Alignment And The Stockdale Mindset
Are you itching to escape isolation? Is it safe? Good luck in finding a clear answer. The world finds itself in a real damned-if-we-do, damned-if-we-don't duality. It reminds me of the Stockdale Paradox and the importance of honest assessment and risk-adjusted decision making.
In his book Good To Great, Jim Collins tells the story: After enduring many years as a POW of the Viet Nam war, Jim Stockdale was asked how he managed to survive while fellow prisoners did not. His insights are a powerful, counter-intuitive illustration of the importance of mindset. On the one hand, we must maintain with absolute faith that this will pass, and we will prevail in the end. Losing faith is losing the will to endure. On the other hand, we must also confront the brutal facts of the current realities. Doing so sets expectations more accurately. Failing to do can lead to despair.
The brutal reality? All over the planet, commerce is in a state of suspended animation - a medically induced, and fitful commerce coma. Ironically, the planet is also unified in a way never before seen - 'social isolation is maddening!' One can almost feel the pent-up frustration as millions of horses kick and bray inside their stalls, all wanting to break free and run. If that happens too early, the mythical curve might go vertical. So the choices are pandemic ruin or pan-economic ruin? What can we do? Waiting is not the answer. We must get back to work - with a Stockdale mindset.
In the famous parable, two neighboring farmers suffer from a prolonged drought. One sits in his home and worries, praying for rain. The other prays for rain then armed with complete faith, plows his fields thereby beautifully effectuating the Stockdale Paradox.
In the business world, one of the ways to prepare your fields is with crisp, timely planning. If you had a tight and vetted plan before, there is a good chance it is now the wrong plan - at least in part and temporarily.
Over the last six weeks, many things in your business setting have probably changed. Customers, suppliers, and team members are socially isolating and, no doubt, contemplating what the post-COVID-19 world will entail. Much has changed, and your plan must adapt. Will it ever return to 'normal'? Will 'normal' be redefined?
In his book Traction, Gino Wickman asserts that getting a leadership team on the same page is table stakes. In normal times, alignment is one of the keys to achieving real, sustainable progress on your business or process. In these times, evolving that alignment and keeping it current with rapidly changing circumstances is urgent.
Now is the time to crank up the planning and communications cycle and prepare for rain.
- Conduct an assessment of your critical moving parts, plans, and goals
- What has changed?
- Be brutally honest, and transparent.
- Discuss and plan for various business continuity scenarios.
- Talk with your ecosystem - customers, suppliers, and your delivery machine.
- What can you do to solve your most significant issues and challenges right now?
- Treat this like battlefield triage.
- If you are not already in triage mode, get there. Consider meeting at least weekly.
- Devise and implement the correct metrics to illuminate this unique situation.
- Get your team aligned and on the same page. Communicate! Communicate! Communicate!
- Consider employing a fresh set of eyes to test your perceptions and assumptions.
The good news is that this planning/alignment cycle is imminently doable on a virtual basis. Just because we are socially isolated does not mean we are intellectually isolated. Crank up your favorite video teleconference platform and get busy testing your plans, issues, and alignment.
Now is the time to check-in on your reality. Make sure you are confronting the brutal facts of reality and have a plan adjusted to deal with the here and now. Doing this in a structured and purposeful way to reach alignment across your team and ecosystem will have the additional benefit of strengthening your faith that this storm will pass, and you will prevail.