TheLeadershipNotebook

Leading Change

 

“It is not necessary to change. Survival is not mandatory.”

~W. Edwards Deming

Last week, I facilitated a two-day senior leadership team off-site in Philadelphia. Organizational change was front and center on the agenda, specifically transformational change. The organization faces significant challenges in its markets with global pressure and increasing national competition. Add to the equation consistently poor operating results and dismal employee engagement and the result is that transformational change is required for the organization to survive.

The senior team is absolutely up to the challenge and the results of our two days together have set in motion a singular focus and commitment to leading change throughout the organization. This is not, and cannot be, a “flavor of the month” endeavor. The team and its new leader know that transformational change is required if the organization is to be in existence five years from now.

John Kotter, a thought leader on change and the author of several books on change, (Leading Change, Heart of Change, Our Iceberg is Melting and A Sense of Urgency), says that   “leaders establish the vision for the future and set the strategy for getting there; they cause change. They motivate and inspire others to go in the right direction and they, along with everyone else, sacrifice to get there.” Leadership has never been more critical for my client organization.

 

Kotter says that “leaders who successfully transform businesses do eight things right.” We’re working on those eight things and they’re the framework for transformational change efforts at my client firm. What are they?

They are:

Step 1: Create a Sense of Urgency

• Examine the market and competitive realities
• Identify and discuss crises, potential crises, or major opportunities

Step 2: Pull Together the Guiding Team

• Put together a group with enough power to lead the change
• Get the group to work together like a team

Step 3: Develop the Change Vision & Strategy

• Create a vision to help direct the change effort
• Develop strategies for achieving that vision

Step 4: Communicate for Buy-in

• Use every vehicle possible to constantly communicate the new vision and strategies
• Have the guiding coalition role model the behavior expected of employees

Step 5: Empower Others to Act

• Get rid of obstacles
• Change systems or structures that undermine the change vision
• Encourage risk taking and nontraditional ideas, activities, and actions

Step 6: Produce Short-term Wins

• Plan for visible improvements in performance, or “wins”
• Create those wins
• Visibly recognize and rewarding people who make the wins possible

Step 7: Don’t Let Up

• Use increased credibility to change all systems, structures, and policies that don’t fit together and don’t fit the transformation vision
• Hire, promote, and develop people who can implement change vision
• Reinvigorate the process with new projects, themes, and change agents

Step 8: Anchor the New Change in the Culture

• Create better performance through customer -and productivity-oriented behavior, more and better leadership, and more effective management
• Articulate the connections between new behaviors and organizational success
• Develop  means to ensure leadership development and succession

During our leadership team meeting, I introduced Steps 1 through 6 by creating focus and action steps around these change essentials. Identifying the key factors requiring urgency helped frame the discussion and generate the reasons that the team and each employee could “see” and “feel” the reasons requiring the change efforts. We built on the camaraderie and trust of the existing team and identified additional candidates for the guiding coalition.

With regard to the vision of the Company, we created a picture of the compelling future for the Company and talked about the avenues for communicating the case for change and the desired vision of the company.

We identified the barriers for change. What systems, skills, structures or supervisors would put road blocks up preventing the team’s successful efforts? We then discussed the crafted action plan for generating quick wins. What are the initial short term goals that will fuel the change and establish credibility going forward?

Steps 7 and 8 will be addressed as the transformation unfolds.

It is certain that this transformational change effort will take place over months and years of concerted and coordinated effort, throughout all levels of the organization and the process will be iterative, not falling into the simple linear model that is displayed in the stages. But the passion and commitment of this senior team is galvanized with a laser focus on change.

Since its inception, Kotter’s model for change has been utilized in many organizations and in numerous industries. It will be the framework for this organization as it moves forward. As an organization development professional, it’s an honor to be a change agent with the rest of the team. I look forward to being a part of the transformation.

Does your organization require change that is more than simple and incremental? If so, Kotter's model is one resource that provides a proven framework for faciliating change that transforms.

To your success,

Mary

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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“Sometimes questions are more important than answers.”

~Nancy Willard

 

 “That’s a great question.” Jim said as he thought about his response. I hear that comment often during my coaching meetings with clients. Whether the purpose of the question is to raise my client’s awareness, spur them to action or just ask a simple question from a position of curiosity, asking powerful questions opens doors for clients to learn.

In the book, The Leadership Challenge, Kouzes and Posner describe Challenging the Process as one of five key practices of exemplary leadership. And asking open ended questions does just that. My personal favorites begin with the words “what” and “how”. Coupled with genuine interest and active listening, asking the right question opens up a conversation that enables learning and the generation of new ideas.

According to the authors, effective questions:

• Ask for information without passing judgment
• Allow people to come up with their own ideas
• Hold up a mirror allowing the person to reflect on what the answer really means
• Create and opportunity to get to know another person and build a trusting relationship
• Allow us to test assumptions
• Facilitate a deeper understanding by digging beneath the surface

Questions are a natural part of my coaching relationships and have proven to move clients to deeper insight, awareness and action. And as a leader, asking powerful questions can be an extremely effective way to help your team learn and grow.

 

What do you think? 

To your success,

Mary

The Odd Couple

“Our greatest strength as a human race is our ability to acknowledge our differences, our greatest weakness is our failure to embrace them.”

~Judith Henderson

 

I noticed an article that caught my eye in the Sunday (10/10/10) Business Section of The New York Times. Titled, Mark Zuckerberg’s Most Valuable Friend, the article described the relationship between Zuckerberg (yes, that famous Facebook CEO) and the Company’s COO, Sheryl Sandberg.  Zuckerberg, “the engineer and product visionary,” is described in the article as introverted, shy, and socially awkward as compared to Sandberg’s polished and personable personality.  Very different, yet they have become fast friends, and some say because of their different styles, formidable business partners.

The combination of these two very different personalities has resulted in some outstanding outcomes for Facebook. Explosion in workforce growth, a half a billion in global audience and revenue of about 1.6 billion dollars. Not too shabby. No doubt these two are both brilliant people. But this dynamic, but very different duo, have combined to create some very powerful synergies.

Capitalizing on Differences is a presentation I give to clients on the 16 different Myers Briggs Personality Types. I’ve been working with MBTI for many years and it’s fascinating to explore differences in communication styles, decision making, dealing with conflict or dealing with change in light of an individual’s personality preferences. It seems like we naturally seek to surround ourselves with individuals just like us. But teams with a variety of personality types have an opportunity to arrive at better decisions or solutions if they have differing perspectives.

I was recently in a board meeting with an individual who offered great ideas but whose personal style and delivery gave me heartburn. I found myself in an inner dialogue, battling with myself to listen to the great ideas and set aside this individual’s brash communication style. Because I’m aware of my type and my blind spots, I was able to deal with my frustration in real time.

But how about you? Ask yourself: How often do I seek out the perspectives or input from those whose style or personality is very different than my own? And if I am surrounded by individuals with different personalities, how can I remain open to their ideas and not get caught up in their style or delivery? What can I learn by surrounding myself with others who have different perspectives or strengths?

Zuckerberg and Sandberg have seemed to figure it out. They even spend every Friday in meetings providing feedback to each other to help maximize their communication and overall effectiveness. It appears to be paying off.

To your success,

Mary

 

Short-Cut to Distinction—In Memoriam

 

"What we have once enjoyed we can never lose. All that we love deeply becomes a part of us." 

 ~Helen Keller 

 

Last Christmas I wrote a blog post, Short-Cut to Distinction. The post described a wonderful man, Uncle Jim Murtagh, and his simple rules for living a life of distinction. Sadly, Uncle Jim passed away on Monday but his wisdom and his own life of distinction live on in the many of us that he impacted so deeply. If you missed it before, In his memory, the post is repeated below.

It’s hard to believe it’s over. Christmas 2009 is now a memory, but a fond one for sure. One of our family’s favorite holiday traditions is celebrating Christmas dinner with my husband’s side of the family, his aunt and uncle, their children and now many grandchildren. In each of the past 30 plus years that I have spent Christmas with the Murtagh family, Uncle Jim, the patriarch, has been the master of ceremonies and host of the group, sharing his words of wisdom and experience with us based on a lifetime of living and leading.

He has shared story after story of his years in the Navy and the highs and lows of leading his successful manufacturing company. Uncle Jim has always been larger than life to us, a man full of character, integrity and someone who “walked his talk.”

On Christmas day, about 10 years ago, Uncle Jim gave each of us our own laminated card. The card was about the size of a business card, perfect for carrying in your wallet. On the card he shared with us his Short-Cut to Distinction. My husband still carries the card in his wallet as a reminder of simple rules for a life of distinction. 

Uncle Jim told us that he spoke with the most important business leaders he knew and asked them one question: “What was the one most important lesson they would pass on to future leaders?”  Their answers are listed here as he wrote them - simple, clear, and timeless.  Leadership tools change.  Wisdom and values do not.

Uncle Jim was at Christmas dinner this year. He is now 85 and his health has failed significantly in the last several years. His guidance to the many who love him, have worked with him and followed his leadership, will not fail.

Short-Cut to Distinction

1. Magic Words…..Please & Thank You
2. Smile
3. Use First Names
4. Dress Right
5. Let the other guy do the talking
6. Avoid Arguments
7. Never say “You’re Wrong”
8. Keep your calm
9. No Ultimatums
10. Listen, Listen, Listen
11. Don’t criticize, condemn or complain
12. Make things happen
13. Make someone happy
14. Talk to everyone who works for you every day.
15. Ask! “What do you think we should do to make things better?”
16. Patience
17. Walk through your plant everyday
18. Let your employees have input

 Wisdom to live a life of distinction. Rest in Peace, Uncle Jim.

 To your success,

 Mary