Embracing "Both/And" Thinking: Navigating Supply Chain Disruptions and Business Realities
Ismar Huskic
Improving Organisational performance and developing leaders. Member of The Harvard Business Review Advisory Council and sharing practical insights to Management and Leadership with IMPACT.
In today's rapidly changing business landscape, organizations face numerous challenges that can impact their financial health. Among these challenges, supply chain disruptions have emerged as a critical concern. Explore how adopting a "both/and" thinking approach can help businesses not only survive but thrive in the face of adversity.
Supply Chain Disruptions: The Unwelcome Guest
Recent studies, analyzing over 800 supply chain disruptions, have uncovered alarming statistics. Companies that have suffered major supply chain disruptions often experience a devastating blow to their financial well-being.
Customers and the Expectation of Improvement
Today, customers expect organizations to learn from their experiences and continually improve and innovate. However, when supply chain disruptions occur, it sends a contradictory message to customers and investors. Such disruptions lead to increased operational costs and project delays among others, which are jeopardizing the entire investment and the business case value proposition.
Many industries operate today in a VUCA world where leaders needs to learn how to manage the situation of constant, unpredictable change that is now the norm in certain industries and areas of the business world. VUCA demands that organisations avoid traditional, outdated approaches to management and leadership, and day-to-day working
The VUCA World
Volatility—The nature, speed, volume, magnitude, and dynamics of change
Uncertainty—The lack of predictability of issues and events
Complexity—The confounding of issues and the chaos that surrounds any organization
Ambiguity—The haziness of reality and the mixed meanings of conditions!
"The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results." - Albert Einstein
The "Both/And" Mindset
Global leaders are facing mounting stress as their teams look to them for stability amidst recurring supply chain disruptions. It is precisely in moments like these that the concept of "both/and" thinking becomes invaluable.
In article about the future leadership practices: Four Leadership Approaches: Navigating Complexity in Leadership, we explored the "Paradoxical Leadership: Mastering Paradoxes" where "Both/And" thinking are just one of them.
"Both/and" thinking, a concept, is the notion that it's possible to experience opposing ideas or feelings simultaneously. It is about embracing rather than denying the complexity of our experiences and challenges.
Business leaders recognize that the issues they confront are not simply black and white. They must navigate the creative tensions between:
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In such scenarios, both aspects must be pursued simultaneously for an organization to thrive, rather than prioritizing one over the other.
Interests-Based Negotiation
One powerful application of "both/and" thinking can be found in interests-based negotiation. This approach encourages moving beyond a zero-sum mindset, where one side wins at the expense of the other. Instead, it emphasizes distinguishing between the positions people hold and their underlying interests. By exploring opportunities for mutual gain, it becomes possible to create more value and expand possibilities for all stakeholders.
"Both/and" thinking applied to the interests of opposing parties can transform conflict into greater connection, facilitating more effective and sustainable solutions.
Optimism and Realism
In the world of business leadership, the most successful leaders are those who strike a balance between optimism and realism. Some leaders may be unrealistically idealistic, while others become overly pessimistic due to their intense focus on realism. The real impact, however, comes from those who never lose sight of their aspirations and yet remain firmly grounded in reality.
Cognitive Dissonance and the Complexity of Paradox
Research in social psychology highlights the human drive to reduce cognitive dissonance, the discomfort associated with holding seemingly contradictory beliefs. It's more common to view the world in polar opposites rather than embracing the complexity of paradox.
Embracing "both/and" thinking empowers individuals and organizations to transform challenging situations into opportunities for a more connected and healthy future. It acknowledges the coexistence of seemingly opposing ideas and leverages them to chart a path forward that is both innovative and grounded, ambitious and realistic.
As the business world continues to grapple with the uncertainty of supply chain disruptions, adopting a "both/and" thinking approach can serve as a beacon of hope. By acknowledging the interplay of opposing forces, organizations can find the resilience and adaptability necessary to navigate the ever-evolving landscape and emerge stronger on the other side.
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