Errors We Make – Part V

We are used to celebrating the major change efforts sometimes a bit prematurely.  You have all seen the movies, where the hero saves the person from the monster’s captivity and they start celebration and embracing right there and then instead of completing the getaway, and then, the monster wakes up and beats up the hero a bit more before it is actually over.

While celebrating is good, any suggestion of the project completion is a bad idea, if it is made prematurely.  Some changes take quite a bit of time to sink into the old culture.  New approaches are always quite delicate and subject to relapse. 

After an early celebration, we feel as if the war is over and the troops are sent home.  Exhausted troops let themselves believe that the victory is at hand and once home, they will be quite reluctant to return to the front line.  Soon after this, the change comes to halt and old traditions tiptoe their way back in.

EL

Errors We Make - Part IV

Most major change implementations require action from a great number of people. One of the reasons why some changes fail is due to the fact that even though the employees have bought into the change vision, they have not been properly empowered. Sometimes the hindrance can be the organizational structure. Rewards or performance appraisal could force some employees to choose between the vision and the self-interest.  One well-placed blocker can undermine the efforts of all and stop the whole change effort.

Whenever smart and well-intentioned management avoid confronting hurdles, they dis-empower employees and destabilize the entire change. Also real transformations take time. There is a gestation period for everything. Lacking short term goals can cause for the whole change to lose momentum, if there is no win to celebrate. Without short term wins many employees give up or join the resistance.

Managers need to enthusiastically look for ways to attain clear performance improvements and achieve these objectives; rewarding those involved through recognition or promotion.  Don’t be caught up so much so with the grand vision that you forget about the quick wins.  

Defining clear short term wins, removes complacency and encourages employees into detailed and analytical thinking, which can be useful in the clarification and revision of the change vision.

EL

Errors We Make Part III

Major changes are difficult unless most employees are involved and willing to help out, even though at times they may have to do small sacrifices.  But no one usually makes a sacrifice even if they are not happy with the status quo, unless they think that the prospective benefits of the change are striking and they believe in the transformation.

This is not achievable without proper communication.  You need a lot of this, to capture their minds and hearts. There are three common methods of communication that is not so successful:

1.       Developed by habits in more steady times; in which the group actually develops a good transformation vision, and then goes on to sell it by holding a few meetings or sending out a few memos. In this, people act in bewilderment and some do not seem to comprehend the new approach.

2.       The head honcho spends a lot of time giving speeches to the employees during which most of the mangers and leads are silent. In this as well, the communication is miserably insufficient.

3.       The effort goes into newsletters and speeches, but some highly noticeable individuals behave in opposing ways to the vision, causing pessimism among the groups, while the belief in the new change plummets. 

Communication comes in congruency of both words and deeds.  Deeds being the more powerful part. Nothing undermines change more than not walking the talk and being inconsistent. And yet, it unfortunately happens all the time.

EL