Business Leading During Unpredictability

Are you feeling the change is happening faster than your ability to control, plan and execute to maintain or maybe save your business? 

Are you feeling disoriented or unprepared to face such turbulent times?

Indeed, the world has always been in constant motion and change. Yet, the world that we live in today, has become increasingly competitive and unpredictable. Thus, the renowned evolutionary phrase of “The survival of the fittest” has become true and applicable. 

Just a few days ago, the concept of “work from home” has become a forced reality, amidst the turbulence of the COVID-19 crisis, and “social distancing” has become an urgent measure for survival; the unfit will not survive. Just a few days ago, the stock market was on track to reach its worst month since the “Black Monday” crash in 1987; the unfit will not survive. 

Today, the “fittest” is no longer having the strongest strategy, but rather owning the highest sense of adaptability. Today, the world is testing the skills and adjustability of every business leader, every manager, every employee, every investor, and every person out there.

Yet, in the midst of all these turbulence, business leaders and managers face the highest challenge. Although they are trained to face unpredictable situations, to have high flexibility and control over almost any situation and process; but today's level of uncertainty is beyond anything they’ve ever been trained for. So how to manage your business in such turbulent times? Better yet, how to be “fit” in such turbulent times?

HOW TO BE “FIT” IN UNPREDICTABLE TIMES

For Every Business Leader and Representative out there

Maybe some are trying opportunity catching from home and then proceeding through their standard business process while shifting it "online", yet we are still learning to adapt. Some are trying to find new meanings of how to be social in times of “social distancing”, yet we are still learning to adapt.

But as a business leader, there are few steps to be taken, to make sure you are on the right track to be the “fit”, even in unpredictable times:

1. Determinism: You should never label yourself or your business as "not fit". You are either “fit” or you won’t be able to survive the series of crises happening worldwide. Thus, you don’t really have the option except to learn how to be “fit”. 

1. Adaptability Development: when life gives you lemon, you can either blame your bad luck for replacing your better wish or learn to make perfect sweet lemonade. Here is where all the innovation immerses itself to mold your business and sales process to fit the situation, to change the standards deliverable means, the phases and activities, etc. On top of the training and development of adaptability skills that should be nurtured for all resources levels. 
2. Planning: as Dwight Eisenhower puts it: "In preparing for battle I have always found that plans are useless, but planning is indispensable."  You probably have passed through a number of ups and downs in your life and business journey whether difficult economic times, or personal defeats, or market related issues; so remember how you always had plans and almost always altered these plans to fit the change and the new situation. Yet you never stopped planning. So do not let a pandemic pull you back from it and illude you to the harmful belief of 'planning is useless during unpredictability'. Plan and keep replanning and reshaping, else forfeit. 
3. Leading: This was already a hard responsibility and now it must be owned in the hardest times. Business leaders have today to double their motivation application to keep the employees positive and productive despite the surroundings. Second, they need to develop their online communication channel internally and externally for all resources to be able to cowork, be motivated by others achievements and work progress, and deliver efficiently. 
4. Stress on Deadlines: after knowing and agreeing with your resources on the exact time, period, and efforts they can/should dedicate, don't let the ambiguity of the situation leak unproductive and wasted time. Set  deadlines for tasks, projects, research, development, as if your finish line is clear. Later, you can still replan. Time is tricky in this period, don't let it win over you with slacking. 
5. Keep Experimenting: This period's consequences and evolution is fast changing and new to almost all human kind. Hence do not be afraid to experiment and test the grounds for every business plan, communication mean, internal strategy. Don't stick to your comfort zone in such times.

Remember at this point, everyone is taking the time to get “fit”. It is your efficiency today that will make all the difference tomorrow. 

Written by: Norma Makarem | Assistant writer: Wendy elHage