Frustrated with results, but not entirely sure what the problem is? Here’s a checklist to start diagnosing what’s really holding you back:
- Are you thinking about – and talking about – your situation productively? What’s the balance between “we have to…” and “we want to…”? ("Want to" tends to be more productive.)
- How big is your definition of “we”, as in “we want to…”?
- What’s the level of energy, courage and confidence in the organisation? If it's low, why?
- How clear is the purpose of your business? Is it only about shareholder returns, or are there aspects of your purpose that will appeal broadly?
- Are the values and accepted behaviours in the organisation supportive of working quickly in collaboration?
- Do you have reliable, fast-cycle management processes for information sharing and co-ordination of action?
- Is there a written set of goals, timelined plans with clear accountabilities, and measures of progress?
- Do you have an written, shared model of how your business works today?
- Do people across the business have visibility to external developments that might impact them?
- 10. Do you have a rich and fresh flow of analysis, insights, and intuition about the business? Could you be missing key aspects of your situation?