52 WEEKS: WEEK 41 - Navigating Disruptions

Focus Question: What disruptions are you facing in your work?
 
Description
2020 is likely to be remembered in the history books as the year of disruption. While the year may have started out with a strong focus on what would be possible in the new decade, the global pandemic influenced professionals and businesses alike. As it relates to the global workforce, approximately 3 Billion professionals were working from home at one stage of the pandemic.

This global experience of the reaction to a massive disruption that most in our generation have not experienced, can lay clues for how we approach change, disruption and innovation.

What were your key learnings around this?

In navigating disruption and change some of the lessons learned from this recent pandemic has been:

• Focusing on what’s important at the core of your business
• Considering how and what it can look like in a “new normal”
• Being clear on your business values and philosophies which will remain the same even if the context or processes change.
• Having a strong business vision – Keeping an eye on your vision can help to ground you when the waters around you are turbulent. As I have been sharing this year -when we move our eyes to the horizon (which is where our vision resides), it is different than if we have our eyes on the foreground
• Considering whether you are a disruptor yourself as a business or responding to disruption

This Fast Company article, Navigating Disruption: A Roadmap for Leaders, by Grant Thornton, highlights seven areas you will want to explore:
#1 - Watch for early indicators
#2 - Adopt a broad view
#3 - Take inventory
#4 - Build bridges not silos
#5 - Become more diverse
#6 - Be curious
#7 - Know Thyself

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Activity
Identify the disruptions you are facing in your work right now. What are you doing around the seven areas Thornton highlights?

Also consider these questions:

• What’s helping you navigate?
• What’s getting in the way?
• Who else (mentors, peers) can support you in exploring alternative strategies?

For more on this topic check out the Teams365 blog and posts on Navigating Disruption and leading teams through uncertainty. You will find it here.

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Jennifer Britton
Co-host of the Remote Pathways Podcast
Potentials Realized – Coaching, Training and Consulting Services for remote teams, leaders and professionals 
 
Check out the most recent Remote Pathways Podcast Episode, where we explore the people, places and processes of exceptional remote work. You can listen to the latest episode here, or on your favorite podcast player.