Old Normal. New Normal. No Normal. Until 2020, the model for training, attracting and becoming a good leader was pretty obvious.
We worked on creating best practices for the training effective leaders; designed good leadership succession programs for the organization; develop a strong emphasis for leaders becoming expert on planning/strategy and onboard people in all areas of the organization to guarantee a successful culture and high value brand. Sales needed to be good. The brand needed to be immediately recognizable and leaders needed to find the best people to do all of this.
Coaching leadership development now and for the foreseeable future will first and foremost be about developing relationships with “the people” who we want to do all of this. Relationships will include trust, respect and excellence in communication.
The questions being asked now about next steps are mostly being answered with “I don’t know”.
How does even the best leader comb through these issues now:
- Mask, no mask
- Come back to the office, work remotely
- Get the jab, get the test
- Communicate remotely without in-person contact
You use to be able walk down the hall to Joe’s office and find out what he was working on and share the printed reports with a cup of coffee and wandering the office while gesturing at nothing. Every day the commute, find a spot, not be late, curse the other drivers, and plan lunch at the fav pizza place. Maybe you do not miss the commute, but being with other people who you work with created relationships that were at least known.
As the internet has grown over the years, one of my coaching specialties was getting very different people to work together that had/have different time zones, different languages, different cultures and HUGE differences in how they were trained. The opportunities and the struggles continue.
What leadership conversations are you having now about strategy and planning?
They are different because the workplace changes every week. China has shut down it’s two main shipping ports. It is difficult to find people to do the work you need done. Supply chain is becoming a joke. Think truckers strike and railroad strike coming.
How does leadership plan if there is no plan to implement? No strategy you can count on? Little or no guarantee of next steps?
How? You build relationships now with all levels of your organization and communicate what is working and what is not working. DO NOT leave people in the dark about not knowing the next bests steps.
Even if the news feels bad, share it.
I’ve not met anyone in last two years that does not need some reassurance. Building relationships and really communicating gets the best minds together. Some of the best suggestions I have received for strategy work have been from the people I work with…”lets try this – what to you think of this – what if this work” – creating curiosity because we don’t know.
My many years of coaching experience with leaders and leadership is that they hate not knowing or being able to nail a tight strategy with deadlines and outcomes. Today, that is harder than ever to achieve.
Having relationships where you can share your concerns about real achievable next steps is critical now, but will prove to be even more critical as we try to figure out this new world we are living in…and running.
To our success,
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| P.S Let me introduce to you a powerful voice for 2022 and in my career, Vickie Griffith. A voice that will encourage, calm, poke and help create success for you during our chaotic times. Her book is terrific. An easy read. You might want to consider getting the book for you and your staff; colleagues and friends. It is called: “You Can Be Right About Everything And Still Have Nothing” |