Oh to know what to do next?
“And, like a man to double business bound,
I stand in pause where I shall first begin,
And both neglect.”
(Hamlet act 3, sc. 3)
How many of us try to make business decisions using incomplete data and end up “neglecting” just as Hamlet did? Many people I suspect. The talk amongst economists and politicians surrounds the post Brexit debate with indecision. Why is that? Not just that we are all on holiday. Many pundits predict gloom. Surveys try to support that view with questions that often miss the target. And yet……..and yet………….hard data is only trickling through. Retail sales “up” but major projects spend “down”. Unemployment “down” and yet people seeking work “up”. It is all so confusing.
This is typical for leaders in business. As they seek to respond to constant and unexpected change, they are forced to anticipate events with robust certainty to convince themselves and their stakeholders that they are somehow in control. They are torn between the needs of the organisation to deliver a certain plan, and their personal psychological needs to satisfy their preference for precision. This dichotomy is stressful. It’s a good time for leaders to remember to hold these conflicting demands in balance. Equilibrium for a leader is the target. What is key for them is to be able to straddle competing demands with their own personal and dynamic approach. Only then can “neglect” be overcome. The help of an Executive Coach can make a huge contribution to individuals seeking to manage this paradox.
Richard Staveley,Meon Coaching and Consulting
August 23rd 2016