02/17/2022

How to Escape 'The Swirl' Attacking Your Strategy

Seven pieces of advice for staying focused on the future

We’re doing the same things we’ve always done, but it’s not working for us anymore.” “We’re moving quickly, but we’re not sure if we’re going in the right direction.” “Everyone is working hard but we’re tripping over each other.” “We’re stuck. We don’t seem to be going anywhere.”

Do those sentiments sound familiar? Most people in business are on intimate terms with some—or all—of these frustrating experiences. And nothing captures that common feeling quite so well as one metaphor I hear again and again: the swirl.

The swirl is an absorbing state of organizational inertia. It draws our perspective in on itself, narrowing our vision. Our very consciousness runs aground in the muck of the everyday. There is always another problem to solve, pain point to acknowledge, issue to fix, turf battle to win, drama to ameliorate or political challenge to overcome. And in the midst of it all, we lose track of the future. Questions like, “Where are we going?” and “How do we move forward together?” fade into the background as the endless demands of the everyday stifle our momentum like heavy weeds entangling the rudder of a boat.

Please select this link to read the complete article from Chief Executive.