In the last few years, many businesses and leaders I know were actively contemplating how to disrupt their business models. Their aim? To find new ways of operating in order to succeed in a volatile and complex environment. This work is both necessary and arduous for leaders and their top teams. Disrupting an organization from its stasis is challenging and typically means the leaders themselves have to evolve. At Capacity Group, this is the work we do with our clients, and today’s environment represents a unique opportunity for leaders who want to evolve their organizations.
The amount of ambiguity, volatility, complexity, and uncertainty has been on the rise for many industries. While that environment recently became more complex and even chaotic with the onset of Covid-19, it also represents an opening on this work of transformation. As Covid-19 abruptly forced many organizations to try new ways of operation – by using new technology, transitioning talent to work from home, creating virtual environments, and more – it also created an openness to change that leaders can harness. The system has been disrupted and can now be remolded in ways beyond what was required for Covid-19. We are helping clients find those change elements and figure out how to accelerate these in the coming weeks and months.
In Piaget’s theory of cognitive development, he suggests that all individuals seek equilibrium between their thinking and environment. Further, when there is disequilibrium, new learning can be assimilated as the individual returns to a state of equilibrium. The window opened by Covid-19 can be used as a way to infuse meaningful change, build and leverage new muscles, and pursue learning as your organization re-establishes its equilibrium. We all need new muscles for the pace of change in business today and now is the time to accelerate these efforts.
So, what have you been wanting to change? What can you accelerate or initiate now that there is an openness to change in your organization or team? How can you engage your team and associates in this work? In this moment, leaders must be messaging about what is important, setting direction, and providing inspiration. We encourage leaders to create and accelerate desired change. Consider the following questions:
- What aspects of your organization and its way of operating are you needing to change to meet business challenges?
- How can you accelerate that change right now?
- What new beliefs do you have about yourself, your team, and your organization that give you confidence or encouragement to keep changing given how you successfully adopted to the Covid-19 environment?
- What is the future direction for your organization and how can you start messaging and demonstrating this?
If you, your organization or team need assistance or more information, please feel free to contact us.