Shift 2
DEVELOPING BREAKTHROUGH AMBITION
When developing breakthrough ambition, it’s important to be bold; to be clear about what you really want for your organization and why. Then declare it.
Very often, visions and mission statements are simply not bold enough, nor do they articulate where leaders want to take their organizations. You need to be able to:
- Define what you really want, versus what you think you can do. Management will only break free and achieve extraordinary results when they are engaged with what they truly want, and when they can see the limits of existing customs and practices.
- Create a compelling reason for change.
- Challenge yourself to be bold in your level of ambition: go beyond predictable and expected outcomes.
Achieve breakthroughs: go beyond predictable
Consider this example:
Imagine someone lives in an apartment block and you ask them: “Where would you like to live?”
A likely response might be, “At the top of the block, so we have a good view.”
Ask them, “Where would you really like to live?”
They might then respond with: “Well if I could have anything, I don’t want to live in a block of flats. I would rather have a house with a garden.”
Ask them: “Where would you really, really like to live?”
They might then respond: “Well actually, in a big house by the water.”
Then perhaps, given further questioning …
They might respond: “Actually a big house, by the water in a different country!” The point being that most people do not speak freely about what they want as it is always constrained by the past, but through continued questioning people can get in touch with what they are really committed to.
WHAT IS HAPPENING HERE?
We’re seeing the person’s “frame of reference” change each time they consider their answer to the question. This is because most people set their ambition based on what they think they can achieve given their past history. So, by definition, their ambition is limited to “the top of a block of flats”! If you want extraordinary results you are committing to a future not constrained by your history. Unfortunately, the budgeting process in most organizations leads you to look at what you did last year and what you think is likely this year and the next. All of this makes sense, but it is limited by history and not necessarily what you really, really, really want!
When we consider what our true ambitions are for the organization, this creates a possibility that is not informed by our past experience. It requires breakthroughs in our thinking to accomplish it. Breakthroughs are called for when there is a gap between our current belief in what is possible and the commitment we are making. A breakthrough commitment is distinct from a pipedream – a pipedream is more of a wish or hope. But a new context is specifically defined for a breakthrough and there is clear commitment and action to achieve it.
Breakthroughs are the significant things that need to happen in order to take your organization beyond predictable results. To achieve them, it is usually necessary to step outside the existing context in order to understand and challenge the stretch in the organization’s ambitions.
“Breakthroughs are the significant things that need to happen in order to take your organization beyond predictable results.”
Make breakthrough commitments
Breakthrough commitments are where we are committing to a result that is not predictable based on past performance. The moment such a commitment is spoken it creates a gap, by design. It forces us to re-examine our approach to absolutely everything.
A breakthrough commitment cannot be achieved by knowing what we know or doing what we have done before, otherwise the result would be predictable. A breakthrough commitment is very engaging – it gives people a view of what might be possible that goes beyond their current thinking. It sets out what could be possible for them, their organization and the industry.
Let’s look at an example. Microsoft made a bold commitment with: “A PC in every home.” It might not be considered extraordinary now, but at the time there was a significant gap between this commitment and belief at the time about what was possible. When Bill Gates made the commitment there was no precedent for PCs at home – people were actually opposed to the idea – and to top it all Microsoft were not even making computers.
Given what we are asking of people, it’s important to develop people’s willingness to be uncomfortable and to strive for a significant result or outcome. Most people commit to what they think they can achieve; what their past experience tells them. This leads to predictable results, rather than the breakthroughs you want. If people strive only for safe results this will minimize risk but cap creativity.
“It’s important to develop people’s willingness to be uncomfortable.”
Declare the breakthrough ambition
Very few transformations occur without someone having a breakthrough ambition first. “A PC in every home.” Something magical happens when people publicly state what they are going to do – leaders become more committed to making change happen and lead inspirationally.
Unfortunately, a common challenge in making this shift is low levels of ambition in others. Typically this shows up when people:
- Are unwilling to commit, for whatever reasons.
- Are afraid of not being successful and of being vulnerable.
- Rely on past experience to shape their frame of reference.
- Are content with continuous marginal improvement; an incremental philosophy.
- Are more focused on protecting what they have today.
How to develop breakthrough ambition
You can support this phase by adopting the following behaviours:
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