Move beyond survival mode and into 2021 reinvention mode

February 2021- Margaret Walsh Consulting

Move beyond survival mode and into 2021 reinvention mode.

We certainly have received a stark reminder that this COVID-19 virus is relentless, that it still presents a manifest threat throughout the Globe, and our battle is far from won. In addition, we are now confronted with new variants of the virus. I sit at my keyboard here in Titirangi and acknowledge to you all in our Industry Family, that New Zealand fortunately have been enabled by our geographical positioning, small country size, surrounded by the oceans, set border control abilities in our ports and airports combined with an immediate shut down in 2020, to control the virus. I have held Zoom meetings with some of you and I extend empathy and business strength to you all after the 2020 lockdowns. We all are aware now that a virus that can spread more easily will put further strain on our health workers and those working in managed isolation facilities, who are in many cases already over-worked and overstretched and yet remain our heroes and heroines.

There is still much to learn. Stay safe and focus on your quarterly business plans.

It is fair to say that at the start of 2020, few of us would have predicted the turmoil to come. A global pandemic was simply not on anyone’s radar, and those who did anticipate such a disruptive, game-changing event were probably not taken seriously. Such is the nature of forecasting in such a rapidly changing world – the risk of getting it wrong has never been higher.

As you, our New Zealand Industry business leaders and salon owners and managers, move beyond survival mode and into reinvention mode, it may be difficult to predict where we will be in two or three months from now, let alone 12 months. However, I am suggesting we all give it a fair shot each financial quarter.

My purpose is to take what is currently possible and identify how this might fit into a future world that is marked by volatility, uncertainty, complexity, and ambiguity.

From theory to practical application let us view three emerging trends to adopt that could shape your own business in 2021.

IBM suggests three key actions are required for organisations to adopt a continuous performance management process in 2021:

Establish a rhythm of perpetual real time feedback throughout the year.
Promote transparency with employees through shared goal setting meetings or Zoom meetings.
Apply specific analytics to link results to workforce growth and development.

Albert Einstein famously said: “We cannot solve problems by using the same kind of thinking we used when we created them.”

If this is true, and we are, as business leaders, serious about overcoming future business challenges, then it is time to reimagine you and your teams’ performance management.

Imagine having totally transparent achievable goals and projects, the ability for everyone to see what is important to focus on for our business in 2021. Segment your plans into quarterly plans with an overall 12-month plan to guide everyone.
Imagine having insight into what all other team members are working on, and the wider organisation’s overall progress toward results. This signals the return of simple colourful charts. Personally, I love hand drawn or computer-generated wall charts that allow the use of cheerful large felt tip pens on the them as they are very interactive and highlight the successes in real time every week. These can be emailed in a ‘working from home scenario’, or attached to wall board in the main office, or salon work room or tiny kitchen space easily.
Along the way, managers and employees can revisit and adjust goals throughout the year without fear of recrimination. Open discussion in our work communities must develop to reduce work anxiety. We all saw newly emerging skills in our workforce in 2020 and these included active learning, resilience, stress tolerance and flexibility. These are the exact skills business leaders must harness and build on in 2021.

Let us all trial the set quarterly financial plan – bring everyone into the mix at work and openly discuss how to track and measure your successes. Focus married with flexibility will win the day!

Contact ; info@margaretwalshconsulting.co.nz or text 0274 735 914