As this article is being written, we are heading into a major public health disruption around the COVID-19 virus. At this point, leaders around the globe are working out their responses, and it is very clear that there will not be a business on the planet that does not have clients that will feel the effect.
Disruptions on this scale call us to a higher level of performance as leaders and humans.
When we are thrust into uncertainty, the path forks in two directions with a narrower path between. Some will be conquered by fear and choose to hold until things “get back to normal,” while others will try to press ahead with business as usual.
The middle way involves embracing the uncertainty, learning through it, and allowing those learnings to change us. Many of you will recognize this as the hero’s journey, which is the model we use for our growth leader work (see article here).
When disruption takes us back to our core, we must start at first principles. Fundamentally, leaders in every firm need to have a layered agenda that starts with the safety and immediate care of those they lead. Once Layer One of Maslov is in place, leaders should address their employees and their means of production. If your employees don’t feel well cared for, they will not be able to care for your clients. Then, you need to get very granular on your clients’ needs: what is being consumed, by who, and at what rate? This allows you to take care of your clients in the most efficient way possible until you can get more resources online. Finally, reach out to your partners, that is those you count on to bring value to your business, and assure them that you are in the game and will continue to need their products and services.
In short, those who succeed and come out stronger during this cycle will be the ones who provide high personal support and sound expectations and who are willing to be changed by their experience.
Both/And Leadership
The key to success is to put high-quality people skills at the top of the list. One big difference with this crisis is the need for “social distance,” meaning that a big part of getting the planet healthy is going to be learning to do business at arm’s length (i.e, virtually). To this point, we have embraced digital technology, which in most cases, has always been a great adjunct to physical interaction. For many of my clients, it’s commonplace to have a face-to-face kickoff and then move to virtual interactions once the relationship has been struck.
This current challenge is pushing us into a “digital-first” communication model. Right now, we need to be able to strike up a relationship digitally, maintain it, and productively serve our clients through it. For those of you that suddenly find yourself conducting first contact business via Zoom or WebEx, I thought I’d share what I’ve discovered in serving global firms in a digital-first form. I’m not going to focus on tech, because honestly it’s hotly competitive and just about any of the top-tier systems can seamlessly make the hookup. The real work is in the preparation, agenda, planning, and mindset.
There is much to share here, but for this article, let’s anchor on three, higher-level, keys: authenticity, clarity and action orientation.
#1: Be Authentic, Yet Professional
Step one of conducting business virtually is to be relatable. In our leisure time, we have learned much from the rise of YouTube here. Ordinary men and women have built major followings by sharing their passions, imperfections, and paths with the world. In business, when we first go digital-only, we do ourselves a great disservice by skipping this step and pressing right into the action.
Once we’ve connected as humans, we can move forward as business leaders. But it is imperative to build the human bond before creating value.
Tips: As the leader of the team, you need to have the confidence to set up a “connect-then-perform” pattern. Take a moment to get a (short) casual update from each member present before tee’ing up the agenda. For lengthy projects where the team meets frequently, insert periodic casual close-out chats on one Friday a month. Consider doing a short video update on the project status for large teams.
To get a flavor of this, go spend a few minutes with Trent and Allie and see if you don’t feel welcomed and part of their journey. Check out Chris Brogan’s work, and notice how brief, bright and approachable he is (notice also that in his video clips he shares what his current beverage is – a master class in relatability).
#2: Clarity
This is where great preparation and intention meet. Working in a digital-first way demands more clear intention, as well as more owning of the meeting path than we traditionally do in our day-to-day, in-person routines.
Those things that we should do are not optional if you want to be successful in a digital native space.
Tips: Do your research and be sure to have a topic sentence/question for each interaction. For example, for this post, my topic sentence is to “help leaders through global disruption by stepping up to and delivering value in a digital-first format.” A nearly universal challenge question for meetings is:
What will be different after we’ve had this interaction?
It is very important that you indicate the intent of the section of the dialogue, for example, what is this portion of our agenda going to do, and what will our process be? Or, is this portion of the meeting a virtual breakout to discuss the impact of 3D printing on our manufacturing process?
#3: Be Action Oriented
It’s very important that every interaction be action oriented. It is so easy to check out on digital interaction, particularly when it’s audio-only. Great communicators are sure to mix it up every 5-7 minutes and with a poll, takeaway or action.
Bringing the topic to action creates clarity, and drives specific and runway-level questions. Questions anchor learning and provide your stakeholders with the ability to unpack it on their own.
Tip: So let me ask you, what exactly do you want your client to do at the close of your interaction? Start there and walk back to find the most efficient path to get there.
Keep Moving – and Collaborating
Regardless of your business, you can use the tools on your desk to move your business forward. Take a step today to strike up a fresh relationship that has intent and direction.
I frequently help leaders and their teams develop these all-important front running and micro-influence skills for their firms. If that’s an area you’d like to explore, please reach out to me at 847-651-1014, or set up an appointment directly using this link.
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