When I work with boards and executive teams I am often heard to say, “hold your hands on your hearts and swear you will meet your objectives for this year. “
Now normally I am asking this during a planning session or risk workshop not with 24 hours of the year left to play out. So it is a given that the level of uncertainty over a 12+ month period is such that no one can swear they will achieve their objectives.
I quickly follow up with a question about how the board or exec currently tackle the uncertainty of achieving their objectives. Fortunately, these days most include comments about the use of the risk management process.
I then turn the discussion to considering objectives over three-time horizons and what that means for the levels of uncertainty. To do so I introduce the Three Horizons of Growth concept of Mehrdad Baghai, Lar Bradshaw, Stephen Coley and David White¹. Their thesis was that in order to sustain growth you need to be monitoring which parts of the business were in mature, emergent and embryonic phases and that you need to keep feeding the growth pipeline with new products and services as existing ones fade away.
In the diagram below I show the difference between the horizons in terms of the type of planning you should be doing at appropriate intervals. I also highlight how the concepts of opportunity and risk change in context over the three horizons. It re-emphasises for me that uncertainty is a strategic leader’s best friend. Within uncertainty is the opportunity. Learn to harness it and the future will be bright.
_______________________
¹Baghai, M., Bradshaw, L., Coley, S., & White, D. (1999). Performance measures Calibrating for growth. Journal of Business Strategy, 20(4), 17-21.
For more on objective setting, please see my past blog Do you have the right objectives?
___________________________________________________________________________________
Bryan's new book teaches you practical methods to cut through with your advice and make the impact you want to make. Available on Amazon or order here now.
YOUR DECISIONS DEFINE YOU.
Available on Amazon or order here now.
Bryan Whitefield works with strategic leaders across all sectors to help organisations harness uncertainty – uncertainty is the strategic leader’s best friend. He is the author of DECIDE: How to Manage the Risk in Your Decision Making and Winning Conversations: How to turn red tape into blue ribbon. He is the designer of the Risk Culture: Build Your Tribe of Advocates Program for support functions and the Persuasive Adviser Program for internal advisers. Both can be booked individually or in-house. For more information about Bryan, please click here.
Comments