I recently spent time in the company of Dr Kaihan Krippendorff, an inspiring strategist I had the privilege to meet through the Gazelles Coaching program.
Kaihan is a business strategist, keynote speaker, consultant and best-selling author of four books, most recently Outthink the Competition. A former consultant with McKinsey & Company, he now writes one of the most popular blogs on fastcompany.com, ‘Outthinkers’.
Over three days, we talked of many things, but one of the most powerful conclusions I drew after our time together was that most organisations are coming up against the ‘laws of nature’ in their decision-making process. Most of the blockages for organisations revolve around what they won’t do (such as breaking a convention) rather than what they can’t do (challenging a law or rule).
If these organisations are unwilling to make a change due to their belief system, wanting to adhere to the accepted way of doing things, every opportunity for change and innovation will grind to a halt.
When people stay firm in their thinking even when evidence proves them wrong, this becomes incredibly frustrating for all team members, from the top down.
Consider short-sighted attitudes and practices such as:
- Wrong team members – the leadership team has become ‘comfortable’ and may neither see, nor want to see, that the game is changing and so should they
- Wrong leaders – perhaps current leaders are best suited to a different competitive environment. Maybe they prefer a classical, organic growth model, but the ground may have shifted and now a nimble and adaptive team is needed
- Wrong vision – or perhaps, no vision. With a strong vision in place, you know where you are headed, but short-sighted organisations don’t have these beacons to work towards.
So, what is the solution?
One of my main tips is to keep a keen eye on trends and continue to ask: what does this mean for us? Watch for ideas in your industry that people are disputing or ignoring; these may soon be the new norm. Look at your competitors. Who is disrupting? Could their model, or even their product or service, be played successfully into your industry?
If these organisations are unwilling to make a change due to their belief system, wanting to adhere to the accepted way of doing things, every opportunity for change and innovation will grind to a halt.
Published June 16, 2016