Boldly Go
“Do not follow where the path may lead. Go instead where there is no path and leave a trail.” ~ Muriel Strode
As leaders, we need to take our people from where they are now to where they need to be. As market conditions change, we need to anticipate and position our people so that we can continue to succeed.
This sometimes means we need to do things that have not been done before, and that can be stressful.
Develop a vision for success. Figure out where you want the team to be.
Develop a “big picture” plan to achieve it. This should have enough structure to include all major phases and primary milestones, but not be too “in the weeds.”
Bring in a few trusted team members and present the plan. Really listen to their opinions, input, and suggestions. Be open to the idea that “five people will think of more things than one person.” One of the reasons the plan is less specific at this stage is that your team members might suggest that you modify it. If you have not spent hours on the details, you will be more open to making those modifications.
You might have a series of meetings about the plan over a couple of weeks. Team members might research options between sessions and make recommendations at the next meeting. But keep the planning focused and finite, with a goal to build the best version of the plan and then build buy-in from the small group.
Once you have that, develop a schedule to achieve each step and assign responsibility for individual components or tasks.
Roll the idea out to the rest of the organization with positivity and a focus on how the end result will be better for the team or the organization. Make sure you also address the concerns people might have for disruption, fairness, and the sense of loss people have for existing processes. Tradition can be powerful, and “it’s the way we’ve always done it” has derailed many changes.
“What gets measured gets done; what gets rewarded gets repeated.” Have simple metrics to assess progress. Reward people for completing training, or doing the new process, or hitting an interim milestone. Individuals who go above-and-beyond should be individually rewarded, and teams that collectively move forward should also be rewarded as a team. Celebrate successes, and keep a continual, gentle push toward further progress. The small achievements will add up over time.
(image source: https://www.quotery.com/quotes/will-not-follow-path-may#google_vignette)