A FRAMEWORK TO HELP BUSINESS OWNERS LEAD DURING CHANGE.

In moments of uncertainty, it can be comforting to hunker down and press on with what is familiar to us. We think we’ve been here before and we know how to handle it. Whether in our personal lives or our professional ones, we made a plan, and it’s time to stay the course and ride out the storm. But, what if staying the course no longer works for the moment we find ourselves in?

We need to adapt.

Things have changed quickly over the last few weeks, and while we can’t predict the future, we have the tools to help us not only weather the storm but lead through it. 

It can be nerve-wracking to take on change during a time of volatility, but making it a priority to evaluate and plan now will save you time, money, and resources in the long run.

The Creative Problem-Solving Process

Knowing when to tackle change is an art, but knowing how to tackle change is a science. There are many frameworks designed to help businesses solve problems, but we have distilled these down to 5 detailed steps that will walk you through how to define, evaluate, and implement a change strategy for your business.  

Step 1: Define the Problem 

This may seem like the easiest step in the process, but so many misdiagnose the problem and end up with entirely wrong solutions for their business. This is easy to do because similar problems can develop from different events.

For example, a small business struggling to get customers in the door during the Covid-19 outbreak. Is their problem people aren’t coming into the store, or is their problem they aren’t getting their product to consumers? While these sound similar, they are two distinct problems with very different ways of being addressed.  

To help diagnose the true root cause of the problem, it is important to stay open-minded and curious about the problem and to try to be specific about what the pain-points are. Don’t assume you know the answer and jump straight into solutions. Instead ask yourself these questions from the experts at MIT:    

• What do I know about the problem?

• What do I not know?

• When was the last time it worked correctly?

• What has changed since then?

• Can we diagram the process into separate steps?

• Where in the process is the problem occurring?

Step 2: Drain the Solution Tank

Now that you have identified the problem, it is time to get creative. Write down as many solutions as you can possibly think of. There are no wrong answers here. Once you run out of ideas off the top of your head, it’s time to add in some brainstorming exercises. A quick online search will reveal all kinds of brainstorming techniques to help get the ideas flowing, but one of our favorites is the SCAMPER method:

• S – Substitute

• C – Combine

• A – Adapt

• M – Magnify or Minify

• P – Put to Other Uses

• E – Eliminate

• R – Rearrange

Step 3: Define Priorities  

Now that you have a clearly defined problem and a list of solutions a mile long, you need to identify your priorities, so you know how to evaluate your options. Strategic priorities are really defining choices about what your business is and what it is not. To help identify these choices, start by writing down the answers to these questions:   

• What is our core business?

• What are our strengths?

• What are our weaknesses?

• Who are our customers?

• Where does our revenue come from?

• What does our brand represent?

• What motivates us to come to work?

• What is our vision?

• What is our mission?

These are big questions that can take time to answer if this work hasn’t already been done, but don’t let that stop you! At Iliad Media Group, we have a team of experts that can help you identify the answers to these questions and craft your priorities through brand strategy development.  

Step 4: Choose the Best Solution

Now that you have clearly identified your priorities, you can narrow down your list of possible solutions. Take the top 3-5 solutions that fit your priorities, and for each one, answer:

• Does this solution fit our core business?

• Is this solution sustainable?

• Is this solution profitable?

• Does this solution have growth potential?

• Does this solution have too much risk?

• Does this solution fulfill our customers’ needs?

• Does this solution add value?

• Will implementing this solution cause unanticipated problems?

• Will the individuals involved buy-in to this solution?

From these answers, you will be able to identify a front-runner from your list of solutions. If you are more risk-averse, you may be tempted to endlessly search for supporting data to help make the choice more obvious. If this is you, I’d say it’s time to take breath. You’ve already done your homework, and now it is time to listen to your intuition. No one knows your business better than you do.   

Step 5: Implement & Iterate

Now the real work begins. Change is hard and uncomfortable. It is one thing to talk about the problem and solutions, it is a whole other thing to actually make the changes. This is where mindfulness and patience becomes key. Be patient with yourself and your employees. Really listen to their feedback because nobody does it perfectly the first time. You mapped out a great start, but the plan will evolve as you go, as it should! Here are a few tips to help the iteration process go smoothly:

• Set up channels to proactively collect feedback

• Ask stakeholders what aspects should be protected, what should be omitted, and what should be refined

• Be generous with appreciation and praise – your people are your greatest asset!

This process is just the beginning of change management. There are plenty of resources on additional frameworks to help manage change, especially for small businesses. We recommend this article from Process Street that compares change management models as a starting place for more information. 

Iliad Media Group is committed to ensuring our clients are in the best position to navigate change by focusing on developing essential brand strategy and recommending common-sense marketing plans. For more information on how Iliad Media Group can serve you, contact marketing@iliadmg.com. 

 Ashley Trindle

Image source: https://ccmit.mit.edu/problem-solving/