What exists and what's significant...now
INSIGHT - Helen Blake
I’m feeling a real duality in myself. After the swiftness of the changes in society and Futurecurve, and the urgent call to action forced by the virus pandemic, I’ve sort of morphed into two distinct modes - a more reflective place and a very driven and focused place to move my niche consultancy to where it can add value in the reality of today. The financial challenges and the big psychological impacts on me and my team haven’t gone away but I have managed to get perspective – there is some help, not much but some, and my team and my family are safe and well. Our amazing food providers, delivery, utility, telecommunications and transport companies as well as many other unsung heroes are keeping us going and our incredible NHS and emergency services staff are caring for those who need it most; and there are glimmers of light at the end of the tunnel from other countries.
Based on personal tendencies but mainly my training as an organisational/workplace psychologist, I have enormous belief in people’s capabilities and capacity to thrive and survive when change is thrust upon us. I don’t believe in treating talented people in business like needy children – I personally don’t need yet another webinar on some version of ‘coping with the new normal’. I don’t want another set of preachy instructions. However, I do firmly believe in giving people clarity and direction and allowing them to feel they have a safe space to work things out.
I see many businesses taking immediate and potential knee-jerk reactions, trying to wrestle back control. I totally understand and sympathise AND I would encourage a level of reflection on what is going on for everyone right now. I am finding this reflective process, utilising the Accounting Cycle process below, hugely beneficial. I offer the model as a way of allowing leadership teams to prioritise what’s important now.
The Accounting Cycle has 4 stages:
Existence – understanding what really exists, here and now
Significance – understanding what is important and significant in the reality of what exists
Solvability – forming options to deal with those areas that are significant and need attention
Personal/Organisational Capacity – recognising what we can do to move into action or planning for action.
Many of you will know Futurecurve for our passion around delivering genuine value for customers – helping our clients develop strategies that are customer-centred. It’s in our DNA. Over the years I and my team have been fortunate to work with many great senior executives and their teams who recognise their current business approach has had its time, and we have helped them change with programmes that have taken place over a year or two.
We all no longer have the luxury of years within which to change – we have to start now, no more prevarication, putting things off, ignoring the niggling trends, being distracted by being busy when competitors are gaining ground with new business models, facing the fact that our company culture no longer meets customer expectations, that products and services have become commoditised so the only conversation with buyers is around price. We must act now with positivity to change, adapt and transform.