The advantage-making tactic of shifting; the advantage of tactical shifting

The implication is we don’t want to rock the boat in a storm.

While that is true, there are a couple of real world consequences.

1) 60% of opportunity is wasted on a daily basis because of failed shifts

2) A reactive mode produces different outcomes than a proactive advantage-making mode.

3) The level of uncertainly and waves of change now pulsating through the economy warrant shift skills at a new level of proficiency for survival and thriving. Being equipped to shift is a survival tactic.

So, how would an advantage-maker approach uncertainty and a sticky challenge?

How would you?

Here’s a scenario that approximates real world events.

You are running a huge banking operation and putting in new ATM machines. There is a technical glitch (that’s putting it mildly), customers can’t get their money, and newspapers are making it front page news. Most of the executives think you should slow down and reduce the customer complaints. Seems sensible, doesn’t it?

Select your action from below:

a) You agree and reset the workload and expectations to minimize customer complaints

b) You know that slowing down won’t help, but it’s important to reduce the level of customer noise and upset.

You select areas that you can proceed with quickly and areas you must slow down.

c) You disagree about slowing down, you go even faster to get the task done sooner. Your reasoning is that going slower will prolong the customer dissatisfaction and the papers will extend the story and perhaps elevate it further.

The conventional approach is answer A. Seems logical and common sense but the outcome is barely adequate.

A better approach is found in answer B. Now you are figuring out the forces at play and trying to thread the needle. The likely outcome is improvement faster.

The Advantage-Maker approach is answer C. You have a good handle of the contextual forces – customers, newspaper, profitability, performance. The way to help customers faster is to go faster. You actually want to help the customer asap. The way to get off the front page faster is to go faster. The way to profitability is go faster. It’s counter-intuitive at first look, but standing back from the vantage points gives you an obvious edge.

In order to act with answer C, go faster, you must shift the tactics, and you must know what to look for to shift. This is the value of being equipped with the five tactical shifts. Shift the question, time, interactions, perceptions and structure.

Shift question and the givens – from get rid of customer complains now to get rid of them by going faster

Shift time – from go slower to go faster

Shift interactions – interact with customers differently and with the newspaper

Shift perceptions – this is key, shifting the winning strategy from going slower to going faster

Shifting structure – this is what you are doing with the entire implementation process.

If you didn’t answer options C, then look at the same situation with the lens of the 5 shifts.

This is the value of experience cycles with the right tools. With the wrong lenses, everything continues to be blurry.

To your clarity