I have been talking about the elephants in the room the last few weeks, a lot! There is a tendency for leaders (and peers) to ignore the stuff that isn’t going right. I get it, it’s human nature. Look at the stuff we ignore in our personal lives. As I type that, I just laughed out loud at my own elephants (guess what I’ll be doing this afternoon, ha). The elephants of an organization are not its downfall, nor are they always horrible. They become the downfall and toxic mess when we refuse to talk about them or work together to figure out how to calm the elephants down.
I’m working with several groups engaging in visioning, strategic planning, goal setting, etc. What I appreciate about these teams is the desire and enthusiasm to tackle these very important components to organizational success. What I am finding insanely hysterical? We adults have completely lost our ability to dream!
There are a great number of tools and processes for planning out there, and each organization has to utilize or find the right one for them. My approach involves a combination of balanced scorecards, SWOT, and appreciative inquiry (some links below for more information). I’ve been asked by some, “Why appreciative inquiry?” I always smile. The organizational planning process is so important, and because of that, the team leading the planning process can get mired in details, problems, etc. Their thinking and planning become very blinded by their own closeness to the organization. Hell, we are all our own worst enemies when it comes to problem solving, innovation, or creative thinking because we put our own roadblocks up to new ideas or thoughts. So, when I plan with you, we are going to DREAM!
No holds barred, all the resources you want. Dream BIG about what you want for your organization. Will we be able to get you everything you dream? Probably not, but the best thing about dreaming is that it pushes you out of your box, pushes you out into spaces you wouldn’t normally think about, and in turn, sparks the next best idea, plan, or improvement that can really make a difference. The idea, plan, or improvement that can tame that elephant.
In doing some of the pre-work for my group sessions, I am in shock and awe at how little we adults dream, think big, go for broke, get excited, think crazy, and more. Dreaming isn’t about being unrealistic in our planning or problem-solving, but it is about getting to the best solutions and having a little fun in the process. If we can’t think and plan differently, I can promise that elephant is gonna do some damage, and quite possibly, irreversible damage.
Stop being afraid to dream in your organizations. Dreaming is what makes us feel hopeful and alive and excited. Dreaming is fun. Dreaming makes us push the envelope. Dreaming is what has created some of the most magnificent innovations humans have seen. Can you imagine what dreaming could do for you and your organization? I hope you’ll give it a shot soon.
Tell me about the dreams for your organization! Have some fun!!
For more information on balanced scorecards, click here.
For more information on SWOT analysis, click here.
For more information on appreciative inquiry, click here.