Are you ready to “run, jump and play” as an organization? The question came to me as a 4th grader excitedly shared what she was learning in science class.
“The brain is divided into parts that control different stuff. When everything works together right, we can run and jump and play. But when the parts don’t work together, BAD things can happen.”
As I listened to her simple explanation of a complicated topic, I grinned:
Heck, organizations work the same way!
In my work with leadership teams who are launching a new strategy, one challenge is common — managing change initiatives of any kind across functional silos is fraught with complexity.
Similar to the brain, organizations have functions that “control different stuff”. When things are working routinely, information flows between functions pretty smoothly and daily decisions are made.
But what about in uncertain times? When things are changing, and risks and opportunities are less clear?
When our body’s integrated nervous system detects something new, it pulls together all the relevant information and the brain assesses the threat. This “fight or flight” response can help us to quickly take action to address the threat – or pounce on an opportunity.
But while this works (pretty) well for our human bodies, the same doesn’t always work so well in our organizations. Especially when uncertainty reigns.
Boston Consulting Group observed, “Most companies haven’t built the capabilities to MANAGE much less THRIVE amidst uncertainty.”
While different functions may SEE changes around them, they may not understand the risk – or opportunities – because they see the problem from their narrow perspective. Wires can get crossed as information flows between functions.
Data analytics can help analyze information– but that does not necessarily mean an organization is prepared to take ACTION quickly.
What can you put in place to be ready to “run, jump and play” when opportunities or threats present themselves? Does your organization have a “central nervous system” to assess changes around you and prepare to take action?
One simple step is to put in place a regular rhythm of “what if thinking”. You could meet quarterly as a cross-functional team to systematically evaluate the changes you are seeing in the marketplace from all different perspectives.
This can be an opportunity to discuss possible implications of different changes, and what you could do to be ready to spring into action when/if the situation arises.
Yes, when the parts don’t work together, bad things CAN happen.
But when you adopt a rhythm of cross-functional “What If Thinking”, your organization can be ready to run, jump and play.
Has your organization put in place a cross-functional approach for making sense of changes in today’s dynamic environment? What are you learning?
