To Succeed Today, Be Ready to Pivot

By Jay Forte and Guy Gruenberg

Change and challenge. These are not only present in today’s workplace but have been part of the human condition for thousands of years. Though the speed of change and the nature of the challenges are different, we still live, work and run businesses in a turbulent world. The most successful people and businesses have learned to accept, work with and create opportunities from the turbulence. They train their organizations to be nimble, flexible and responsive to shift and pivot as they need to, to stay relevant, competitive and successful as their world changes.

Organizations that pivot train, engage and activate their teams to constantly gather and assess information, brainstorm options to address the changes and then act quickly, decisively and intentionally. For them, the turbulence of their world inspires opportunities for improvements and success. Pivoting is how to intentionally meet the world where it is, then bring it to something better.

Getting ready to pivot

The first step to successfully pivot is to develop the practice of expanding the information you gather about you, your team, your business and your environment. Gathering information is key to developing a deeper understanding of what is affecting your world and organization. Successful organizations train, engage and activate every employee to continually watch all aspects of the business to gather information and share their observations. They solicit feedback by asking these questions:

·  What are the changes in technology?

·  What are changes in customer preferences?

·  What are the issues and challenges with talent supply and wage rates?

·  What is the cost of money and changes in interest rates?

·  What is today’s competition and presence of new ways of selling?

·  What is affecting the supply of key products?

·  What is the role of AI on our customers and on our business?

·  What are new regulations, legislation and laws that affect our customers, our products and our business?

·  What’s working and not working with our employees – sourcing, training, development, compensation?

·  What’s working and not working about our service, our product offering, our pricing?

·  What’s working and not working about our technology?

·  What’s working and not working about the local and national economy as it affects our business?

·  What’s working and not working in our growth plan?

Though gathering new information is critical, the pace of our days frequently keeps business stuck doing what they always do,  even if it is unproductive. Making time to stop and notice – to gather information and understand – is necessary to be able to develop responses and act quickly.

Consider having a 10-minute daily team huddle to create the time and space for employees to share what they have noticed that may affect customers and the business. Make it easy for employees to share their observations. Applaud employee contributions (remember the adage, “What gets applauded, gets repeated”). Consider asking employees to create a weekly summary of observations that includes their perspectives of what is working and not working in their days. Welcome all thoughts. With all eyes on the environment and business, you are now more present and informed. Successful organizations are masters at gathering evaluating information.

Brainstorming options

With expanded information, next focus on the areas that are not working or are changing. Assemble the team to brainstorm possible responses to things needing attention. Brainstorming accesses the collective genius of the company (after all, you pay your employees to think as well as to do the tasks of the job) and benefits the from the ideas and perspectives of everyone.

Make it easy for employees to offer ideas. Post a challenge or issue on a white board at the beginning of the week and encourage employees to share their solution ideas. Meet to evaluate the ideas as a team. Consider having departments brainstorm solutions for other departments’ challenges to take advantage of new perspectives and different thinking. Applaud contributions. Organizations that pivot well are masters at soliciting ideas from their entire team, with a focus on value-add and actionable Items.

Choose and Act Decisively

Now armed with expanded ideas, collaboratively create an action plan. Include others in the process and ensure the full implementation has both an accountable party and an implementation date. Pivoting is about shifting, responding or moving quickly to factors that requires a new and immediate response. Consider meeting weekly to review progress on action items, including posting progress, applauding successes and communicating openly. Continually assess the effectiveness of your pivot by assessing whether the action plan worked or did not work. Make changes as necessary.

Pivoting is acting present, optimistic and responsive in a changing world to businesses do not become out of touch with their customers, employees, suppliers or growth plan. Commit as a team to consistently gather information, assess and understand it, brainstorm options for responses and build and implement action plans quickly. Track results. Modify as necessary.

Life will continue to be turbulent – that is just how our world works. Help all employees feel confident with change and challenge because they know how to pivot – to gather information, brainstorm ideas, then act quickly and intentionally. Making your business and organization ready to respond to the growing speed of change, prepares it to be successful when others will not be.