Use Rhythms and Rituals To Keep Teams Energized
How does your team keep Strategic Planning on track? Your organization has set strategic priorities and you’re ready to roll into the new year. The team is clear on goals, strategies and the tactics they need to implement. You’ve outlined KPIs and metrics to track progress. Next: how do you keep the plan alive so you don’t get sidetracked and pulled in every direction? Even the best laid plans can get shelved unless the foundation is built upon a process of accountabilities, rhythms, and rituals. Here are some ideas to get into your calendar. Create a Culture of Accountability First and foremost, leaders need to foster a culture of accountability. Does your plan have tactics assigned to a champion? Is there a timeframe or by-when date to aim for completion? Follow through and check on progress. Find out where things are stuck and get support for project champions when needed.
Is your organization climate ready?
Climate Change is punching us in the face! My energy the last few days has been drained from the searing temperatures outside. We are in the middle of another heat wave that is making its way across North America and has hovered over most of Europe the last month. One writer I’ve been following for a decade declared yesterday: “It’s time to face the Climate Reality… There is no longer a psychological distance (from our reality): Climate Change is punching us in the face!” Yes – it does feel to me like a face punch and yet another reality check that the need to take action is urgent! Does your organization have a plan to adapt and address these climate realities? Is your leadership team addressing the risks? Or do they prefer to act like your industry is immune? Are climate change impacts integrated into your long-term planning? What are
Doughnut Economics – what can we learn as we rebuild communities?
Last week, I was invited to attend a full-day community planning session with about 100 members of our small resort community (in Whistler, British Columbia). The Whistler Sessions: Possible Futures to Guide Us Beyond Recovery are important conversations for this tiny town. Our municipal leaders took a leap in a planning process that opens space for big conversations to address the challenges we are facing. Over the last six months, a diverse group of people from across Whistler and neighbouring First Nations in Squamish and Lil’wat were lead through a creative process to develop stories and scenarios about Whistler’s possible futures. The workshops were designed to unpack and grapple with these tough questions: What is happening? How do we see, from our different perspectives, the complex current reality in and around Whistler? What could happen? How could our lives unfold over the decades ahead? What could and must we do? How must we act
Getting back on track with simple, effective strategic plans
Put your hand up if you’re ready to simplify life? These days, it’s hard to stay focused and on track. We get pulled in different directions and get distracted by shiny objects. When running a high performing organization, you can bet that your team is also having a hard time staying the course. We’ve had too many pivots, shifting demands from our clients, and virtual meeting overload from work-from-home hot desks (the couch, kitchen table, bedroom…). What if you could inject simple, easy-to-use tools into your planning approach? Could your organization benefit from a clear framework that: clarifies where you want to go, focuses efforts on the things that matter most, and includes a roadmap to guide your team and board of directors? I’ve worked with a range of different organizations and I keep coming back to these tools because they can be implemented quickly and get results before the
A reading list for fresh ideas and optimism
Find a way through the chaos… I did a little shopping during a bitter cold snap (another case of extreme weather where I live). I decided to fill my mind with positivity, optimism and fresh thinking for the year ahead. Immersing myself in a good book (the paper kind, I’m old-school), is one way keep my head up from the downward spiral that follows from mindless doomscrolling. In case you’re looking for inspirational reads this year, here are my non-fiction picks: Green Swans: The Coming Boom in Regenerative Capitalism by John Elkington. If you’re looking for a manifesto for system change designed to serve people, planet, and prosperity – then add this to your list. The author is known for introducing the concepts of triple bottom line, people, planet & profit for business, and is an authority on corporate responsibility and sustainable development. Uncharted: How to Navigate the Future by
Decoding the reporting acronyms: SDG, ESG, CSR
Hint… it’s all about measuring impact Are the leaders at your organization looking to measure its impact? Bottom line financials track performance and measure growth, but these are often lag indicators: they look back on performance last quarter or last year. What about measurements that consider the bigger picture? The broader, forward-looking contributions an organization can embed into their goals. How about taking stock on the impact your organization has on the world? The people and communities, the environment and species, the wicked problems we are all experiencing today due to globalization? How would your customers feel if they knew your organization took a stand on inequality, invested in clean energy, or promoted responsible consumption? Would your employees get behind company initiatives related to good health, quality education, or clean water? Impact reporting over the last twenty years It was two decades ago that I first worked in impact reporting.