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Welcome to Decisive Views, keeping you up-to-date with our news every month...
Spring is here, the days are getting longer, the weather warmer and companies as well as individuals, perhaps even you, are contemplating addressing some of the changes you have been thinking about for some time. This month’s Decisive Views Newsletter takes a look at the importance of leadership in change, the value of improving your resilience through building community connections as well as our monthly book review.
The Value of Leading Change
Numbers of business leaders talk of re-engineering companies, as though a process akin to changing an engine or piece of machinery. In so doing they miss the point that all organisations are in fact complex social groups. It is the people within the business or team who will make it succeed. It is equally they who will question the need for the change, possibly resent it, and undoubtedly highlight shortcomings. The importance, consequently, of leading your team during change cannot be overstated.
Evidence of the power of this is fortunately seen across numbers of businesses which right now are facing cutbacks or closures. Workforces and individuals who have been engaged in the changing state of their business have appreciated the need for changes. That doesn’t mean that all of those changes are welcome, indeed they are not, but it has helped understanding and the avoidance of unnecessary friction. Within some organisations the feeling of being committed as a single team to its survival has even led to offers to take pay cuts or decreased hours.
Numbers of people will say that leadership is easy when things are going well. It is when teams, or businesses meet difficulties and multiple challenges that strong leadership is most needed. Decisive Operations is experienced in helping to develop leaders at all levels. If you feel we could help why not contact us and have a chat. leadership@decisiveoperations.com
Leadership Excellence
In its drive to achieve Olympic success, the British Cycling team adopted a system of Podium Athletes needing Podium Equipment, Podium Support, Podium Planning and Podium Leaders. On Thursday 14 May, Decisive Operations will be running a taster session in Chester on seeking Leadership Excellence. If you are interested in attending and would like further detail, please contact: leadership@decisiveoperations.com
Community Resilience
With the current frail position of large parts of our economy all businesses are looking at measures to make them more resilient. Often this is a detailed look within the business, but leaders and managers must now look beyond their gates and engage in developing community resilience for businesses.
Community resilience, whether it is based on your geographical location or your functional skill, will help businesses to withstand the effects of a major crisis or emergency. Through developing those preparations it will improve communication between businesses and the authorities who can provide support and assistance. It will lead to improved clarity of the situation and facilitate a better commitment of resources.
Economic and business recovery can be a long term process, meaning that a return to profitability may be slow. The involvement, by businesses, in community resilience will help to shorten that recovery time and will limit longer term business disruption.
Decisive Operations works with businesses to develop their resilience preparations. resilience@decisiveoperations.com
Recommended Reads
Dan Gardner’s “Risk” is an engaging easy to read book, describing the very real challenge of separating our perceptions of risks with the reality of evidence based facts. This book does not describe detailed methodologies for calculating risks but it does provide a lot of food for thought for anybody involved in strategic planning and decision making. For board members and executive leaders this book will help them decide how they want to direct the management of risk.
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