Disruption- a topic that has gained prominence in recent times. Organisations, even industries are warming up to the fact that disruption is the key to stay relevant and thrive in today’s climate. The pandemic is a classic example of disruption that no one would have been prepared for and why adaptability is important to thrive in any situation.
This is where leaders can play a key role. People usually look up to their leaders in uncertain, challenging times. As a leader, you are expected to provide guidance and demonstrate thought leadership to take your team/organisation forward. How you manage or respond to disruption goes a long way in building your impact on your environment.
That being said, not many people or teams do disruption too well. This is either through not appreciating the need for it, or not executing it well enough.
Rather than stay ahead of the curve, teams/organisations run the risk of lagging behind and losing their competitive edge, along with customer advocacy. It’s not just applicable to your market or customers. It also applies to your people.
While leading your team through disruption- either self-induced or externally triggered, it’s important that you take your team along, ensure that there is alignment across the board. You also want to ensure that people are aware of what’s happening, what are the steps ahead and what role do they get to play.
Unless you do so, you start noticing gaps in people engagement. You notice greater resistance with regards to key initiatives, and you may also experience people leaving.
Reiterating what I said earlier, how you manage or respond to disruption goes a long way in building your impact on your environment.
Today, we look at 3 key elements that are vital to managing disruption in your environment and being a game changer. Think of anyone you know who handles change and disruption really well- you’ll find these elements in common.
Mindset– Our mindset plays a massive role in our success. Definitely so in the context of disruption. Disruption can be either be self-initiated or triggered externally.
When you look at challenging the status quo, and strive for continuous improvement, you bring in disruptive thinking, that can help your team/organisation grow and become more efficient. And there’s disruption that comes from outside- through competitors, market factors, a pandemic (I had to say that, didn’t I?).
Whatever be the source, managing disruption starts with being curious, and being open to asking questions. Exploring how you can be better, and how you can enable others to fulfill their roles and responsibilities.
Being resilient, and focusing on what you need to do to come out stronger and better. Constantly learning, and looking to try new things helps you build momentum as you take on disruption.
People experience– I was often asked this question by a mentor while working on any initiative- What experiences do you want people to have as a result of this initiative? When it comes to visualising how you want to disrupt your environment, this is a very relevant question to ask- What experiences do you want people to have a result of the disruption you are bringing in? What outcomes do you want them to experience?
And if you are managing disruption through external factors, it’s worthwhile empathising and putting yourself in the shoes of your customers, stakeholders and your team. What challenges does this disruption pose for them? What are their concerns, and what do they expect from you?
Approaches such as design thinking and servant leadership (especially in an agile context) are considered to be really effective for problem solving and managing disruption for this very reason.
There is a high focus on understanding the pains/gains/expectations of people you liaise with, so you can facilitate the best possible conditions for them to thrive in.
Systems and Processes– How do your systems and processes serve you in the event of disruptions? Do they hinder your response or do they help you work seamlessly with the changes you experience? Back in my IT days, I used to lead an operations team.
One of the focus areas for our team on a regular basis was to simulate various conditions of failure for our systems- to see how well they would cope in the event of a disaster and how soon can we recover. This was a great exercise to understand key failure points, and any vulnerabilities that our systems/processes had.
As the famous saying goes- sweat in peace so you bleed less in war. You may not always anticipate uncertain times or change, however you can improve your odds of tackling them by building your readiness. How well you prepare for it makes you adaptable and responsive.
It also helps you think ahead and develop a more strategic view of your environment. Leaders who inspire transformation aren’t afraid to think ahead and challenge their teams to think differently, and think big. They understand the importance of their systems and processes in managing change and disruption, and they are always open to updating them to ensure that they serve their team and organisation in any situation.
Which of these elements do you see consistently in your environment? Where do you think you can improve so you can manage disruption better? I’d be keen to hear your thoughts!
Arpan Roy is the Director and Co-Founder of Arman Consultancy, a business focused on Leadership and Sales Consulting and Training. His weekly newsletter ‘High Impact Leadership’ can be found on Linkedin.