2022 is going to be tough but the right culture will keep you going…

Business leaders today are tested for real talent in keeping their organisations performing as the external environment is getting tougher by the day. Challenges have been brought into the business from the outside environment of which most are inevitable under current conditions. Superiority of products, sophistication of production processes, marketing communications are no longer assuring the survival or the success of organisations. Adaptability, agility and entrepreneurial thinking are the ingredients of the winning recipe under current circumstances. The only competitive edge at this point is the culture of the organisation which probably would have been created prior to the pandemic.

Creating a culture is possible however copying or duplicating a culture is difficult as certain organizations believe in the fact that by hiring employees of competitor organizations, it’s possible to build a performing culture which can compete in any environment. Comparison of two metaphors can explain this better. In a more settled calm and unchanged environment, a leader’s role would be fixed, consistent and most probably one-directional. However, as the environment changes, and as it gets tougher with challenges, the same leader who performs well under a calm environment can fail as he may not be able to handle the dynamics. Taking rowing and rafting as metaphors of the environment and organizations which are operating in such environments, it’s easy to understand the two concepts.

Imagine a leader of a rowing team, who doesn’t even look forward instead keeps looking at the way the team operates. The leadership role is pretty much straight forward as the water is comparatively clearer than rafting. Team will not play a key role in decision making either. Maintaining the rhythm and motivating the team are crucial but there is not much of pressure coming from the environment. Hence, the team’s performance is not hindered by any external factors unless there are internal issues which the leader can’t take control of. Certain industries and organizations can be classified under rowing as it’s pretty much a settled environment. What can happen on the contrary to this where the environment is turbulent, and the leader not having the luxury of focusing only on the team? Leader as well as the team will be actively taking part in quick decision making and action.

Team cohesion and synergies will be pre-requisites for survival. Leader will not be in the fore-front monitoring the team instead will be in the back motivating the team. However, decisions will be taken instantly for the best interest of the team and there will be no chance for anyone to keep the others posted prior to a decision. Another important aspect of a team performing in this environment is the commitment. Lack of commitment of one member would drive the whole team to get disastrous results. The metaphor of rafting is more suitable for today’s environment than ever. In order to survive, organisational members will have to go out of the general protocols and even defined business demarcations to bring revenues to the organisation.

In order for any team to perform, what needs to be practiced in the team?

For example, in the metaphor of rafting for the team to be successful, trust in each other is pivotal. Trust would facilitate productive conflicts. Conflicts doesn’t mean fights instead it will be about having constructive criticisms and arguments for the betterment of the organisation. Therefore, naturally there will also be a commitment from the team to implement decisions which will create a sense of accountability too. Combining them together, will deliver results. Therefore, it’s important to make a tough team which can get tougher as the environment gets tougher. A team which would get weaker with external challenges will always be a backward team which find it difficult to deliver results. However, for a team to be tougher than the environment, it needs to have a leader who can make them tougher with a corporate will which is blended with humanity to take up any challenge and make positive changes despite external pressure due to unavoidable circumstances such as the effects of the pandemic.

Year 2022 and beyond

Year 2022 will bring more challenges and changes to teams and structures and also it will demand more cohesion and commitment from teams. Organisations will have to be ready with untested and unproven wisdom which can be called as fluid intelligence which will not be a result of long standing work experience, instead it will be the knowledge of the context in which the changes are taking place at a rapid phase. Execution will be the key to success than planning as execution has to be a mindful execution than a mere execution which would spin out of experience of being in a given business for a longer time. As it’s evident, experience is a dirty word which allows someone to repeat the same mistakes over and over again with ever building confidence. Hence, experience without fluid intelligence to read the forthcoming changes in the environment wouldn’t mean much.

Theme for 2022

Theme for 2022 would be mindful execution of plans and strategies as business leaders will be confronted with multiple challenges in operating in their respective environments. Leaders as well as teams will have to be mindful of each and every step of their way to achieving goals of the organisation. May the year ahead be filled with new opportunities and new avenues for the Sri Lankan corporate fraternity!