Leadership Coaching: Learn From The External
Environment Of Your Business
No Organization Is An Island
Leaders need to help people identify patterns and see choices in
the internal current reality, that's why they themselves have a responsibility
to raise their awareness and understanding of the presently unknown or unseen
patterns in the external environment. This external perspective takes two
distinct forms. First, finding out how the organization is perceived from the
outside. Customers, suppliers, competitors can provide insights which are
missed in a purely internal analysis. Second, helping organizations predict and
prepare for new opportunities and threats. Interaction with people outside the
organization creates more opportunities for discovery, more options, and more
choices for ways forward.
One of the major challenges facing managers is how to avoid
becoming 'bogged down' in the internal issues of their organization. Retaining
or developing a sufficient perspective on the external environment is essential
in order to make sense of the internal issues. The saying 'no man is an island'
applies to organizations as well as individuals. The survival and growth of an
organization are as dependent on its relationship with the external environment
as they are on the people, processes and structures which represent it
internally.
Information From Customers, Suppliers And Competitors
The nature of this external perspective should be multi-faceted.
An organization needs regular, direct feedback from its customers and
suppliers; it needs ongoing information about competitor activity. Equally,
managers need to draw on the diverse and rich experience of life outside work
that all the members have, as this can expand the horizons of what is perhaps
the most difficult to achieve. Finally they need to develop as clear a view as
possible of how the future of their industry and related industries is
evolving. All these views or perspectives on the 'outside' can be described as
the organization understanding the dynamic nature of the wider 'system' in
which it is operating. Just as we encourage people to 'see differently' the
internal issues, so we encourage them to consider the external environment and
the nature of their organization in relation to it differently. The external
environment should be a source of opportunities, challenges and triggers for
new ideas and ways of thinking and behaving.
The Organization's Relationship To The Environment
Let's build on the biological analogy of the systemic picture of
organizations and management as if an organization is considered as a human
body. Let's it see how its relationship to the environment is as important as
the nature of internal relationships. For example, the human body is extremely
sensitive to its environment, and relatively minor shifts in temperature can
have a major impact-a rise in temperature causes sweating, followed by
coloring. If the temperature continues to rise, eventually blistering and
burning will ensue if the body does not move away or isolate itself. The
parallel with organizations in this context is the relationship between an
organization and its environment or the wider system-its industry, customers,
technology, society etc. How are the antennae working? Are the ears functioning
well? How effective is the nervous system at the extremities? Is the nose clear
and are the eyes wide open? In our experience most organizations do not use all
their faculties, their senses, in relating to their environment, in picking up
signals of either threat or opportunity.
By the way, do you want to learn more about leadership in your
company? If so, download your FREE ebook here: Guide to
Elegant Courage Leadership
Jodi and Mike specialize in executive coaching with individuals
and teams. http://lighthouse-leadership.com
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