Archive for January 2012
If business was easy everyone would be successful. It’s not. Business is constantly changing and adapting to change is challenging. Managing people who need to adapt to change is even more challenging.
Managing change has become the “silver bullet” in seeking the final component of successfully managing strategy, process, people and culture in most organizations today. More and more, staying competitive in the face of demographic trends, technological innovations, and globalization requires organizations to change at much higher rates than ever before. Few people will argue with this statement, but fewer still will say their organization does a good job at managing those changes. Managing change well is a continuous and ongoing combination of art and science that assures alignment of an organization’s strategies, structures, and processes.
A growing number of companies are undertaking the kinds of organizational changes needed to survive and prosper in today’s environment. They are streamlining themselves and thereby becoming more nimble and responsive to external demands. They are involving employees in key decisions and paying for performance rather than for time. They are taking initiative in innovating and managing change, rather than simply reacting to what has already happened.
“Producing major change in an organization is not just about signing up one charismatic leader. You need a group – a team- to be able to drive the change. One person, even a terrific charismatic leader, is never strong enough to make all this happen”
John P.Kotter in his book called “Leading Change” provides a sound process in eight stages to create a powerful template to follow:
1. Establish a Sense Of Urgency
a. Examining the market and completive realities
b. Identifying the discussing crises, potential crises, or major opportunities
2. Creating The Guiding Coalition
a. Putting together a group with enough power to lead the change
b. Getting the group to work together like a team
3. Developing A Vision And Strategy
a. Creating a vision to help direct the change effort
b. Developing strategies for achieving that vision
4. Communicating The Change Vision
a. Using every vehicle possible to constantly communicate the new vision and strategies
b. Having the guiding coalition role model the behavior expected of employees
5. Empowering Broad-Based Action
a. Getting rid of obstacles
b. Changing systems or structures that undermine the change vision
c. Encouraging risk taking and nontraditional ideas, activities, and actions
6. Generating Short-Term Wins
a. Planning for visible improvements in performance, or “wins”
b. Creating those wins
c. Visibly recognizing and rewarding people who made the wins possible
7. Consolidating Gains And Producing More Change
a. Using increased credibility to change all systems, structures, and policies that don’t fit the transformation vision
b. Hiring, promoting, and developing people who can implement the change vision
c. Reinvigorating the process with new projects, themes, and change agents
8. Anchoring New Approaches In The Culture
a. Creating better performance through customer- and productivity-oriented behavior, more and better leadership, and more effective management
b. Articulating the connections between new behaviors and organizational success
c. Developing means to ensure leadership development and succession
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Those three words say a lot. When you STRIVE, you work hard and exert yourself, often against the tide of conventional opinion, competition, and your own complacency, doubts and fears. When you PERFORM, you are using your skills and abilities to do something…to execute and to get results. Ultimately, when you ACHIEVE, you are living a purposeful life. You reach a level of performance that is indicative of true success: you’re achieving your goals and dreams! We all understand that success is a journey and a way of living purposefully, not a destination. The foundation of business development is represented by
The Formula for Success:A ( S + K ) + G = PBC → IR (O, P) Attitudes plus Skills & Knowledge directed by Goals delivers Positive Behavior Change which yields Improved Results, both Organizationally and Personally.
Let’s look at each component of the Formula, working from right to left…
IR The first thing we look for is how we define success. We start out by asking what improved results (IR) we want to achieve in our organization or in their personal lives, and how that will be tracked and measured. The importance of a thoughtful definition of success is that it provides a target toward which everyone can aim. Everything else we do is specifically geared around achieving those results.
PBC Wouldn’t you agree that if that target is different than where you are today, then you must do something (behave) differently to get there? PBC represents positive behavior change.
A definition of insanity is doing the things you’ve always done, but expecting different outcomes.
G represents goals. Goals provide focus, otherwise there is no direction. Doesn’t it make sense that if people had goals on which to focus their energy, it would be easier to change their behavior in a way that can be sustained? Goal setting is the tool that generates the activity necessary to turn ideas into strategy, strategy into plans, and plans into reality.
S+K represent the necessary skills (the how to do something) and knowledge (the where and when to do something) A process that focuses on development of behavioral management skills, meaningful communications, influencing or selling skills, problem solving, decision making, organizing time, disciplining, developing subordinates, delegating authority, motivating others, appraising performance, etc. Everyone needs to be very competent in these areas, but especially in the workplace, where more than 50% of any manager’s job involves using these skills.
A The A stands for attitude (the want to). Leadership is vital based on a result-oriented philosophy that first involves developing a goal-oriented attitude among people. Attitude is more of a multiplier of skills and knowledge that will directly influence the goals set and achieve.
People will directly determine in many cases whether they turn a problem into an opportunity, or succumb to it; whether they behave in ways that benefit the entire organization; whether they expand the client base and services provided or allow atrophy to set in; and whether they diligently look for continuous improvement, or remain satisfied with the status quo.
The results are depending upon behavior and attitudes toward the people or events involved, and toward ourselves. If attitudes are basically negative, goals will be set low, and it will be difficult to progress.
Growth and promotion will be all but impossible until a positive mindset is developed. There are many ways and opportunities for individuals and organizations to better focus on results, attitudes and behaviors, skills and knowledge, goal setting and achievement. If you are interested in taking an important first step, let’s chat.
Visit www.ceoresourceboard.com
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