July / August is choc-a-bloc with teams re-setting and realigning for the new financial year. My industry colleagues and I are busier than ever which is always a good thing!
While things might feel a bit uncertain for many businesses (I’m hearing a little bit of that), my clients aren’t hunkering down. They’re coming together for a couple of days offsite to focus on the FY26 priorities and what’s required of them as leaders.
Just a few of the things we focus on at the offsite are:
- Aligning business plans and the operating rhythm
- Re-setting expectations of each other
- Getting very clear about what matters to them personally and professionally (You might be surprised to know that there’s a big impact when team members understand what each other really cares about)
- Having the conversations they need to have about the business, their people and how they want/need to work as a team.
It’s a joy to facilitate these sessions. They’re long days, they completely keep me on my toes AND we get big outcomes. They truly make a difference to how the team shows up to lead and grow the business.
It’s ongoing approach, not a set and forget. For example, I’ve been working with Mark Gay, Group Executive Technology at Australian Unity and his team for the last two years, providing individual coaching, masterclasses for the top 25 leaders and regular Exec and senior leader team offsites all designed to support his leaders to navigate a big transformation of their business and maximise the opportunity it presents. This is what Mark had to say:
Our business is undergoing a profound transformation, making it an exciting but also a challenging time. Chris’s coaching has been instrumental, helping us build resilience, maintain cohesion, and keep our transformation on track while helping us create a high-performing leadership team for our new world.
Apart from being brilliant feedback for me (Thanks Mark!) it also shows what’s required beyond the strategy planning if you want to truly transform and grow your business.
If you find yourself wanting to hunker down and tighten the belt, I encourage you to take a moment to think about what is required of you and your team to lead through this period. Double check they’re operating and leading in the best way possible for the current context you’re in.