Lack of… Clarity, Capacity and Predictability

When things don’t happen, or they don’t happen fast enough or consistently enough, it’s usually because there’s a lack of something. Typically, it’s the lack of one or more of the following…

Clarity

– A well-articulated strategy helps, but are we actually living it? Is it embodied in all we do? Are we executing on it (collectively), or just talking about it?
– Are we perceived as truly relevant within our markets? Is our relevance distinctive enough to make our path self-evident?
– Have we allowed a sense of personal identity to develop around our value proposition and core values …among our customers, our suppliers, our people, and our community? Is it clear why we exist?

Capacity

– If there’s always too much to do, how do we decide what to do now and what to let go of (for now)?
– Without having “been there”, how do we judge the time, expertise and money required to do something new? – – How do we judge our progress along the way?
– Have we kept pace with enabling technology and customer confidence building facility improvements?
– In terms of human resource capabilities, have we filled all the major gaps? If not, are we compromising operational excellence through a sense of misplaced loyalty, compassionate denial, or too little time to deal with an organizational transition?
– Do we underestimate people’s raw potential, as well as their learning agility? If so, is it due to a lack of providing enough opportunities for people to prove themselves? Do we let people fail (brilliantly)?

Predictability

- Are we set up to react with the ultimate in nimbleness and speed? Is it how others would define us?
– Can we create desired outcomes and proactively influence our own destiny, or is our position such that the best that we can hope for is to react positively and quickly to events?
– Is our self-defined competitive position real or imagined (either positively or negatively)?
– Does a lack of demand visibility or economic uncertainty make us “freeze”?

It’s not about capabilities and drive. It’s about recognizing “lack of…” and making it “because of…”