Achieving our goals in a churning world requires a different set of skills from achieving the same goals in a stable environment.
What are those skills and how can we acquire them?
One way to find out is by benchmarking. This means looking for other organisations that are already experts at doing what we want to do, and then copying or adapting their approach.
So which organisations are already best practice at achieving specific, measurable outcomes in highly unpredictable situations?
I can’t think of a better example than elite army units. Special forces operating behind enemy lines are trained to accomplish their objectives in fast-changing, unpredictable, even hostile environments. And the way they achieve this is by defining just two things.
First, they make sure that as well as knowing their specific mission objectives, every team member also understands the overall purpose of the mission: the reason it is happening, the aim it is intended to achieve as part of the wider campaign. Then when things turn out differently from what was expected, people can quickly find new ways to achieve the same purpose — and do so independently if necessary. This increases the adaptability of each individual and the team as a whole.
Second, every unit is given rules of engagement. These define what actions (such as returning fire) are appropriate and not appropriate under different circumstances. This reduces distractions and keeps the unit focused on its priorities.
By defining just these two things, special forces are able to increase their focus and their adaptability, maximising their chances of success in fast-changing environments.
For us, the equivalents of purpose and rules of engagement are our purpose and values.
Our purpose defines the underlying intention behind whatever we are working on. Defining the purpose of our life enables us to adapt quickly to changing circumstances and keep heading in the same direction, even when the world around us changes. Because what we are working to achieve and why we are working to achieve it can remain the same, even if how we work to achieve those things changes.
And our values show us which issues matter to us and which issues we can ignore. This keeps us focused on what matters most to us, which saves us time, energy, and resources. Our values also enable us to choose how we behave, no matter what other people might say or do, which again saves us energy and time. And our values also keep us centred and grounded in a churning world, making it quicker and easier to first find the best way forward and then move to action.
By defining their purpose and their rules of engagement, elite army units increase their chances of success in fast changing, even hostile environments. And when we define our own purpose and values we give ourselves the focus, the flexibility, and the motivation to achieve the results that matter most to us, even in a changing world.
This is another step to becoming antifragile.
Would you like to increase your ability to achieve the results that matter most to you? Do you know your three core values and your life purpose?
Adapted from The Churning, Inner Leadership: a framework and a set of tools for building inspiration in a time of change.
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