One of the things organisations wrestle with when planning their strategy is what to let go of.
It’s easy to come up with shiny new stuff. New initiatives and ideas abound in planning workshops. So #excitement!
But when asked what’s going to STOP to make space, the energy drops. Foreheads furrow. Eyes avert. No one wants to face the idea that something they’re doing is no longer needed.
But here’s the thing. Organisations are a bit like a bucket of water – they only have so much capacity. You need to tip something out to make space for the new. Make trade-offs.
So I was excited to read an article by strategy expert Alicia McKay that puts a new spin on this.
She writes “the thing about real change is that it can’t be as well as – we’re already at maximum capacity. Real change needs to be instead of.”
How good is that as a reframe? It’s not that a piece of work does not have value. It’s just not what we need right now to shape a different future.
Do read Alicia’s article. In addition to her great insights, the rosebush analogy she uses is a ripper.
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