The Messy Middle of a Pivot

We did deep surgery on the business in 2020. We didn’t waste this crisis because we realized there would be no future for our organization unless we adapted:

• We repositioned the organization with a focused strategy and a new business/funding model
• We restructured the mechanics of how we deliver value for our entrepreneurs and restructured the org-chart with new departments and reporting lines
• We decided to abandon what had been an emerging area of focus for us: collective impact
• We hired people in different markets outside of Colorado, establishing ourselves in two east coast states
• We made the decision to go to 32-hour workweeks at 100% pay
• We turned down funding this year in the midst of the pandemic
• We went to the ends of the earth to care for our team and cultivate a culture of brave togetherness over the video screen

I believe we’re about halfway through this organizational pivot. The seeds we have planted in 2020 will begin to sprout in 2021. But when you’re in the messy middle, it’s hard to tell if you’re doing it right or if the strategy will play out the way you’ve planned. There are many books and articles and consultants who will tell you the mechanics and frameworks and SWOTS of the best strategy, but so few acknowledge that the secret to any good strategy is the patience to see it through. Sometimes the most audacious thing we can do is be patient and trust the process. Sometimes resilience is nothing more than patience, and sometimes vision is nothing more than returning to what we’ve always known to be true.