Not For Turning?

Last week, Rishi Sunak caused a huge stir owing to what looks like a substantial U-turn on climate change-busting Net Zero policies.

The Conservative Prime Minister pushed back a ban on new petrol-only cars from 2030 to 2035 and announced delays to several other key green policies. He stated that he wanted “sensible green leadership” and that his approach was more “pragmatic and realistic” when it came to tackling both environmental issues and the ongoing cost of living crisis.

The announcement has caused quite the sensation both across party conference, TV soundbites and column inches.

So, is it ever okay for a leader – be it a business leader or a public servant – to make such a significant roll back on decisions that were once, seemingly, carved in stone?

Work Psychology Group cite “flip flop leadership” as leading to a “loss of trust, “the killing of morale”, “damaged relationships” and a “lack of employee engagement”. So, in the same way that Rishi may lose his back benchers and, most importantly, your votes, as a leader, you could lose the trust and buy in of your team.

In direct contrast, The Financial Times states, “Contrary to its negative image, a U-turn is a sign of a healthy and functional democracy; a demonstration that a government is willing to listen and that the media, opposition parties and general public have the power to hold their leaders to account.” Investors in People also double down on this, stating that being able to change your mind is a “critical leadership skill.”

So, how much time should leaders be spending on seemingly irreversible decisions? And what happens if – such as during the depths of the Covid-19 pandemic – the world changes to such an extent that it’s almost impossible not to reverse or “edit” decisions that were made under different circumstances?

Forbes references Jeff Bezos’ “two type” rule when it comes to decision making in leadership. Extremely critical, irreversible decision are called “one way door” decisions whilst those where there is room to change your mind are called “two way door” decisions. Sairah Ashman’s article notes, “You don’t want to make a one-way door decision quickly, they deserve a lot of thought, debate and consensus. Two-way door decisions not so much. He [Bezos} also made the observation that far too much time is spent on two-way door decisions and this slows organisations down. So, if you ever find yourself in a seemingly never-ending debate over a two-way door decision you might just want to call this out for everyone’s sake and simply hand it to the person best qualified to make it.”

The key thing about any significant changes lies in the way they are communicated to your leadership team and your wider business. Explain the context in which new decisions have had to be made and clearly outline the new path. Perhaps offer up a Q&A or discussion session for the entire business to allow everyone to air their thoughts.

If you can demonstrate “respect for new found information” and explain how a new plan of attack will make the workplace culture better / profitability higher / recruitment easier / bonuses increase, your team are going to get behind you. But it really is vital to “show your working” and demonstrate all the positives your new road map will bring.

Honesty and transparency will always stand you in good stead with your teams. No one wants to feel like a decision has been made on a whim or without alternatives having been considered.

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