Author: Shaun Coffey

Shaun Coffey is interested in future making and institutional building. He is an agricultural scientist who tries to integrate fragmented and sector-specific technical and scientific knowledge to address the wicked problems that characterise the real world.
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Reality is too big for our little heads…use models not mindsets to think

Persistent problems often seem intractable because of the frame through which we view them.  A fixed point of view on an issue may lead us to struggle because we are trying to solve the wrong problem.”

Elizabeth Heichler, 2022 MIT Sloan Management Review. Summer 2022 v 63(4) P.1

“Reality is too big for our little heads. So we use simplifications of reality to deal with it, impressions of reality: ideas, concepts, frames, models, forms, and theories. These help to explain the reality we encounter. Hence, our choice is not between them, let’s say, theory and reality, so much as between alternative theories of reality. Logically, we choose the theory that is most useful under the circumstances – not the best, but the best available – no matter how imperfect it may be.”

Henry Mintzberg (2023) Understanding Organizations…Finally!  P.119

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5 questions to ask in the struggle to achieve pre-covid service levels.

“Business as usual” has little meaning in today’s world.

After the impact of the COVID-19 lockdowns and disruption to supply chains and labour markets, you might be considering how to rebuild your business.

Reconsider your purpose as a starting point and ask 5 questions.

  1. If there was only one thing you could do to re-establish/grow/improve your business, what would it be and how would you make it happen?
  2. If there was only one thing you could focus on to improve your own personal performance, what would that be and how would you make it happen?
  3. What market signals or messages are you not listening to or not confronting and how will you respond to them?
  4. What three things are going right for the business and how can you capitalise on these?
  5. What is the purpose of your business? Do your answers to the first four questions support that purpose?

Spence and Rushing argue that believing deeply in your purpose is the way to build and nurture your business. Look at every decision, big and small did you make and ask whether or not it will support or subvert your core purpose. Focus on purpose, and keep in mind why you are in business and profits will follow. Keep in mind what you are fighting for.

Spence R M and Rushing H (2011) It’s Not What You Sell,
 It’s What You Stand For: Why Every Extraordinary Business
 Is Driven by Purpose.  Portfolio Trade ISBN-10:1591844479
 See Page 295

 

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Planning is about selection and maintenance of the objective – not crafting ‘”The Plan” 

Many organisations are guilty of overplanning and under-delivering.

I have often reflected on this statement when I have observed the performance of my own organisations as well as others.

Why is it so? The main reason is that we too often see The Plan as the purpose and the outcome of planning, and planning is seen as an episodic event rather than a continuous process.

Planning, however, is a practice that enables us to identify where we want to go, and how to best get there.

Overplanning occurs when we try to put too much specificity into the pathways needed to achieve our objective. For this to be fully effective we need to correctly predict or anticipate future events – an unrealistic expectation at the best of times.

My experience is that the best plans are simple, and clearly identify where you want to go. They are probably clear on the initial steps to get there, but then require a degree of pragmatic management – akin to the skills of a navigator.

Identification of where you want to go helps you to identify what is important and is an important reference point to which to return when unexpected and unanticipated events throw you off course.

And you navigate around and through the obstacles and barriers that get in the way of reaching your goal.

Planning is important in helping you to identify and maintain your objectives. It is a continuous process and cannot be delegated to THE PLAN.

Are you on track?

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The vision of a leader is a rallying point for followers

Vision creates the focus for the organisation; results get attention; and communication pulls it together.

 In “Leadership is an art”, Max DePree states  “the first responsibility of a leader is to define reality”. Visioning  can be seen as an ongoing process of orienting an organisation to the emerging realities of the outside environment. 

The leader is the direction setter and must define the vision – and it is the subordinates who must define the objectives that move the organisation toward those goals.

Thus, the first task of effective leadership must be to have a vision that is compelling enough to command attention – to win commitment of the members of the organisation so they are motivated to achieve common goals.  

A shared vision :

  • creates alignment and common purpose;
  • allow peoples meet the need to do meaningful work;
  • increases the discretionary efforts put into the task;
  • defends against the forces of doubt, cynicism and self-interest; and
  • encourages risk taking.

However, having a compelling vision alone is inadequate for accomplishment as a leader, and must be complemented by communication and relationship building skills.