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Vision: strategy and change

barbara bates • Apr 13, 2020
Recently we've been looking at how Authenticity helps a leader to be effective, and now we have reached the topic of Vision. The ILM identifies a number of components of Vision, and so today we're taking a very brief look at Strategy and Change. 
 
It seems very apposite in these lockdown times. Strategy is about seeing the bigger picture and planning for the future, rather than managing day to day tasks. So strategic goals could include the creation of a new product, or entering into a new market, perhaps in a new geographic location, or in a different way, such as moving online. 
 
I venture to hope that many large businesses, especially the airlines, will be thinking strategically about how the world will look after Covid19. So many of us have been forced to work at home and online, which is a big change for those of us tied to a regular commute. There have been some advantages to this move and organisations may decide to make this a part of their explicit strategy now. There are many analytical tools to support the development of strategy but the basic idea is to ask, Where are we now? Where do we want to be? How can we get there?
 
All this of course implies Change; and so a leader has to be able to promote and guide people through it. Resistance is almost certain and never futile!
 
Good leaders understand how people feel in times of change, and help them discover the benefits of change rather than forcing it upon them, wherever this is possible. Communication is crucial - not just a memo on the staff noticeboard, but real one to one listening and discussion, so that people feel involved. Honesty is required; change may be necessary and uncomfortable and we've got to be open about this. 
 
Looking more widely, we have huge systemic change forced on us at the moment by the pandemic, that we certainly didn't choose, and it may be helpful to think of the 'stages of grief' as we go through whatever this change will bring us. These stages, which may occur in different orders and even together, are recognised as,
  • Denial (it's not really serious, it will die down in a few weeks)
  • Anger (I've suddenly lost my livelihood through no fault of my own)
  • Bargaining (I've been in full lockdown for a month, surely I deserve an outing to the seaside)
  • Depression (It's hopeless, we're all going to die)
  • Acceptance (this is how things are, I am still here, how can I now make the best of it?
Is there one more thing you can do to support your staff, and yourself, in these times? 
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