Eric Allais is President & CEO of PathGuide Technologies, which provides warehouse management and shipping solutions for distributors.
Remember the days before GPS when you had to recall a route, rely on a map or (gasp!) ask for directions? If you were stuck in a traffic jam and wanted to find an alternate route, those were your options. Then, along came Google Maps, Waze and similar real-time GPS mapping services to make re-routing a breeze. Navigating unfamiliar territory had never been easier!
Unfortunately, business leaders don’t have GPS to help them navigate corporate traffic jams. Situations that involve accepting difficult feedback, managing conflicting viewpoints or mitigating extreme risk factors, for example, can be downright debilitating. Like the driver in a traffic jam without navigational tools, it’s easy to become “stuck” because of these internal traffic jams.
Even the best-laid plans require modifications along the way, forcing leaders to find an alternate path forward. Here are three situations C-suite leaders might face where “rerouting” is the best option for navigating internal obstacles.
The Only Good Ideas Are My Own
Let’s say, for example, you’re a CEO pitching a new product or service idea to your board of directors. If your traditional way of thinking does not leave room for counterarguments or suggestions to expand on your idea, it’s likely that your position will quickly reach a dead end.
To make matters worse, there’s a very real chance that the next idea you present to the board may be psychologically tainted by the experience, meaning it won’t even get a fair “hearing.” You’ve reached the proverbial dead end. Instead, pay attention and welcome new ideas. Listen actively. Listen for understanding. Listen in preparation for offering a thoughtful response—after others have a chance to respond.
A team process is more scalable, more durable and, quite possibly, more fun. Getting to a desired outcome is often more iterative, especially when you’re sincere in soliciting input. An added benefit of taking this approach is positive buy-in from a larger group of stakeholders. Yes, it can be difficult to see your idea transform or evolve, but it’s often the case that there is another path forward (it’s not that you were incapable of stopping at a gas station to ask for directions when lost, you just preferred not to do so).
Buy-in fuels motivation and promotes shared ownership, lending success a much better chance. It’s not “my way or the highway;” you’ve given your idea a new life and the support of everyone around you.
The Devolving Team Meeting
We’ve all been in meetings where people have competing interests, especially around topics that have the potential to elevate personalities. Depending on the norms, culture and even protocols for a meeting, these passionate discussions can degenerate into heated battles or even turf wars. We know that this accomplishes one thing: Derailing the other priorities and objectives on the agenda. The likely conclusion is that thoughts and ideas from the group are trapped in a never-ending journey toward a land of verbal congestion.
The natural reaction might be to step in and take control of the meeting. Instead, welcome these alternate perspectives and the contributions of others. It’s quite possible that one individual—or perhaps even your board, with the previous example—will come up with an improved idea that results in a “better mousetrap.”
There’s more than one route to your destination. While your inclination may be to course correct and get the agenda back on track, this type of engagement with employees or other key stakeholders presents an opportunity for the engines of collaboration and inclusion to flourish.
Scared Stiff By Risk
Finally, let’s consider a scenario that’s especially likely to arise in today’s uncertain economic environment. Leaders are surrounded by risks at every turn, yet they must continue looking for opportunities to advance and grow the business despite these challenges. Business risk is the traffic jam.
It’s easy to become paralyzed by the consequences of making a “wrong” decision, but successful business leaders know that inaction can be even more costly than incorrect action. At its core, leadership is an inexact, yet ongoing practice requiring the right amount of oversight to drive successes and remedy failures. When risk-taking is embraced, experience and deeper discovery are gained through trial and error.
When it comes down to it, the degree of the opportunity can help shape the amount of risk worth taking. For example, research and evaluate the best- and worst-case scenarios, as well as the potential ROI or benefits of each, to understand and predict the range of possible outcomes for a given decision. There’s no need to shoot for the moon! Strive for sustainable progress by leveraging market advantages, and don’t bet the farm, or throw a desperate Hail Mary, to gamble on a wishful result.
If endeavors fall short, uncover the root cause, invite open discussion for a different approach or have the courage to retool—or even outright jettison—the project entirely. Experience, flexibility and building in contingencies will help mitigate risk factors along the way, but knowing when and how to refocus efforts in the face of such adversity is key.
These three examples convey to anyone managing a complex project or team that they should welcome rerouting, when needed, to overcome hurdles. Conditions change along the way, people adjust their mindsets and bottlenecks occur. For these reasons, take the time to build contingencies into your planning to reduce friction, lessen anxiety, control costs and keep your project moving forward. If you’re feeling stuck, think about the GPS rerouting function and look for alternative paths to make things happen.
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