LEADING FOR SURVIVAL; NOT FOR STRATEGY

The only things that matter are last week and next week.

Think of the last time you found yourself feeling panicked, even overwhelmed. Do you agree that, when this happens, it’s difficult to think of anything in the long term? You’re in the now, it’s volatile, and the only things that matter are the immediate past (what I call “last week”) and the immediate future (“next week”).

You see, strategy is all good and well until the world implodes: raising levels of fear and anxiety, and hijacking productivity and focus.

You and your team members are reeling from ongoing waves of disruption imposed by crisis: from the global pandemic to civil unrest; from disrupted supply chains to the Russia-Ukraine war; from work-from-home to return-to-office or even hybrid. Or perhaps you run an agile team that’s leading digital transformation for the business.

Particularly if you’re a senior leader, and you feel as if you’re losing control and your team isn’t moving fast enough, you may default to micro-managing – and sabotage them. Here’s my advice: Go counter-intuitive.

Craft parameters for attention, focus and delivery:

Despite constantly changing dynamics, you must still deliver value to the business in the long term and retain your skilled people (who are in demand) in the short term.

The ground is literally moving beneath you. If you’re going to stabilise your team so they (and you) can continue to deliver, you need to lead for survival, not strategy. After all, the feeling that you’re walking a tightrope is likely to continue for a long time to come, so the only thing to do is master tightrope-walking!

On the high wire, if you look backwards or too far ahead, you may fall. But focusing on just the next step and the next breath, and the next after that, will get you to the end. The trick is to slow things down intentionally but keep moving forward. Take your team along as you calm the panic, in support of delivery and focus.

This mind-set shift is a leadership hack I’m going to unpack so that you can get over the line successfully.

The two keys for doing this intentionally are:

• Slow things down to now.
• Ramp up your people-focus.

 1. Slow things down to NOW

To create a sense of calm, control, and progress, force your focus into a tighter, short-term parameter: last week and next week. (This is a concept introduced to me by Marcus Buckingham, as part of his Love + Work Leader Designation. I’m completing it at the moment, in conjunction with the Harvard Business Review).

A weekly check-in with your direct reports is essential to keep focus and momentum going, but you must do it differently. It should be a quick process that takes just a few minutes per person; not a job appraisal.

There are only four questions that matter, and they are about last week and next week:

Last week: 

• What worked for you?
• What didn’t work for you?

Next week:

• What are your priorities?
• How can I help you?

 Some rules for these check-ins:

• Keep it regular: this is a non-negotiable weekly check-in.
• Keep it short (15 minutes maximum).
• Switch off your devices and be fully present, physically and emotionally.
• Make eye contact.
• Really listen – so you hear what they are actually saying, not what you think they are saying.
• Pay deep attention.
• Deliver on the support they ask for.

This is a two-way process that will build trust, accountability, and mutual support – you are helping your people to get where they need to go, and they are helping you to deliver. It’s time to position yourself as a dependable, supportive, and empathetic leader who is able to create the right environment for your team to thrive.

2. Ramp up your PEOPLE-focus

 Research confirms again and again, that your talent is more likely to stay because their psychological and emotional needs are being met than for money, especially in volatile times.

Using deep listening in your one-on-one check-ins, you will be able to get behind each team member with customised support when, and if they need it. As for the rest, trust them to get on with the job they were hired to do.

Micro-management is the enemy here.

This approach is the foundation for leading and sustaining a resourceful and resilient team, that is able to adapt as circumstances demand. And this is how you are going to cut through the overwhelm, get to the point, and continue to stay on track for the long term.

Forget the long term FOR NOW. You are leading for survival, not strategy. Just focus on LAST WEEK and NEXT WEEK – in close tandem with your people.

And what about long-term strategy? Is it forgotten? Of course not!

The tightrope walker doesn’t forget to get to the other side and just stop in the middle. You will achieve your long-term strategy in bite-size chunks, but you will have done so by building on last week and next week - while you also build the strength and depth of your partnership with each member of your team.