I do not know if this term is anywhere already in use in the business literature - it probably is if you consider the huge number of business books that are getting published every year - and I'm not going to do a search. You can be assured that there is not a word of plagiarism in this column.
"Situational awareness", as a critical success factor for any business leader at any level, has come to mind more and more in my recent work. In fact, not just in business but in life in general. Let me see if I can illustrate what exactly I'm talking about when I bring up "situational awareness."
A good example is found in an everyday activity like driving a car. I believe that critical to safely driving a car is a complete and constant awareness of the road conditions, including what's happening in front of you, behind you and aside of you. That is why texting while driving, disciplining your children in the back seat while driving or driving under the influence of any mind altering substances is so dangerous. Cars have side mirrors with increasing sophistication for a reason. They are a crucial safety tool. You can't safely drive if you are not constantly aware of who is sneaking up on you and from where.
Another example is a business interview. For sure success will be dependent on the interviewee's awareness of the environment in which the interview takes place and his/her adaptation to "the conditions on the ground." That brings me to the military. Life will be short for a soldier who is not constantly aware of the terrain, the environment and the conditions under which he/she is operating and does not adapt his/her moves accordingly.
These examples bring one important element in the discussion of "situational awareness" to light: it matters only in situations where the conditions and circumstances rapidly change! I don't think that there can be any dispute of the fact that the economy and business operating therein is such a place where conditions and circumstances change quickly and constantly. The importance of "situational awareness" is most easily demonstrated by its absence. The examples given above bear that out:
- The teenager who is texting while driving a car is oblivious of what is happening around her and puts herself and others in great danger.
- The interviewee who has not observed the office environment of the company he would like to join and shows up carelessly and shabbily dressed and groomed can forget about getting the job he aspires to.
- The soldier who is dreaming of home is an easy target for incoming fire. In business, if the business leader is not paying attention to the changing circumstances in the economy, in the market in which he/she is operating ,or in the morale in his/her office, he/she puts the continuity of the business at risk.
Signs of lack of "situational awareness" prop up when you hear statements like:
- Don't mess with success, I've always done it this way.
- It will last my time.
- I'm the boss and I damn well do as I please and I suggest you step in line.
- The only change I believe in is the change in my pocket.
- Who cares what the competition is doing, if they want to go broke, don't stop them.
If you are working in a company where these, or similar, statements are par for the course, it is time to update your resume. And if you are the one to utter these words, it is time to get out of business or take the Aileron Course for Presidents (www.aileron.org).
But for those of us who see the light and recognize the business need for a never fading "situational awareness", how do we turn that insight into a competitive advantage? What do we do with this realization that "situational awareness" is likely to be a critical success factor in business? Can we translate that realization into some do's and don'ts that have widespread applicability and relevance?
Such task is beyond the scope of writing a column on the subject, but let me at least try to articulate some high level pointers:
- "Situational awareness" has to start with the owner of the business or, in case of an absent or distant owner, the chief executive officer.
- His/her assessment of the situation needs to be shared with, verified with and transformed into an "organizational awareness" that is shared by everyone working in the business.
- Actions taken inside the business or by the business need to be consistent with the conclusions of the "organizational awareness" in place at any time.
- Situational assessments need to be made and re-evaluated on an ongoing basis and not only once a year or once every three years in the context of a strategic planning session. A final word of caution: Don't confuse advocacy of "situational awareness" and the need to adapt to changes in the situation you're in, with flip flopping on your "Ends-Policy" or straying from your strategic direction. Stay the course you have set out for the business (if you have set that course as a result of a thorough strategic planning process and if you push it through a periodic robust review), but you may have to change (and/or increase or decrease) the tools, means and resources used in the pursuit of your strategic objective as well as the pace of implementation.
If you are conducting business in the Green Industry and either the regulatory climate or the public sentiment turns adverse to the use of pesticides, it would not be a reason for you to abandon your vision of becoming the most admired and most profitable lawn care company in your geography, but it would strongly suggest that it is time for you to investigate and pursue all alternatives for the use of pesticides in maintaining a weed-free, disease-free and pest-free turf surface.
Frans Jager is President of Castnet Corp. (www.castnetcorp.net) a Business Consultant for the Green Industry and an Executive Coach. He frequently writes about matters pertaining to the Green Industry. He can be reached at castnetcorp@gmail.com
