COVID-19 has negatively impacted revenue for most businesses. Leaders must spark urgency and higher engagement in their teams to deliver extraordinary performance in the last two quarters of 2020. They must also redefine their top priorities and effectively communicate these changes to their teams so they can move into action quickly.
Create a New Strategy by Working Backward
Reimagining strategies can be a tough task. One method to create a new plan going forward is actually to work backward. Spend some time envisioning your future, where you want your organization to be when the many crises of today are over. Stay rooted in the core mission and values of your organization while considering its future. Then, take that vision for the future and think through the benchmarks and milestones needed to reach that goal. By working backward from that vision, you allow yourself to see what can be achieved without the constraints of today’s reality. It also makes you think concretely in terms of necessary funding, staffing, and actions needed to create success. It is an excellent tool for re-evaluating priorities and focusing on what is most important.
Be an Agile Leader
Leaders will need to be more willing than ever to learn quickly and change course as needed. It is vital to keep measuring, monitoring, and carefully reviewing progress in the next few months. Current plans are based on unproven assumptions about the future. As these assumptions are tested in the real world, be willing to collect that data, and use it to adjust your strategy and vision as needed. Admitting some assumptions were incorrect, and quickly changing course requires humility, speed, and agility. Agile leaders will be a vital part of the recovery of any business. Being flexible, resilient, and collaborative is the key to navigating these uncharted waters. Agile leaders build great teams and inspire creativity and innovation in their employees.
Drive for Results
To make up for the lost time in the first two quarters, you will need to drive for results and inspire urgency in your team. This urgency requires a firm grasp on reality and the ability to communicate effectively with employees. Make sure they are clear on their tasks and how they relate to the end goal. Establish clear responsibilities and processes for measuring results to hold each team member accountable for their role. It’s also important to ask the right questions at the right time. Asking your team future-based questions will help them focus on deliverables and results. Focus on the “afters” and make sure everyone is clear on the desired outcome of all projects. Taking the time to provide clarity upfront prevents wasting time on misunderstandings.
Build Team Capacity
Now is the time to build your team’s capacity and develop the skills needed most to navigate a complicated economic landscape. You will need a team that can think strategically, problem-solves, and communicates effectively. These skills can be significantly improved through training and development. When envisioning the new future of an organization, consider how to best prepare your team to be ready for the challenges that lay ahead. Creating positive and lasting change requires a deep understanding of management skills at all levels of team leadership. Investing in developing your team’s skills now ensures they will have the capacity to deliver real results for your organization in an uncertain future.
Take Action
Time is short; leaders must act now to ensure the successful future of their organizations. It is time to reimagine the future, create new strategies, and inspire teams to not only survive but also thrive going forward.
