I've been having lots of conversations with C-level clients lately that go something like this: "You know, we really need to take a more holistic look at how we're operating this business. I'm not sure we're clear enough about where we’re trying to go, overall – not just the financial targets, but the kind of company we’re trying to create – or how we're going to get there. And I'm not sure we've got the very best people on the team, or the clean and simple systems and processes we’ll need to get there."
I find it heartening. It doesn't feel fearful; it's not the oh-my-god-the-sky-is-falling-let's-slash-spending stuff we were hearing a couple of years back. And it's not overly conservative – that is, I'm not hearing CEOs say they're going to stop looking for new ways to serve their customers, or to let go of their hopes for solid business growth.
It simply feels like a more balanced approach: like more senior executives are looking to establish what I'm fond of calling "reasonable aspirations." That is, to create a vision for the future that's realistic and achievable, given the current reality. When you establish reasonable aspirations, then you can focus on creating reasonable plans for achieving them.
Perhaps too many US businesses have operated too much like teenagers for the past 20+ years: going for short-term gratification, feeling immortal, thinking that consequences apply only to someone else. And maybe the silver lining of this wild time we're experiencing is that it will get us to finally grow up as a business community — and look to create organizations that are solid, sustainable, responsible to the communities and world in which they operate.
That's what I'm hoping. What do you think?
