Resetting goals through pivoting is hard but necessary. You’ve already put in the effort and resources into bringing your vision to life. And just when you think it’s all set and ready to be a success, things change. The market’s changing, the messaging isn’t reaching, or the timing just isn’t right. The idea can still be great and on point, but it’s not working out.
It might be very tempting to scrap everything, start from scratch, and go back to the drawing board. But before erasing all you’ve done so far and resetting your new vision, take a moment to consider all the learnings that this has brought you. Resetting goals through pivoting is not about failure; it’s about growth and evolution. After the mourning period, it’s time to regroup and assess where to go from here.
Here are a couple of steps to take before you start building the plan for your pivot.
What Worked?
Perhaps you’re tired of going through the minutia of what you’ve worked on for so long. It can be exhausting on a physical and emotional level to review this, but think of it as a retrospective on a massive scale. Rather than getting stuck on the details of what failed or didn’t work, think of the positives that can take you to the next step. Just like when you’re spring cleaning your closet and making your three piles of keep, donate, and throw away, ask your team for one thing that did work and that can be included in the shift.
After coming up with the things that worked, it’s important to look into why they worked. Was your social media presence a standout performance? Do your customer success interactions deserve the highest praise? How well did the entire team work together when pushing for deadlines? Look into why these seemingly individual aspects succeeded to know how to incorporate them into the next chapter.
What’s Salvageable?
Now let’s go into the details that need a polish. What are some things that can definitely be transformed and evolved to be part of the pivot? Could there be improvements in communication, delivery, speed, etc.? What would that look like? How can these updates be part of the new vision?
When creating new goals, it’s key that everyone has a chance to express their opinions as there might be blind spots. Have a brainstorming session where the entire team gets to bring new ideas and suggestions on implementations. You might find that your Engineering Lead is interested in being more in touch with recruitment in order to create more specific profiles when looking for roles. Someone in the Marketing team can have great pointers to give Customer Service in terms of how to best provide solutions and troubleshooting.
Setting New Goals
Before thinking about the rebranding campaign, set realistic goals for this new moment. How much time do you need to bring these changes about? What is it that you’re looking for with this change? Don’t rush the process or get overly optimistic about how long it will take to get there. It doesn’t have to be perfect or completely ready. But you need to create a roadmap for everyone on the team to get on board.
Consider that your recruitment strategies might need to change as well. Rather than merely thinking about how many people you need to fill these positions, develop it into your new strategy. Perhaps you find that having a partner like =True supporting you in seeking the best talent out there takes a load off your shoulders so you can keep iterating to provide the best product. This way you’re not in the weeds trying to find the best person for the role, but transforming your vision.
Get Excited
Reassessing and shifting gears is exciting. It means that your organization is growing despite the ups and downs. Resetting goals through pivoting provides you with an opportunity to refine your approach and deliver something even better. Everything is information that provides you with details to know which direction to shift towards. Enjoy the process, as every bit of it propels you forward. You just need to be attentive to learning what worked and what didn’t quite land.
