The Bolide Effect
The impacts of big events like a pandemic
This content relates to…
1) Introduction
In this series of posts we explore how the Covid-19 pandemic has changed our working landscape, what the implications are, and the new challenges we now face in the business world. 2020 has been a peculiar year for all of us. It has changed the way we live, socialise and work. We’ve all had to adapt and change the way we interact with our customers and clients, how we approach meetings and also the way in which our interactions take place just to name a few! Here at Bigrock we have likened the Covid-19 pandemic to a Bolide impact. For those of you who are familiar with this terminology, you will immediately be able to draw connections between the two and know exactly where we’re coming from with this likeness. For the rest of us, a Bolide in geological terms indicates a very large asteroid or fireball, that creates a large crater upon impact. The similarities between a Bolide and the pandemic are quite astounding; both come out of nowhere, they cause huge and obvious impact, neither can be ignored and things are never quite the same afterwards, it creates a new environment where those who adapt will survive and thrive, and those who do not….will struggle at best. But exactly what impact has this had on your business? We’re going to take you through a process we are guiding some of our best clients through to establish what effect the Covid-19 pandemic has had on their businesses and to set out a plan for the future.
It all starts with Step 1: To fully understand the current situation within your business.
2) Step 1 – The Organisation: Getting to the Core
The best reaction to a bolide situation, is to understand four things extremely well…
By exploring these four questions this enables you to get deep into the core of your business exploring with fresh eyes issues such as…
- Proposition suitability
- Operating model effectiveness
- Cost base requirements
- Distribution channels required
- Pricing demands
- Competition & new entrants
- Working patterns and flexible working strategy
- New opportunities opened up
- New efficiencies available
- New culture imperatives
- New momentum and energy
12 Operational Excellence Factors: The image shows one great example of an Operational Excellence audit we have recently supported a client with. They used the following twelve headings to dig deep into their organisation. Then, across their EMEA business, they asked each country and team to answer how strongly these twelve factors were in place.
Once you have completed your internal Operational Excellence audit you’re ready to move on to Step 2…
3) Step 2 – Getting the Balance Right
The New Organisational Benchmark: The People, Clients and Results
One of the best ways to understand the balance that leaders try to create in their organisation is through the Employee Experience + Client Experience = Return on Experience equation. Every organisation should and indeed must focus on results, be that profit, growth or value. But where do those results come from? They come of course from your customers and their propensity to buy and return is a function of their experience of dealing with your organisation, the CX. We must of course ask how that CX is shaped and delivered, and clearly it is through the 7 P’s fo the marketing mix… product, price, promotion, place, packaging, positioning and people. And in turn, those 7 emanate from one of the 7…. PEOPLE. How your people perform is a result of their experience in your organisation, the EX. So to drive better results, the focus of Leadership should be on EX + CX to deliver RoX.
The Organisation Balance Equation
The Success Model
Has the balance of this equation in your business been knocked out by the Bolide impact? What has happened to your employees experience… And your clients own experience and expectations? How might this impact on your organisations results? Some of the best organisations seek to keep this equation in balance through the Success Model of Mindset, Process, Skillset and Culture.
What might you need to do to optimise these elements within the new environment?
Have you adequately given permission to your employees to act differently? To change their habits? Some clients are throwing some great questions at their employees:
- What does holistic change look like – not just moving our meetings to virtual?
- How can you and your team best grow in the new environment?
- Can we take this opportunity to increase our personal and team health?
- Do we have permission to ‘gaze’ to break video based days intensity?
- Are we having enough fun?
They are also talking about the internal mindset. The fact that change that is forced upon us without any choice is hard to accept. That we can grieve for our previous working life and need time and opportunity to download this to get back to positive self-talk and then identify and bank the benefits of an enhanced way of working.
Similarly, they are reviewing closely and in detail the physical working environment. For Bigrock this has led us to not only move office… but actually build our new office and co-creating with our colleagues to create the best physical space. From location and set up, to more natural surroundings, reduced distractions, increased out-side spaces, circadian lighting, biophilia and multi-location work.
Many of our clients have also realised that old skills are no longer enough…or…that previous skills do not equip their teams for success in the new world. They are looking afresh at Skills and Processes to Manage, Lead, Sell, Pitch, Negotiate and Communicate.
Is there more you should review in your Organisation? Do you have the EX + CX = RoX equation in balance? When you have identified anything that needs to change, you’re ready to move to Step 3…
4) Step 3 – Bridging the Gap
Fundamentally, all this introspection and questioning as a consequence of our Covid-19 Bolide Effect is making us conduct a shortfall analysis:
- Where does your organisation need to be to win going forward?
- How does that differ from what was acceptable in the past?
- What gaps therefore need to be addressed?
This defines the changes your organisation must make to survive and thrive.
To then structure and deliver the changes required into your organisation, we would suggest you engage with the following two models: one from Knoster (which we have adapted to allow for the importance of Culture in embedding change) and one is our own creation from Bigrock. One is about ‘Thinking’ and designing the changes, the other about acting and ‘Doing’ the change.
The Knoster Model beautifully captures all the dimensions that must be considered and thought about – the ‘Thinking’ model, the Bigrock Core 8 Model describes the sequential process that one must act upon to achieve lasting change – the ‘Doing’ model.
The ‘Thinking’ – Knoster
Knoster is both simple and compelling. If you miss out one of these 6 elements, then successful change will not occur. It shows us what will happen if any piece is missing, and as such gives us a ‘checklist’ of all the areas we must consider. We must then design a consensus on what we want to happen against each area, and then build the plan to act.
Core 8 helps deliver that action… it is about the ‘Doing’…
- Have we created ‘Buy-in’ …. At a Strategic, Leadership and Individual level?
- Have we delivered learning and achieved commitment to act and change behaviours?
- Are people applying and elevating their new approach?
- Is this being re-enforced, supported and embedded until it becomes a new habit?
When properly applied – Knoster and Core 8 will evolve and even transform your organisation. Taking a challenging situation, and turning it to your competitive advantage.
The ‘Acting’ – Core 8
Having completed steps 1-3, you then need to consider corporate fatigue in Step 4…
5) Step 4 – Corporate Fatigue
‘Fatigue’
Here is an important fact… a lot of people right now are feeling fatigued and weary. They have been adapting to new ways of working, battling with new ’home office’ surroundings and embracing new technologies all within a short time frame. Their routines have been put out of kilter and without an end in sight, it is taking its toll!
Change that we choose to embark upon can be invigorating if sometimes scary, however, change that is forced upon us and that we have no choice about, can lead to a sense of reduced control. Our new ways of working are intense; how common is a full day of back-to-back video meetings with little or no break?
Before every stage of your organisations reaction to the bolide effect, consider the impact of fatigue and weariness on your business. Then consider these questions objectively:
- Do managers have the tools to motivate and manage remotely?
- Are leaders getting the balance right between too much or too little communication?
- Have employees been given clarity of the new working methodologies?
- Are colleagues saying things are better than pre-COVID-19 or worse?
Taking measures to address organisational fatigue and lack of motivation should be seen as an absolute priority and constantly monitored as your organisation adapts to its new environment and seeks to emerge stronger and re-energised.
Place a fatigue check prior to any stage we have outlined in this series.
Fatigue Symptoms & Effects
The clearest symptom of fatigue is mental and physical exhaustion.
It can lead to a reduction in productivity and morale, even if hours worked may go up. As a consequence, motivation is negatively affected and errors more likely to occur. It also inhibits innovation and a through numerous studies has a negative impact on the bottom line.
Causes
As we can all recognise, it is a consequence of demands – both physical and mental – exceeding a sustainable capacity to deliver. Even a slight imbalance, over a sustained period of time can lead to the sense of ‘chasing your tail’ and never quite being on top of your commitments. We have all had days, even weeks or longer like this, but the effect of Covid-19 has been that for many people demands to deliver have increased, and yet the operating environment has changed and become less familiar. As we are now months into this new reality, it means for many, there is a common sense of needing to do more in a less familiar operating environment. Unless we are equipped and supported appropriately – this can readily lead to stress and weariness…to fatigue.
Prevention
Fatigues existence can actually be taken as an opportunity. Interact with your colleagues to co-create a new way of working.
Consult and involve them in both understanding the challenges and demands and also building a fresh new way to work. Everything can be up for change. How you work….where you work…..when you work.
Approach this review and re-build looking at areas such as – physical working environment, times and working patterns, permission for breaks…even daytime naps…wellness; healthy eating, hydration and sleep/recuperation time. So many studies now show the positive impact of circadian lighting, biophilia, movement and exercise, management and leadership awareness and support, that it really is a modern day must for every progressive organisation to consider and address causes of fatigue. Building new and accepted ways to work that lead in turn to increases in motivation, morale and productivity.
It’s an investment that pays off in multiple ways.