Beyond Strategy: Leading Your Organization To Remarkable Growth by Michael Kouly

Author:Michael Kouly [Kouly, Michael]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2019-05-16T20:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER FIVE

FIX AND

PREPARE

The relevant question is not simply what shall we do tomorrow, but rather what shall we do today in order to get ready for tomorrow.

– Peter Drucker

Are you ready to execute your strategy? Have you removed the obstacles or barriers standing in the way of your strategy?

Although it is a critical first step, acknowledging that problems exist falls short of giving you solutions to fixing them. The “fix and prepare” step takes the information about barriers which you learned from the “look inward step”, and actually addresses those barriers.

Over the years, I have sat on the boards of several organizations, and I have also advised many others. A classical scenario that I often witness is organizations contracting large consulting firms to help them define their uniqueness, articulate their purpose, and design the right strategies, at exorbitant costs. However, the organization then remains stuck in mediocrity, or fails to successfully apply the strategy. Unfortunately, it is not unusual for the offices of CEOs to contain thick binders of fancy, multi-million dollar strategy documents that are collecting dust. Years after consultants have spent months designing brilliant strategies, little, if any, progress has been made.

Why is that the case? Change can be hard. It is often accompanied with loss, pain, and resistance. The whole process of trying to fix it can be scary. It can be tough. There are moments when you may question whether introducing change was necessary or wise. If you begin to doubt yourself, don’t worry. That might be an indication that you are on the right track.

Fixing a system often requires a change in perspective. If your organization is stuck and can’t take advantage of the purpose and strategy you have identified, however clear they may be, then perspectives, attitudes, and habits must be changed, or the system will only have brief moments of relief and success at best. This is the step where true leadership comes into play.

Leadership is in essence about mobilizing people to fix their dysfunctional thinking and behavior, and preparing them to capture opportunities for progress. Exercising leadership may require creating purposeful discomfort in order to implement the desired change when necessary – to get the system unstuck and moving forward. The earlier anecdote is a testament to how often organizations fail to implement strategies because they hesitate, or fail, to exercise leadership and mobilize individuals to overcome the barriers and build on their capacities – which is necessary for the implementation of the strategy, the fulfillment of the purpose, and the organization’s continued survival and growth.

Without this step, strategy, purpose, and even survival and growth could be at risk. Ignoring or mishandling this step can cause even the largest organizations, with the smartest strategies and most abundant resources, to fail to progress.

The “fix and prepare” step is probably the hardest in the PDG Model. You are likely to encounter resistance, pain, and possibly even casualties. It cannot be rushed; it will take time, thought, and effort. Do not be discouraged if you do not see instant results.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.