by Pat Grosse
Nobody can deny that 2020 was the year that struck a lightening bolt that’s still reaping its energy in every part of our lives. The ripple effect of the COVID 19 pandemic will permeate throughout our lives in the years to come. One of its greatest effects has been to force us to consider and construct new pathways into the future. Add to this, the effects of human behaviours on climate, and the relentless march of new technology, and 2020 has been a wake up call to the massive changes around the corner.
Many of the organisations we work with have pandemic, climate change and technology advances somewhere in their strategic and risk plans, but until the last year haven’t truly considered the real impact of these events. Others just haven’t considered some or all of these game changers. 2020 brought us the opportunity to observe, learn and lead in a changed and unknown landscape. It’s not simply about a new ‘COVID normal”. COVID is just one catalyst for forcing change. We know that, but fear of the unknown may be stopping some from even contemplating change, and expecting to get back to as close to how things were as possible in 2021 and beyond. If this is you, then finish here and don’t read on.
Time to Rethink and Reset
However, if you are open to the new opportunities a ‘rethink and reset’ brings forward, here are five reasons to reframe your Strategic Plan, to get you on track for success in a new, re-imagined, world:
1 The Situation has Changed. BIG TIME!
You may have diligently done your environmental scan and used it to build your Plan, but so much has changed. Take a look at the Situation Analysis holding your plan together. Do you recognise it in today’s context?
2 The Visionaries always see what the rest don’t want to
DISRUPTION leads to innovation – this is the time for the creative visionaries amongst us to see their way to new ideas that will help us to move forward with confidence in the new world order.
3 Your Mission is even more important than ever
It’s time to emerge from the sea of sameness and look at your Mission statement through a new lens. How have recent events impacted on the emotion behind your Mission Statement? Translate this emotion to create a powerful motive for reviewing your strategic priorities.
4 The fuse has been lit and there’s no turning back the clock – change is inevitable
Like a ship on the ocean, when the winds change, so you must also adapt so that you get through stormy waters intact and on course. Steer the ship into new territory or flounder on the turbulent rocks as you try to sail back to shore. There’s no going back.
5 Your resources, timelines and targets are no longer aligned to your goals
A good strategic plan outlines what you want to achieve and how you are going to go about getting these results. Changes in work patterns, online technology, environmental change – these are examples that impact on how you design activities to get results.
and bonus:
6 If you didn’t anticipate the impacts of a pandemic in your risk plan, what else did you miss?
About the author
Our plan for 2021 is to assist as many organizations as we can through a transition period leading to a new strategic plan. We aim to achieve this through tailored support and our off-the-shelf Strategic Planning Toolkit Program, designed to be flexible enough to suit the needs of both large and small operations. Contact us at [email protected] for a demo.
