The music plays and you dutifully follow others around the circle of chairs, alert and listening for what might happen. Suddenly – SILENCE!

Do you remember the stress of the childhood game of Musical Chairs? That heart-pumping overwhelming feeling when the MUSIC STOPS and you have to suddenly decide where to sit before there are no options left?

Leading a high-stakes strategy these days can sometimes feel like Musical Chairs! A decision is suddenly thrust upon you. The answers aren’t always obvious at the moment – but a decision MUST be made. 

Over the last few years, we’ve all had a front-row seat to watching leaders confronted with decisions when the music seems to have stopped: A lockdown. Supply chain woes.  The Great Resignation. Another lockdown.  Financial market wobbles. Inflation.

Why have some organizations been able to adapt so well while others have not?

I believe a major differentiator has been the ability of leadership teams to make quick decisions. 

While some leaders were able to step up and act in the face of uncertainty, others have FROZEN. And the situation got the best of them.

A DELAY to decide is a decision in itself.

Being able to make timely decisions is not only healthy for your daily business operations but also plays a vital role in your ability to execute your longer-term strategy. Leaders must alter their strategy as new information becomes available. When they don’t, your strategy can get derailed.

In uncertain times, we need better operating models to help us respond quickly in dynamic situations and adapt to sustain our organizations.

How can you get better at making a decision? By making “What If” thinking a regular rhythm for your organization’s operational rhythm.

Did you know that just TALKING about “What If” and what you can do to ADAPT in light of unexpected situations can reduce anxiety on your team, and improve open cross-functional communication?

While the specific challenges your organization has to deal with may vary, your ability as a team to acknowledge and objectively evaluate the situation, and come up with options quickly, is a muscle that can be built.

Establishing a “What If” Rhythm is like “Musical Chairs” to build your team’s decision-making skills in light of uncertainty.

To put this into action with your leadership team or with your board, here is a thought-provoking exercise you can include as part of the quarterly operational cadence.

The exercise might go something like this:

First Session:   Brainstorm as a group all the assumptions that must prove true for your strategy to be a success. Discuss which of these are most critical and how you might objectively determine how likely they are to prove true.

Next Session:  Review the list of assumptions your strategy is built upon — and then very dramatically ELIMINATE one key assumption. Then, challenge the group to brainstorm at least three ways your organization could achieve your strategy if this assumption were NOT true. What would need to change? How will you adapt as an organization? Put a time limit on the discussion ( and maybe some music to add some drama!)

Future Sessions:  As your team builds their “What If” muscles, you can continue to hold these discussions, and select other key assumptions to “eliminate”. Talk about what you can do NOW that would position you to be prepared to better adapt in this situation? But to mix it up, create a little competition by breaking into teams and rewarding those teams with the best or most creative or funniest ways to adapt. 

Establishing this regular “what if” rhythm can help you and your team get better at dealing with uncertainty, get comfortable making quick decisions, and reduce the anxiety that can build up when there are a lot of unknowns.

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What do you think? How might you apply this approach to building your “What If” muscles work in your own situation?

 I’d love to hear from you.

 All the best – Susan

P.S. If you are leading a high-stakes strategy, or getting an initiative back on track, you can take this free strategy execution self-assessment to consider how well your organization is applying some of the fundamentals required to get traction quickly.

Happy to discuss your own situation.

Your mission is too important. Don’t let it get derailed.

Susan Schramm, Founder, Go to Market Impact susan.schramm@gotomarketimpact.com