Preparation is everything – Having all the pieces of the puzzle
To create the company you have always wanted, you must have the correct conditions in place.
Whilst I want my clients to aim high and realise their ambitions, these things are not attainable without work. Each transformation requires thorough preparation not only to attain the desired outcome, but more importantly to guarantee it’s a success. Planning ahead and ensuring the relevant parts of your business are ready for a new initiative is vital, otherwise this progress in unsustainable.
A limiting mindset – Do you think you’re ready?
A quality I look for in all my clients is curiosity. I want them to be considering what the future could look like and how this might be achieved. Without this natural inquiry, it is difficult to enact any change. Without a pre-defined end point, how are you meant to know where you are headed?
To make an effective transformation in any context, whether this is personal, physical, or professional, you have to believe it can happen. At an organisational level, this means inspiring this mindset in your colleagues. One of the foundations of being a good leader is conveying your enthusiasm to others and making them feel the same.
If you want to change something within your company, you will need to following groups to buy-in:
1. The rest of your leadership team – to ensure you are aligned from the top
2. The relevant department manager(s) – so the plan is carried out effective
3. The employees concerned – for optimal implementation
You don’t necessarily need their approval. If you’re the main decision-maker in your business, it’s up to you, but it will definitely make your desired change more attainable if everyone is on the same page.
A missing element – Are the right tools are your disposal?
If you aim to change something, the relevant aspects that affect this transformation must be in place. For example, if you want to alter your reporting structure you might consider the following:
Understanding the key information the reports must convey
The time required to write and read the reports
A standard structure for the reports, to give those writing something work with
The method of transfer for the reports
A routine or time-requirement to establish, so the reports arrive when they’re needed
All of these things represent the tools, which handled well, allow you to carry out your project. Sometimes these tools can be literal processes, that you as leader can control to obtain the desired outcomes. Alternately, these tools can be viewed as conditions that must be in place for the initiative to succeed.
Before diving headfirst into a new project, ensure you have the correct tools at your disposal to meet your target. Planning is everything.
A different perspective – Have you got the skills?
Beyond believing you can do it and having the right conditions in place, it is essential that you and those implementing the desired change have the skills to do so.
For leaders: It is impossible to reach your potential; there always new things to learn. It might be the case that to achieve something new, you have to broaden your knowledge in a particular subject, or adopt a methodology you had never previously considered. This might sound like something you don’t have the time to do, but if your skillset falls a little short in a certain area, it is important you invest some time into this.
For employees: Train your employees, so that they can confidently carry out the task you want. Without this specific proficiency, it is likely that the product of their endeavours will be substandard, and hardly worth the time and energy involved. Identify the skills they will need. Ask them where they feel least assured. Taking these steps will make the outcome more predictable and more successful.
So don’t limit you ambitions, make sure you’ve got the correct tools, knowledge and skillsets at your disposal. Follow these stages of preparation and you have every piece of the puzzle.
