difference!
‘If I had more time, I would have written a shorter letter.’
Various
I have just run a great workshop with a long-standing client. They are in a good place as their market position has significantly improved, partly down to hard work and partly external factors (luck) ! In addition, they have recruited some great new people and as a result confidence was high and I think the quality of the conversation was the best we have had in five years.
When we did the feedback virtually everybody reinforced this view, however there was a big BUT! There was a real concern that while the outputs made sense in the context of the workshop, there was less confidence that in the pressure of day-to-day business the well-articulated but complex direction of travel would translate into real action.
I applaud their honesty and pragmatism.
For me this is not about the workshop, though I’m sure the process can always be improved, it is about the leadership challenge of producing a simple message and the counter intuitive reality, that a meaningful simple message is harder to create than a complex one. It is also much more powerful.
Why is a simple compelling message better than a complex one?
It is easier to understand and can be repeated consistently by many people in many ways.
It allows people the space to make sense of it in their own context and requires them to engage and therefore own it.
The message is much more durable.
It drives action by putting the onus on the individual to take responsibility rather than being spoon fed.
Why is it so difficult to do?
Everybody has a view; but few have the responsibility, capability and capacity to create a simple compelling message for the whole business.
It seems human nature is to rush at simplistic messages rather than invest the time to create simple messages that work.
In my experience, from many hundreds of workshops, divergent thinking and problem identification is easier than focussing and letting go of the non-essential.
It requires constant reinforcement, coaching and provocation to translate the message into action that makes a difference.
I still think we had a great workshop, the process is just not finished yet! The challenge for the CEO and team is to keep working on the outputs until they have translated them into a simple message which can be a clarion call for 2022 and enables them and their teams to knock the ball out of the park.
I’m quietly confident they will do just that and as a shareholder, that makes me happy!
Practical Action
In December you may be busy, but do not forget the 4th of January!
I have often seen redundancy programmes that make the mistake of focusing on the staff leaving and forget to think about the most important people, those that are staying!
I think it is similar in December.
In the last month of the year, diaries fill up, there is a push to finish projects, next year’s budgets must be sorted and generally there is a need for a break and the consequent lack of leadership energy.
I understand and sympathise with this, however come the 4th of January, when colleagues return refreshed from their break, there will be an expectation and receptivity to the 2022 narrative. For most leaders I believe this is a bigger responsibility and opportunity than tidying up the end of the year.
Before heading home for the break, here is what I would encourage you and your team to have teed up for 2022:
The Leadership Narrative – what is the story, direction of travel and expectations that you are setting for 2022?
Priorities – what does great look like in terms of deliverables and how will they be measured in 2022?
Leadership Effectiveness – how are you going to leverage your role and time in 2022? Does your diary reflect what is important and will create most value?
Role Modelling – do you know what you expect of yourself and your leadership team in terms of behaviours that you are going to particularly reinforce in the months ahead?
Engagement – how and with what rhythm are you going to get your people believing in the narrative, owning what they need to do and acting on the priorities?
If the diary really is too full of stuff that can’t be moved, I would encourage you to take a necessary break over the holidays and then aggressively carve out some space early in the New Year.
January always provides a great opportunity to set the year up for success.
Do make the most of it!
In the meantime, have a great holiday and best wishes for 2022. I’ll be back with the next blog towards the end of the first week of January.
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