Adaptation Planning: How Critical is this for you RIGHT NOW in your Leadership Journey?
“Suba, plans go awry many times, but planning is critical for us when we go to war.”
When a client, who is transitioning from armed forces into corporate, said that, we both went silent.
The conversation was happening after closing the coaching session for the day. He was supposed to give a speech at the organization. So we discussed some topics for him to speak on.
Immediately after the session, I took out my reflective journal to write down my thoughts about what he shared.
What impact can the ‘plan’ and ‘planning’ make in our lives?
One of the critical challenges leaders bring during coaching sessions is managing change in uncertain times.?
Now, with the impact of the Pandemic and Technological advancement, uncertainty doesn’t seem to have any end.
Tell me, is there any single strategy you executed without changing the initial plan in the past six months?
How many times could you drive something smoothly without any surprises?
How often have you had to make a massive change due to internal circumstances?
How often have you had to make a massive change due to external circumstances?
Again and again, many leaders have to come back to where they started to look at where they are supposed to go.
It can be frustrating and tiring, and I get demotivated easily. #Burnout is a buzzword mainly because of the uncertain business world we are in now.
Wait…This is not ONLY happening with my clients. As a Solopreneur and Entrepreneur, I face such moments almost every day. Uncertainty has also been a part of my life for the past three decades.
So, what can we do?
Let me share a few elements which have helped us all.
Energy is precious; decide where to invest yours.
A CTO client of mine who started a role in a new organization came up with ‘stakeholder management’ as a challenge. He had many issues with the outgoing CTO. The knowledge transition was planned for three months. However, even after three months, the outgoing CTO was clinging to all the processes and strategies placed during his tenure. Also, the outgoing CTO is staying in the organization as a part of the Board, and the team members still follow him diligently.
My client felt unheard and disrespected; the uncertain situation, which was internal, kept him from giving out his best.
As we discussed deeper, we checked in a few elements.
1.????Ego – what is its role in this situation?
2.????Longevity – How long do these problems remain as problems?
3.????Long-term impact – What would be the long-term impact the situation can create if not resolved now?
The responses we got to these queries led to specific insights. As a result, we co-created certain practices which would help my client to invest his energy in the right place.
Observe How You Communicate.
I observe a pattern in the leadership development facilitation sessions. Whenever I question the critical element in leadership communication, I typically get the responses below.
“Clarity in thoughts”
“Right body language”
“Facial reactions”
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“Ability to speak in English”
“Email Etiquette”
“Social Media Presence”
Hardly, yes, hardly anyone mentions ‘listening’ as a critical element. Observe how you communicate. The observation MUST start from the way you listen to your people, system, and processes. Observe the silent members. Silence speaks volumes that can be heard only when you listen deeply.
Listen to understand the other person and where they are coming from. I spend long hours imbibing ‘listening skills as a part of my #groupcoaching sessions.
Listening will help you to adapt to the ‘rationale’ behind any uncertain scenario.
Are you Selling Anything Every Time?
The feeling of ‘uncertainty’ is mainly because everybody is trying to sell something whenever they communicate anything to anyone.
Read the above line thrice and reflect.
Selling need not always be buying something. Negotiating to get something at a lower cost is also selling; the buyer becomes a seller here.
Makes sense?
If the pizza doesn’t reach us in 30 minutes, we feel frustrated, as if we will die the next minute. We often forget that we had gone without eating for hours to complete a project.
Because of technological advancements, our expectation of this world has significantly changed.
Managers want their teams to always be on their toes and do more for fewer returns. So they sell something every minute to their teams.
Teams want to gain more by doing less or more. So they sell something every minute to the bosses.
Irrespective of the organization's different structures, maturity levels, and sizes, everyone is selling something to another.
Expectation mismatch leads to the ‘feeling of uncertainty.’
Clients become 'In the Name of God' characters.
The fact is that ‘WE’ create this ‘UNCERTAINTY;’ addressing it at the inner level will lead to building an ‘adaptability mindset.’
In group or #teamcoaching sessions where all the members from a single team or cross-functional teams are exposed to various exploration interventions, we, coaches, witness the mind shifts at the individual levels reflecting at a team or group level.
We can sail through external uncertainty only when the internal calamities are well taken care of. #Adaptationplanning becomes a critical part of the corporate strategy here.
Now, my question to you is:
What is your adaptation planning?
Time to reflect as we have only one month to go for a New Financial year!
Contact me to enhance your leadership growth journey and engage in your Executive Leadership?#employeeengagement?#teamcoaching and #groupcoaching programs.
Feel free to write to me at [email protected] or send a direct message to schedule a call.
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2 年Great read and food for thought , Suba. I totally agree with you when you say that 'listening' is hardly being mentioned as a critical skill. It's also my belief that this skill , when mastered takes care of most of the critical elements in leadership communication without much effort. Thanks for the post.
#acceptance and #vulnerability make a huge difference as well. Here's my favourite words from Brené Brown Brene says, "I spent a lot of years trying to outrun or outsmart vulnerability by making things certain and definite, black and white, good and bad. My inability to lean into the discomfort of vulnerability limited the fullness of those important experiences that are wrought with uncertainty: Love, belonging, trust, joy, and creativity to name a few."
Career Coach | Internationally Accredited Certified Coach | Corporate Trainer| Speaker| Resume Writing| Interview Preparation| Linkedin Branding | Helped 381+ Midcareer Professionals achieve dream job | Career Strategist
2 年Quite a lot, Suba Lakshminarasimhan, ACC (ICF). I have changed strategies many times, especially while choosing the niche and creating my branding. It was quite challenging to not to get taken away by the shiny object syndrome.
Victorian Multicultural Commission
2 年This is a great
Victorian Multicultural Commission
2 年I also would add that if the corporate engages, people from armed forces fit in with the skill set they need, they will be excellent resource because they come with certain inherent qualities like discipline, right attitude, willing to perform designated role, time management to mention a few. In my working career, I had a brigadier as a boss, and i learnt a lot from his styles with no-nonsense approach to the employees in general.