Creating Momentum: Articulating Your Opportunity

by Martha Kesler

Empowering Organizations to Thrive: Creating the Person “Why”

Leaders who aspire to activate large-scale change in the interest of reaching strategic business outcomes can often name the characteristics they want to see demonstrated. Innovation, collaboration, a sense of urgency, and agility are likely to top the list. How to evoke and sustain those behaviors is, however, an entirely different challenge.

Infinite examples exist of methods used by leaders to rally people around change. Many of these approaches effectively generate bursts of energy but are often short lived. One familiar example is the concept of the Burning Platform - sparking change by highlighting threats or crisis with the current situation. While this may ignite action and even deliver some measure of return, the short-lived response is the product of fear rather than optimism and motivation.

Other tactics are most effective for defining long-term paths towards transformation. Vision statements (often evergreen) and strategic plans (5-10 years) play critical roles in establishing the desired future state, but often restrict people's ability to make the connections between how the actions they take today impact the realization of their desired future. This connection is required to create a sense of urgency, a defining trait of change capable organizations. The point here is that successful activation of a strategic plan requires something more: a clear articulation of what people see as the window of opportunity for executing their strategy and accelerating toward their vision. In that window of, individuals must see how they can play a role and feel as though they are truly enabled and equipped to thrive.

What Do we mean by Opportunity?

An opportunity represents what is right here, right now, right in front of you at this very moment. It is a combination of circumstances facing the organization that creates a rare chance to leap ahead. Opportunity is what motivates us and inspires us. It generates excitement about the possibility of the future, holds and raises awareness of significant business outcomes that could be achieved if what is exploited with speed and purpose.

The ability to articulate the opportunity in both rational and emotionally compelling way is crucial to encourage and engage others throughout the organization. Most importantly, opportunities are not brought to life through mandate or fear, but rather by inviting everyone across all levels of the organization to be part of realizing what is possible.

An effectively crafted opportunity statement focuses on logical possibilities, generates excitement, and promotes engagement. Understanding what internal and external influences are uniting to create the opportunity, why it is important to act now, and why your organization is uniquely positioned to take advantage at this moment is critical to inspiring others. Additionally, a crisp awareness of what needs to be done differently and what behaviors need to change at the individual, group and organization levels is required. Lastly, the benefits and potential drawbacks for all involved must be transparently thought through and clearly articulated.

Articulating your opportunity

A big opportunity that is emotionally compelling and strategically smart offers a clear picture of what Is needed to realize success. And has distinct characteristics. It is brief and rational, appealing to the head by addressing what, why, why us, why now, and why bother all in a short statement that is easy to share. It is compelling and positive, engaging emotions that inspire optimism, innovation and creative thought which appeal to hearts at every level in the organization. An opportunity statement must be authentic to the authors and the audience, unambiguous and easy to internalize. It motivates when read aloud and with conviction. It must also align and connect to the existing strategy and not in conflict with other statements across the organization.

In essence, a well-articulated statement aligns the organization's urgency around an opportunity while creating space for employees to shape how success will be achieved. It allows each member of the organization to internalize the opportunity and create their own personal “why”, promoting a resounding response of, “We need to do this! I want to be part of this! How can I take action right now?” The confluence of the personal why, urgency and a common purpose around which action can unite results in alignment. This union enables greater agility, speed, and creativity, accelerating the organization's capacity to seize their opportunity and achieve strategic advantages.

More about Martha Kesler

Martha is an Executive Coach and Organization Development Practitioner who helps others identify possibility, align to their values and ignite the passion to propel forward. She co-chairs the TCC Programming Committee, and she is on the TCC Board.