"Don't just fix it, reset it"

5 years ago, I was asked to come back to India and get a business back on track. A lot of information, advice, caution, ideas and well meaning coaching was given to me, however the best advice was from my global category head. In her unique direct and encouraging style she said "don't just fix it, reset it.....are you sure its a turnaround ? or more than that ..much more than that...it needs resetting ?". Honestly, at that time I didn't know the significance of these words. 5 years later I know a bit better on the 5 things what RESETTING really means.

1. Resetting is multi dimensional AND multi functional

Assessing very quickly where the business stands in an external context & internal context; ensuring supply & generating demand; people & morale; consumer & competition is a great starting point, It is an AND job at the beginning, making choices WILL follow. Layering the multifunctional assessment with 3 dimensions of "Keep", "Eliminate" and "Reset" will start to make some sense of the chaos on your plate. As opposed to a turnaround where usually you have a few (most likely known) variables going southwards. It isn't the scale of the issue or the degree effort between comparing a turnaround and a reset, its the 3D/4D nature of a reset which is the moot point.

There will be good days and really bad ones but think of it like solving a Rubik cube -- colour by colour, piece by piece, side by side it will start to fall into place. Make your own version of your business model, share it with key stakeholders, take their feedback and then start to work.

2. Allow for a bit of serendipity, you may never know how helping hands come together

Everyone wants to help, believe me ..EVERYONE. A colleague offered to help with a value chain workshop. Without thinking, I signed up and only in the middle of the 3 day workshop I realised I may have bitten off more than I can chew. In reality, that set the foundation for a fundamental reset of how we looked at the consumer and customer and how the operations team enabled fuel for growth. I learnt a wonderful tool called the Kano Model ( a must use for any manager https://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/newCT_97.htm) which opened up unforeseen horizons of value creation. In a turnaround sometimes you are alone, in a reset don't be a one man army. Help is there, provide platforms for everyone to pitch in and leave a little bit to luck and chance.

3. Granular, granular, granular ...and if its not clear ...granular

Many things may have lead to where you are and frankly it does not matter how the business got here. To get out of that your biggest weapon will be to go to deep and wide. Question every detail, challenge every process, break every legacy mindset, overcome the negativity. I don't know why the cliches goes that the devil is in the details.....I believe angels hide in details and the truth does set you free. It is not to get lost in data, it is to have the ability to find the dots, connect them and make patterns. People will dislike you for it. You will be judged, some may call you a micro manager.....but it will you give you the energy to know exactly what is the issue. Finding a solution is far easier, when we all can agree on what is the problem.

Set some simple processes, get involved, make sure everyone has the same facts but make sure you act on it. As our Head of Sales says "even no is a decision". Decide and act so that people can move forward. From data to insight to foresight to action.

4. "Be Yourself, with more skill"

In a wonderful training led by London Business School, I first came across this book "Why Should Anyone be Led by You" and the concept of being yourself, but with more skills. Resetting a business can be challenging and demanding on you. As much as you spend energy on the work priority, work on yourself too. Never let great results make you feel you can't upskill yourself. Don't postpone that for later ..."when the business is fine I will work on myself"...... no ! While I am lucky to have a boss who gives me freedom and power to be myself, I used this opportunity not to take myself for granted. Nourish yourself -- intellectually and more importantly emotionally. In your downtime spend time with people who are honest with you and yet care for you enough to know what you need and not just what you want. Your legacy is not your results, you are your legacy.

5. Give back to your team, much more than you get

If you think resetting is tough for you, please think about your team -- your direct teams and extended teams. Many of them didn't sign up for this, for some its painful to change while others may simply not see the brighter future....yet. This is not the last point, but the most important -- resetting the people agenda is of vital importance. During the last 5 years, its been rewarding to co-create interventions to unleash the potential of my teams and start them on the journey of being the best versions of themselves.

One of the most transformative was a day spent with the leadership team and horses to really understand what leadership and empathy means without labels of hierarchy (an example: https://www.businesstoday.in/top-story/can-horses-teach-you-leadership/story/314409.html). Another extremely powerful tool has been seeing how Belbin based workshops unlock self awareness to action for millennials.

But beyond all these tools and workshops, it is the authentic self you bring to work everyday that can make a big difference. Authentic enough to know when to smile, when to say well done, when to critique , when to challenge, when to push and when to let go.

As the wonderful serenity prayer says

God grant me the serenity

To accept the things I cannot change; 

Courage to change the things I can; 

And wisdom to know the difference. 

While I am far from having all the answers, maybe I am a little bit wiser than I was 5 years ago and maybe some of this wisdom helps you too.