Retail Observer

RETAILOBSERVER.COM DECEMBER 2018 46 T his is a great time of the year to look at the road ahead and set your vision, intentions and goals for what's to come. The days of five- or ten-year strategic plans have gone by the wayside: change happens too fast for organizations to try to predict the future or lock themselves into a particular plan. But what if you can identify some clear parts of your path (including some things that are tangible and measurable) and plan for flexibility, resilience and nimbleness? It's a great idea to have both a Blue Sky discussion along with some terra firma implementations. Taking time for both will give you a better guarantee of success. TAKE TIME OUT FOR A BLUE SKY CONVERSATION. Some leaders are known for being visionaries. They seem to be skilled at looking past the horizon or up at the sky and envisioning where their business might go or how it will grow. Their active imaginations and sense of "what if? " propel them to engage in this type of activity. Blue Sky conversations are essential, and the really critical part is that you must leave the tactical, planning, how-will-we-actually-pull-this-off conversations outside the door. Tactical comments or questions can actually stifle or stunt a Blue Sky discussion, so it's good to make a rule that there will be no comments about the HOW while we're dreaming and looking up into space, brainstorming on big white boards, or scribbling in our journals. Sometimes, certain people on your team will have specific strengths and skill sets that will help you identify the details of how to execute or implement a strategy. This is essential, too, but not during your Blue Sky discussions. This is a time for dreaming, and dreaming big: what would we do if money were no object? If we had a magic wand and this business, store or team could be any possible way, what would this look like? If next year unfolded perfectly, what would happen? Notice that these beautiful questions all contain WHAT at the center. You actually have to envision a different future before you can evaluate whether or not it could happen. And it's really important to set the tone for these discussions. "We're going to have a Blue Sky discussion...these are the parameters..." This doesn't mean that all of your ideas will be great ones, or that they are going to be adopted, but even if you find just one or two breakthrough ideas, they could change the course of your whole next year. Then, 1. Select your Top Three initiatives and align them with your Vision, Mission and Values. People work for a purpose, not for a dollar; specifically, tie the work of the initiatives to the vision of the organization, not to "we want to make $xyz this next year." Frankly, bare numbers motivate no one, because money is a consequence of the actions, behaviors and activities that you implement. If you're doing the right things, in the right way, aligned with your vision and serving your customers, you'll make your financial goals. Also, selecting your top three goals and coming up with measurable goals for each initiative will set you up for success. Organizations that identify too many goals (like 10 or 17 or 23) scatter and fragment the energy of their organization and prevent their people from focusing on what's most important. Instead, pick your top three initiatives and ask each person or division to identify three to five goals to support them. 2. Now think about planning. It's really important to have an implementation plan and a method for accomplishing your goals. In reality, you can begin to talk about these goals during #2 above. The critical part is to keep them out of the initial discussion to avoid throwing a wet blanket on the big visioning that needs to happen during Blue Sky. Make sure to identify measurable outcomes, methodologies, resources, people, etc. in your plan, and you'll not only tap your most creative ideas, you'll be able to pull them off in your new year! THE ROAD AHEAD Libby Wagner Culture Coach RO Libby Wagner, author of The Influencing Option: The Art of Building a Profit Culture in Business, works with clients to help them create and sustain profit cultures. www.libbywagner.com

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