Three steps to bring immediate focus to your business
Three steps to bring immediate focus to your business
Attrition was 3 times higher than industry norms, I had 3 people break down with me in 2 days, the hours people worked were obscene, friction between teams was palpable. I asked people what their priorities were, what results they must achieve that week. And was met with a confused deer in the headlights gaze. How could such intelligent, committed, hardworking people not be delivering?
Poor quality strategy
No priorities
No plan
No engagement
That business turned itself around in 6months. These are the 3 moves it made to do this.
They got the strategy right.. have you?
They got the timing right. The secret to a good strategy is the same as good comedy… it’s all about timing
They used data to predict the future, and they were more right than wrong. They appreciated the changes in the industry, the consumer, the strengths of their organisation and used this information to make a few very bold moves (they moved resource, budget, talent, attention against these)
They were absolutely focused on outcomes and results
They were dynamic. The planning is often more important than the plan, this insight allows you to adjust your actions to hit your goals. They adjusted quickly
2. They created simple plans with their department heads… have you?
They were clear on the key tasks/ projects that will make this happen
They identified key challenges upfront
They applied limited resource with much more intensity (this was very hard for them)
They had laser focus on 3 quick wins in the first 4 weeks and 90 days
3. They massively over communicated… have you?
They put more effort into their comms campaign than the Tory spin doctor did during Party Gate.
People need to hear a message 14 times before it sinks in, we forget 95% of what we hear in 24 hours…. So they did the following:
They engaged their teams in creation of the plan (we are immediately more engaged with something we have co designed)
They made it ‘hooky’, simple memorable statements become the narrative of the organization. They practiced compelling stories in their team meetings, they ran a big launch event. They followed up with their departments, they cascaded a plan on a page, everyone’s objective were aligned, they got together quarterly to celebrate success and re-focus for the next quarter
They put their colleagues in the spotlight, they searched out success and quick wins, there is nothing like recognition of the behaviours you want to see to ensure you get more of them
They got feedback often, they tested the messaging straight after the offsite (did people get it, could they remember it), they reviewed quarterly what more they could do to drive focus