Jay Sachetti joined Jeff O’Brien, partner at Husch Blackwell and Dyanne Ross-Hanson, president of Exit Planning Strategies talked about the market for mergers and acquisitions, exit planning opportunities for companies that don’t end up for sale and how companies can maximize their eventual sale price during an early October panel at the first Upsize on Tap event at Summit Brewing Co. in St. Paul.
When the state Legislature passed a law requiring employers to provide paid leave and safe time for employees, Justin Bieganek started hearing differing details from friends, colleagues and peers.
There is no doubt about it, this past year has been tough. Every organization, no matter how big or small, has been tested in ways that none of us could have imagined. It has taught us about ourselves and our businesses and how we perform as leaders during a year of constant change and uncertainty. At Keystone Group, we help business leaders and CEOs navigate change and learn how to be conscious leaders — which was critical during the pandemic and remains so as we emerge on the other side. As part of our work, we are brought in when businesses are feeling stuck and aren’t sure what to do next or why they are in this position in the first place. I tell them — stop mowing dandelions.
What do I mean? Business leaders need to look beyond just the immediate issues and get down to the root of the problem — what’s really causing these pain points to happen? To make impactful change, we can’t keep cutting the dandelion off at the stem and hoping it won’t grow back.
How do leaders do that, especially after a year of constant change and chaos? Here’s how your organization can stop mowing dandelions and, instead, cut out the root.
Whether it’s a merger or acquisition, a leadership departure or a new product or service, organizations are constantly staring change in the face. Add to the mix a global pandemic that not only amplified the rate of change but also, for many, also highlighted issues they might not have seen before. As organizations continue
to evolve out of COVID, many are faced with the realization that parts of their business might not have been as strong as they thought, which leaves them a choice: Walk toward those challenges and see them as opportunities or stand still.
If you find yourself paralyzed by change, or you can’t quite figure out what the next step is, you are not alone. Instead of looking at what is out of control, look at what you can control. No matter how overwhelming things may seem, there are more things you can control than you realize.
Start having honest conversations with your team about the reality of the business as you know it today, whether good, bad or ugly. Ask “What processes are holding us back?” “What are we good at?” Take this time to find clarity and identify where you’re going to focus your energy.
We all do it. We pass someone at the store or in the hallway at work (pre-COVID) and ask “How are you?” The answer 99 percent of the time is “good.” When asked this question we go on autopilot, as it requires little thought or engagement. It’s the same concept when it comes to asking questions about our business.
So many organizations keep “mowing dandelions” because they keep asking the same questions. As leaders, we need to start asking different questions, ones that stop our teams in their tracks. Chances are we’ll find out things we didn’t know before. The better questions, the more opportunities the business will see.
Ask yourself, what are the different questions I need to be asking now that will help keep us going? They could be related to business strategy, team capabilities and performance, or perhaps accountability and coaching. Whatever they are, focus on what will allow you to peel back each layer of your operation in new ways.
Ask your team to share something that’s working and something that’s not. What’s making their life harder? What’s making it easier?
These types of questions not only help you dig deeper, but they also drive greater levels of engagement and trust.
You can download a “Degrees of Strengths Questionnaire” here to help get you started.
One of the hardest parts of digging to the root problems is that sometimes we think we’re there, but we’re not. When the issue still feels too big to tackle or there aren’t clear actions you can take, it’s a good sign you are not yet to the root of the issue.
During one recent client meeting they told me, “We already know what our root issue is. We have communication issues.” While this seems like a very understandable problem, after asking more questions it became clear that communications issues weren’t the root problem, they were the pain they were feeling as result of other problems. This happens so often in businesses. You’ve met, you’ve asked the questions and you think you’ve found the answers, when really you are solving the pain you can see and feel, not the root issue. Push to keep breaking it down to the lowest possible denominator so the actions you need to take, even if they are small, start to become clear. Continuously ask yourselves what is the real issue, four or five times to help you and your team get deeper toward the root.
caption
For leaders, we have so much on our plates that often it’s much easier to duct tape the problem (mow the dandelion) than it is to take the time and energy to have the hard conversations. And sometimes, let’s face it, we’re too close to the dandelions to even see them. If that is the case, consider bringing in someone who can help you see more clearly. Often, we need outside perspective to help us dig into the issues we’ve been mowing over that keep popping back up.
As we emerge from a year like no other, there are tremendous opportunities ahead. Pushing through the pain points and accepting change can lead us to places we never imagined. I encourage business leaders to make yourselves comfortable with the uncomfortable and keep digging down to those roots. If you do, you will have incredible breakthroughs and find new levels of success.
