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According to recent research by KPMG, CEOs are experiencing the lowest levels of confidence in the global economy since the pandemic. Despite this, they are overwhelmingly optimistic about their own organizations’ prospects and are strongly backing a combination of investment in AI and retaining/retraining high-potential talent to sustain and fuel future growth.
What does this mean for your business? Many CEOs are taking the approach of investing in people through strategies focused on creativity and community. Creativity fuels growth, and teams surrounding themselves with growth-minded, innovative problem solvers are building new ways to incorporate AI in core business functions and also building teams that are focused, resilient, and motivated.
A few weeks ago I was consulting with a leadership team charged with a new, challenging objective for the year, but following an old, tired template of executing in silos and fostering a culture of blame. These ways of working were holding them back in terms of results and customer satisfaction; compounded by team members’ anxiety about the economy and other global concerns. We began to right the ship with a focus on new narratives, creating a true team, and finding ways to innovate and create together.
How? A couple of innovative new leaders understood the landscape immediately, and challenged the teams to work together to solve problems leveraging experience and insights from across the business. They’re now tying performance incentives to those efforts, and creating a cadence of meetings to share, brainstorm, decide, and solve that is filled with energy, fused with purpose, and boosted by a few quick wins. The team has fully committed to a new way forward in which “we have each others’ backs.” And, their meeting structure is one that includes not only focused discussions on the most important hurdles of the week but daily check-ins that are building community, instilling some fun, and helping the team be more in sync.
This is just one example of investing in people and teams through community and creativity. I’m curious about your experiences in creating resilience and safety through similar strategies. What’s working for you and your teams?