Tuesday, 24 September 2013
The 4 Enemies of Improving an Organisation
Change is a common word these days in consulting and it generally refers to the human element - the culture of the organisation. Getting that organisation's culture to change is a path fraught with challenges.
There are the four main enemies to changing an organisation.
Internal Expertise
Many companies struggle to improve because they are blindsided by their own brilliance. That is, they often believe that only they understand the business, only those within the sector can help and only those with long backgrounds in this industry can possibly add value.
Many companies struggle to improve because they are blindsided by their own brilliance. That is, they often believe that only they understand the business, only those within the sector can help and only those with long backgrounds in this industry can possibly add value.
Take a moment to ask yourself what the three main selling points of your company are.
Now imagine your company has suddenly gone under. But you are fortunate enough to secure a similar role with your main competitor.
Now, honestly, ask yourself what the three main selling points of your new company are.
See the similarities? It might be uncomfortable to realise but approximately 90% of all business issues are the same, whether it's selling onions or designing jumbo jets.
Quite often the answer can be found outside the sector, not because their is expertise in your product or service, but because the fresh set of eyes can be truly objective.
Complacency
Business school texts often speak of 'buy-in' being the essential first stage to any transformation programme. Engaging with the relevant stakeholders is a top down drive. Nothing new there, right?
But rather than try to encourage the buy-in, why not work towards providing a culture of innovation and restlessness? 3M are famous for providing time to innovate (it gave us Post It notes) and Google has had the 20% allowance.
Constantly looking to improve without destroying the dedication of staff is a skill that can always be worked upon.
The Peter Principle
How many managers have you worked with or under who, frankly, shouldn't have been there? It's frightening how much time a lot of these overpromoted people dedicate to avoiding being uncovered, often at the cost of others.
However, listening to those at the coal face can prove invaluable. They have the day to day knowledge of the business problems, often technical, which require solving. Often they feel unrecognised but offering the channels to communicate and listening to the constructive suggestions can often alter situations for the positive.
Aversion
Some senior staff are unwilling to make changes. They feel that stability is the bedrock for success. The trouble is, markets are constantly changing, channels to market are opening frequently, marketing techniques are altering - the list goes on. If a set of processes and procedures are working seamlessly, at what stage will they require reviewing?
Welcoming improvement is never a barrier to success. Just talking about is, though.
Xalen is a consultancy which specialises in executing strategy.
Sunday, 22 September 2013
8 Tips For Organizational Change Management
Driving change in most organizations can be (and is) difficult. This is especially true when the organization is used to doing things one way. I have worked in some companies where making decisions and changing business operations was easy (okay, as easy as it can be). These companies were usually pretty small and didn't have a lot of rules or red tape to wade through to get to the other side. On the other hand, I have worked for some pretty large companies where it was nearly impossible to make changes.
Change management is the approach used to change or transform a person, team, or even company to a desired goal or state. Change management is usually referred to in project management processes wherein a project is established and accepted. However, I am referring to change management in an organization where the culture of the organization (i.e. employees) may need change to either keep up with competing companies or to keep up with the changing industry.
A common misconception from many people I've met who are not in the wireless industry is that wireless companies must be able to change very quickly because the industry is ever-evolving. I've only witnessed one company that was able to change quickly and that was only because the company was small enough to be able to initiate change rapidly. Most wireless companies, independently owned wireless retailers included, are difficult to change as a whole. Whether the change is in specific processes, organizational structure, or even something needs to be added or detracted from the business, changes will have an impact on the organization as a whole and needs to be thoroughly researched and properly implemented to get the most buy-in from the organization as a whole. Every situation and possible outcome should be thought of and addressed throughout the process.
First, identify what needs to change and why. If several things are identified as "needed changes," if there aren't specific (and compelling) reasons for the change, then just don't do it.
Second, a realistic assessment of the organization should be conducted. Things to look for would include: who the change affects, to what degree the change affects certain departments or employees, what their anticipated reactions will be to the change, and the readiness of the organization to change.
Third, key individuals in the organization should be consulted with to get a feel for the organization and the support the change will receive through key players in the organization.
Fourth, if buy-in isn't obtained by the majority, then the plan needs to address how to get the organization ready for change.
Fifth, create a plan. Yes, that's easier said than done. The plan should include things like: a description of the change, reasons that benefit certain departments and the organization as a whole (if the change is that large), how to involve everyone in the organization in the change (including obtaining feedback about the change), and several ways to make the plan flexible.
Sixth, communication and ownership are key in change management. Communicate all of the details to the organization and find specific key people to give ownership of part of the change (usually for their area or department). Once ownership is established the organization should begin to see change fairly quickly.
Seventh, address concerns, questions, and comments by individuals at every level of the organization in a timely manner. Keep an open mind to the ideas and thoughts of all employees and be flexible in the ability to change initiatives if they aren't working with the organization's employees overall. Just because we want to do something one way, it doesn't mean that it's always the right way (or the easiest). Plans don't always go the way we want - be prepared for that.
Eighth, change management doesn't end when the goal is achieved. Creating permanent change and a positive culture takes time, dedication, and hard work. Ensure all employees feel valued and are included in future changes as needed.
If conducted correctly, organizational change management will help the organization reach the end-goal and even surpass it as the organization moves past trouble areas.
For more information on change management please visit my blog at http://www.kristymlopez.com
Why Do We Do What We Do?
"That's just the way we do it" - Something I've heard countless times from leaders and their reports in response to my question, "Why do you [fill in the blank]?". I am surprised by how little careful thought we tend to give to why we do the things we do in the workplace.
This led me to wonder - why? If an organization's culture is a collection of lessons that helped it grow and survive, it is only sensible that members of the group would look to past successful behavior for future guidance. Over time, provided these behaviors yield positive results, management develops processes to ensure that these effective behaviors occur and that positive outcomes are achieved in more and more consistent ways. Eventually, people aren't consciously thinking about why they do what they do. They do what they've always done because it seems to have worked for them in the past.
Adding to the potential risk of this work on autopilot mentality is the "noise" of the day-to-day. As people scramble to tackle to-do's, they oftentimes don't feel they have the luxury to think critically about why it is they do what they do. I am not judging. This is a trap we all fall into time and again. We are a product of our environment and task saturation is nothing new to most people in today's dynamic business environment.
This, in and of itself, wouldn't necessarily be a bad thing... if we worked in a bubble where our environment didn't change. But when behaviors that have historically yielded success cease to do so, people start to ask themselves why they are doing what they do. Unfortunately, by then, it may be too late.
Truly exceptional leaders are those who constantly ask the question, "Why?". Effective leaders are those who push others to examine why they do things the way they do them and inspire them to understand the marketplace and question the efficacy of their behavior. Exceptional leaders question things, even when people feel things are going well. They constantly push their teams to look for new and better ways to do things.
When is the last time you stopped and asked the question, "Why do I do the things I do?". The answer may surprise you. I challenge you to ask people on your team this same question once you have had an opportunity to explore it on your own.
At gothamCulture ( http://www.gothamculture.com ), we focus on identifying the underlying causes of organizational obstacles and assisting leaders to develop and execute breakthrough strategies that elevate their performance. We provide critical and thought provoking insight to leaders who desire to use organizational culture and leadership as key drivers of performance. Our staff, and associate network of highly skilled and diverse professionals, spans North America, providing targeted support at just the right time to meet your organization's needs.
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