Stumbling blocks and stepping stones

Conducting any sort of business (and indeed any aspect of life) often feels like traveling down a rocky path, with all sorts of obstacles.

In most instances in life, we are stepping into roles that have already been formed by others who have gone before us. Think of starting work in a company that has been going for 20, 50 or even a 100 years, or being the second , third or later born into a family. There is already a path of sorts to follow, a culture that already exists and protocols (even if only informal) that have already been established. But it is rarely perfectly sculpted.

Even those who are in long established and well structured entities still have to deal with the reshaping of paths due to external influences. Indeed constant change, along with the inevitable erosion that occurs (whether it be in paths, values, culture or any other form) means that constant adaption, or even maintenance is required.

SWOTs and PESTELs can shed further light on the impact internal and external influences can have on us and our entities. https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/swots-pestels-risk-management-leeanne-zamagias/ These internal and external influences impact our operating processes, or paths, requiring ongoing analysis and risk management.

Those who start their own entities also rarely get to start with a blank slate as much as they would like, and still have to work within parameters set by the environment around them - Nobody gets to escape the requirements or influence of culture and compliance.

The secret to walking along a path successfully, is knowing how to make the best use of stepping stones. Find that well trod path, with appropriately placed stones that go in the direction you want to go. A good path in the wrong direction is not much use, just as good operations that have nothing to do with your mission statement or objectives is of little value unless your intention is to change your direction. Just as you align yourself with going in the right direction when walking along a path, following a compass, signs or other navigational aids, in business you follow your mission and objectives to avoid deviating off your path.

But assuming you are going down the right path, sometimes the stepping stones are not as well laid as hoped. (This would especially be the case if you were taking a blue ocean strategy rather than a red ocean strategy, but that’s a post for another day). The way of an innovator inevitably means going down the path less trod. So how do you improve your path - stepping stones.

Along the path you may also come across stumbling blocks, so what do you do then? Break them down if you can, or go around them. Just as it may be easier to break them down if you have the right tools, and others to call upon for assistance, the same applies in business. Accrue sufficient resources to deal with the stumbling blocks, with the greatest resource being people, so use the people you have in your midst. Workshop and brainstorm as much as possible.

Constantly break it down to small achievable goals. Feel free to share the big picture, helping others to know where you are trying to get to through the steps, but not at the expense of losing sight of the small steps that are needed in the immediate. (It may also be that you can’t share the big picture of a specific strategy for commercial in confidence, mid conversation, or other reasons). So when encountering a stumbling block, don’t get daunted, break it down, brainstorm and workshop, and tackle it a bite at a time.

Collaboration is a critical part of leadership, and is often easier to do than we think. A secret to doing it well is not making a big song and dance of it. This is where short sharp but regular workshopping or brainstorming sessions are critical. Without getting to far off track in this article, agency has to be considered (another article that needs to be written), so there has to be some feedback from brainstorming sessions and workshops, but collaboration should occur more frequently than it does in most entities. Not only does brainstorming and workshopping assist with problem solving, they assist team building, and can create collegiality and camaraderie.

Back to stepping stones. When you are heading down a business strategy path, ask the question: Is this an immediate or long term need? Where do we want to be in 1, 2 or 6 months or even year’s time? What has to be done to get there? A good workshopping activity that only needs to be brief is to set a goal, then collaboratively determine what is needed to get from A to B, then B to C, and so on. Obviously in some instances a well developed project management system will need to be utilized, but sometimes a hand drawn Gantt Chart will be enough to help crystallize the steps in your mind enabling you to communicate it to your team and assist with your brainstorming.

Whether dealing with stumbling blocks or stepping stones, break it down.

Accrue and call on the resources available to you. Brainstorm and workshop where possible, and break it down.

In every instance, break it down.