A year ago, during the depths of the Pandemic, I noticed a disturbing comment cropping up in the conversations I was having with organizational leaders. It went something like this: “We’re so slammed right now that we can’t even think about next week, much less next quarter or next year. For us, strategic planning and forward thinking are out the window.”
The comment was certainly understandable. At the time, it was all anybody could do to get through the day. The only thing certain was uncertainty. Why even try to look or think ahead?
But if you’ve lived through a few recessions, terrorist attacks, stock market crashes and assorted natural disasters, you sensed something was wrong with the “planning is out the window” mental set. Somehow it seemed a prescription for future disaster. You knew in the back of your mind that those who take their eye off the ball often end up being thrown out of the game. And even amidst the chaos, the old adage “if you fail to plan, you plan to fail” was still valid.
Now that we are entering the post-pandemic period, its evident that pandemics were just the latest type of disruption organizations and their leaders face in what is often called the Age of Acceleration. Covid-19 did not signal the end of forward thinking and strategic innovation, in fact just the opposite.
And right now there’s another shift underway that requires just as much strategic thinking and planning to maximize results. Covid caseloads are falling fast, shots are going into arms, workers are returning to the workplace, and consumers are spending.
There’s evidence of an economic boom that could dwarf anything we’ve seen in decades. But the question is: Are you and your organization ready? Are you making plans to maximize your rebound?
One surefire way to signify the pivot to this new environment is to host a strategic leadership offsite. Designed well, such meetings can become a transformational moment for your organization. Use these six guidelines to steer your organization in a bold new direction: