We know intuitively that Mr. Strasberg’s reasoning is sound, but leaders seldom apply it in the workplace. Instead, most workers report that they are singled out for notice only when there is a problem with their performance. Here is a question I often ask my audiences: If your boss told you that she noticed something about your performance and wanted you to come to her office to discuss it, would you assume that she had noticed an area of your special competence and wanted to bring it to your attention? Among the majority of audience members who respond with nervous laughter, only a few hands raise.
Bosses tend to notice and comment on weaknesses and mistakes more than they comment on talents and strengths. While continuous learning and self-improvement are valid concepts for future success, focusing solely on what is lacking leads to an unbalanced evaluation of employees’ worth and potential. It is no wonder then that most workers have problems taking risks and confronting uncertain situations.
Certainly, if you manage people or lead a team, a powerful change-management strategy is to help people focus on their strengths and find ways to build on them that is congruent with the direction the organization is taking. It’s the same thing in change communication. Approaches (such as Appreciate Inquiry) that look at what an organization already does well – and builds on those accomplishments to be even better – energizes and stimulates people to change because it is based on talents already possessed.
Carol Kinsey Goman, Ph.D. is the author of nine books including CREATIVITY IN BUSINESS and “THIS ISN’T THE COMPANY I JOINED” — How to Lead in a Business Turned Upside Down. She delivers keynote speeches and seminars to association and business audiences around the world. For more information or to book Carol as a speaker at one of your events, please call: 510-526-1727, email: CGoman@CKG.com, or visit her website: http://www.CKG.com.
There is no “normal” timetable to accept a change. Each person in every organization is unique. Things that bother some people don’t faze others. The same is true when it comes to the timetable that people have in terms of experiencing the four stages of a corporate change – awareness, understanding, acceptance and embracing the change. Select employees will understand, accept and embrace it once they are aware of the change, while others will take months, years or may never fully embrace it.
During the strategy development, establish the long-term vision for your change marketing program and short-term checkpoints. By setting short-term checkpoints you will help manage expectations on how quickly you can expect change to happen. You will also be able to reward and recognize your team for short-term achievements. In addition, you will have the opportunity to tweak any communications or programs that are not delivering results.
Answer: Location, location, location.
Question: What’s the secret of organizational change?
Answer: Communication, communication, communication.
Which is not to say that the top-down cascade communication strategies of the past are sufficient. They’re not. What is taking their place is a broader, more inclusive definition of communication. Here are five ways to add strategic value to your change communications.
1. Don’t just recite the facts – interpret them.
Facts are neutral. People make decisions based on what facts mean to them, not on the data itself. What people really want to know is, “What sense do you make of this? What is the conclusion? What does it mean to us?”
2. Utilize the power of symbolic communication.
There are a thousand ways to communicate symbolically. There are ceremonies, awards, logos, icons, drawings, and metaphors. Best of all, there are real-life leadership behaviors that “speak” volumes.
Folks at BBC still remember when Michael Grade, then controller and now director-general of BBC One, visited the news department one day when they were short-staffed. He pitched in and acted as a junior researcher to cover a shipwreck incident, finding a member of the coast guard to interview. That example raced through the company grapevine to become a positive symbol of corporate culture change.
3. Tell more stories.
Storytelling is an important tool to connect with audiences on an emotional level. In communication terms, storytelling is a “pull” strategy, in which listeners are invited to participate in the experience and to imagine acting in the mental movie that the storyteller is presenting. Stories resonate with adults in ways that can bring them back to a childlike open-mindedness — in which they are less resistant to new and different ideas.
4. Turn first line supervisors into first-rate communicators.
There’s little doubt that one’s direct boss is a crucial link in the change-communication delivery system. Who better to align employee efforts to the change goals? But most first-line supervisor are lacking a key communication element.
While consulting for a utility company in New York, I was observing several supervisors delivering a change message to their teams. As you would expect, there was a great variety of styles and expertise on display: Some managers were glib ad-libbers while others were stilted and read from a script. Some were well liked and others were barely tolerated by the people they managed. But all the supervisors had one weakness in common. Not one of them had the training or skills to turn a monologue into a dialogue.
5. Harvest the grapevine.Research suggests that up to 70% of all organization information circulates through the grapevine, yet few communicators have taken advantage of the informal channels in their organizations. Gossip moves through people who gravitate into an intermediate position, making connections between individuals and factions. Those who control the gossip flow hold a lot of power.
It’s that time of year again. Resolutions. Out with the old. In with the new. Stopping bad habits. Starting good ones. Bottom line: it’s time for change. But that simple little word conjures up lots of emotions and reactions among people.
Recently, I came across a little book with a clever title – “Change is Good. You Go First.” That phrase reflects the sentiment that many people have about organizational change. They realize they can’t survive without it. They know that everyone has to do their part. But they dig in their heels when it comes to taking the first step, and they have a hard time staying the course – at least that’s the conventional wisdom.
People Hate Change —
Or Do They?
Here’s an important question, though. Is resistance to change really inherent in human nature – or is something else going on? If you look around, you can see people changing all the time. Clothes. Foods. Channels. You name it. Like the old adage goes, variety is the spice of life, right? So how does that cherished maxim jive with the contention that people resist change?
Truth is, people don’t resist change as much as they resist being forced to change without their involvement. People actually relish change if they’ve got some control over it, and they think it’s going to be good for them. Human beings are imprinted at birth with an innate desire to make things better. We want today to be better than yesterday, and we want tomorrow to be better than today. Everyone knows that can’t happen without change.
People Embrace Change —
When They Have Some Control
So that’s where smart leaders will go when they want to foster employee engagement and get people on board with a change management plan:
- They start by giving employees a compelling vision, a riveting story of where they want to be “tomorrow.” And they explain why it’s important to embark on that journey in a way that speaks to the well-being of employees, not just the company.
- They continue to build on the allure of that vision in every communication they have with employees, and they provide the support employees need to reach it.
- They give continuous encouragement and express absolute confidence in the ability of employees to do the job.
- They make the change process manageable by not giving people too much to handle all at once, and by giving them clear, simple steps they can take successfully.
- They let employees see the performance numbers, and they allow people to take the initiative to make course corrections along the way.
- Finally, they let employees have a say in how to design and manage the change they’re expected to embrace
In the end, change is NOT necessarily good. But it IS absolutely necessary. Whether it’s good or not depends on what the change is – and, more importantly, how it’s handled. Change is also unavoidable. As the introduction says in the little book that inspired the title of this essay, the only choice we have is this: “… either we manage change, or it will manage us.”
People Will Change —
If They’re Led the Right Way
It’s true that change can be difficult. Even though it isn’t as onerous to employees as some people think, human beings often long for the familiar, and old habits die hard. But if you label the source of those behaviors as “resistance to change,” you’re probably going to be treating the wrong cause of the challenge – and take the wrong approach to overcoming it.
So along with your other resolutions this year, add one more. If you see your change efforts stalling out, don’t jump to the conclusion that employees are “resisting change” – and don’t assume that it’s just human nature. It could be that the so-called “resistance” is actually due to the methods you’re using – or the way you’re telling the story.
Les Landes, Landes & Associates
Buy Les’s webinar replay: Getting to the Heart of Employee Engagement
My friend and colleague, Richard Barrett, wrote a book several years ago called “Liberating the Corporate Soul.” It’s exceptional on many levels, as I wrote in a review that is posted on Amazon.com. One remarkable quality about Richard’s book is how it is both wonderfully inspiring and technically rigorous. Marcello Palazzi, Co-Founder and Chair of the Progessio Foundation said that “Liberating the Corporate Soul achieves the impossible: it integrates the intangibles of ethics, vision, and consciousness into a tangible measurement system.”Much of Richard’s work is rooted in his experiences from when he worked at the World Bank. During his years there, he developed a strong conviction that the institution needed to focus more of its attention on the issue of human rights in its monetary policies and decision-making. Since he was a mid-level manager with limited influence, he decided that he would need to take a less conventional approach if he wanted to reach the ears – and hearts – of senior management.
Les Landes, Landes & Associates
Buy Les’s webinar replay: Getting to the Heart of Employee Engagement
Here’s how to get started:
Bring in the customer. Despite the demonstrated benefits of working closely with customers to drive sales, improve product innovation, and better match supply with demand, a recent study by Deloitte found that only 3% to 8% of respondents are actually engaging their customers in this manner. If your company is not already collaborating with customers for innovative product/services development, this is the place to begin.
LEGO Factory has been around for a while, but it remains an inspiring example of how to tap the creativity in a customer base. Children and other building enthusiasts visiting the site are invited to design models (using easy to use, free downloadable software) and take part in competitions for LEGO prizes. A popular contest last year entitled winners to have their model produced and featured in Shop@Home, receiving a 5% royalty on each set sold.
Make suppliers part of the solution. As part of Chrysler’s SCORE (Supplier Cost-Reduction Effort), there is shared responsibility for innovative ideas to get cheaper parts. The goal for each supplier is cost-cutting opportunities that equate to 5% of its annual billings to Chrysler. The collaborative program has generated a flood of more than 100 ideas per week and an estimated savings of $2.5 billion.
Partner with the competition. Collaboration among competitors is the most difficult and delicate form of partnership. But archrivals Procter & Gamble and Clorox have managed to make it work. The two packaged goods companies compete fiercely in the cleaning products and water purification categories, yet both profited when Press’nSeal, a new plastic wrap based on breakthrough P&G technology, went to market under Clorox’s well-established Glad brand. And the collaboration continues with the recent introduction of Glad ForceFlex trash bags, which are made of strong but stretchable plastic developed by P&G.
Choose the right people. The best collaborative projects are often those in which the team members can let go of their own (sometimes entrenched) views and ideas, and apply a more open style of working with others. Because collaboration is built on a foundation of good working relationships and trust between individuals, personal qualities (good communicators, good relationship builders, flexible, culturally and politically savvy, confident without being arrogant) are often more important than subject matter expertise. Experts can be brought in as a resource to the process, whereas key interpersonal skills are what keep the collaborative venture on track.
In today’s terror-filled world, personal security ranks right up there with job security as workplace issues that matter the most to workers. Last week’s foiled terrorist plot provides another opportunity for employers to communicate with employees about emergency preparedness and response.
The plan to blow up U.S.-bound commercial flights from the United Kingdom caused immediate response by governments, world financial markets and businesses. In the frenzy to adjust, however, companies would do well to remember that the ability to carry on business as usual depends on people with varying levels of worry, fear and even anger about their lives being disrupted by events beyond their control.
This is a real business issue. Business travel takes more time due to increased security measures. People distracted by concern about world events – especially events that threaten their sense of well-being – are likely to be less productive. In some cases, people’s anxieties manifest themselves in physical illness and emotional disturbance.
Communication can’t make these problems go away, but it can help minimize their impact. Here are some things employers should do:
- If your organization has a crisis communication plan, review it with everyone who has a role in its implementation. This is not an overreaction. Remember, a crisis does not have to be a catastrophic event. A crisis is any circumstance – expected or unexpected – that has real or potential impact on the business.
- If your organization does not have a crisis communication plan, what are you waiting for? Last week’s news should convince business leaders that the time it takes to prepare a plan for communicating during a crisis is time well spent.
- If your organization was affected in any way by the fallout of the foiled terror plot, tell employees about it. Perhaps your company altered its travel policy. Maybe your business performance was, or will be, affected by the news. Employees need to know the facts. If they don’t get the facts from the company, they’ll draw their own conclusions.
- Remind employees of the company’s plans for dealing with disruptions of any kind. This is a good time to reiterate plans and policies for everything from business travel to customer response to building evacuation. Consider what is the most relevant and appropriate information to share based on the circumstances and then share it.
- Give employees an opportunity to ask questions, express concerns and share ideas. The simple act of communicating is a salve itself. The worst thing employers can do is to pretend nothing has happened.
We live in a different world that requires different actions from just five years ago. Do not be concerned about overreacting. What happened last week evokes all kinds of emotional responses, whether expressed or repressed. Communicate with calm reassurance, but communicate. The people who work for you deserve it.
Everyone experiences pressure this time of year: completing year-end projects; projecting next year’s budget; finalizing the 2011 business plan. But before you place the finishing touches on next year’s strategy, ask yourself if you have communicated sufficiently about your anticipated work flow with your colleagues.
Rushing to complete the department’s business plan can mean it was developed using the “silo” approach. The result is that the plan may appear to make sense on paper but encounters multiple issues when it is time to execute the strategy and tactics. Why? Because an adequate exchange of information did not occur during the developmental stage.
I advocate taking time to confer with colleagues before finalizing your 2011 business plan. There are several benefits to communicating cross-functionally while designing your department’s upcoming activities. For example, by sharing your proposed plan with others, you may become aware of timing issues or barriers that could impact the success of your work. Learning what others anticipate doing can reveal opportunities your team can leverage and provide new ideas that inspire creativity, both of which could be integrated into your strategy before finalizing it.
Soliciting input during the formulation stage enables you to gain allies and to identify relationship issues that require improvement or problems that need to be solved. To gain such insight prior to introducing your strategy to the executive team or initiating a tactic is invaluable because you are able to refine your approach and make the necessary “course corrections” before experiencing major hurdles that would cause your plan to fall short or, worse yet, fail to produce the promised results.
Instead, you are able to implement your strategy and tactics smoothly and appear to be organized and in control of your functional area. Plus, if there is the likelihood that you will be asked to scale back your 2011 proposed budget, it can be extremely helpful to have “champions” who are aware of the benefits of your plan and would attest to the importance of your work.
Measurement component
Because measurement is critical to business, it is necessary you have a well-designed scorecard, which will help you report on the activities you intend to perform throughout the year. By conferring in advance with your colleagues, you may uncover critical areas where your course of action will impact these other areas.
Consequently, you may be able to develop methodology that incorporates supplemental information into your quarterly, monthly and weekly reports. Your ability to show how your work is inter-related to the goals and objectives of other departments demonstrates the further value of your efforts.
Positioning you as a leader
In addition to having a stronger business plan, this type of advance communication with your co-workers positions you as a collaborator and an effective manager willing to listen to multiple points of view and possessing the ability to understand how your area fits into the overall picture of the business. Such attributes help to brand you as a leader.
Once your 2011 plan is completed, including feedback from colleagues, don’t hesitate to showcase your efforts to other business partners when networking opportunities arise. This will permit you to “advertise” your plan, so others in the company become aware of the upcoming work of your department. This, in turn, will prepare them when you or members of your team call upon them to enlist help or to request information throughout the year.
Sharing your intentions and business targets also can open doors for you with members of the management team, as you are able to compliment the ideas suggested by their staff and prove your willingness to be a team player.
In fact, you may want to distribute highlights or an executive summary of your plan to key executive team members and share the relevancy or your goals and work to helping the company successfully achieve its 2011 business objectives.
Continue the communication flow
Once your department’s business plan has been approved, don’t stop communicating. Your business plan is a tool as well as a road map. You should share your plan with employees new to your area, so they have a clear understanding of the focus and anticipated performance of the department.
Be sure to introduce existing and new vendors to appropriate portions of the plan, so they can accompany you on your “journey to achievement” as you pursue your strategy and undertake key tactics in which they, too, have a vested interest in your success.
Finally, as you achieve your goals throughout the year, be sure to celebrate these accomplishments with your team, explain how these successes support the corporate mission and business goals as well as the department objectives. This educational endeavor can help employees better understand the role they play within the organization and the importance of their individual contribution to creating a winning team and a successful company.
Ruth Ellen Kinzey, The Kinzey Company is a corporate reputation strategist, consultant, and professional speaker. Want to hear more about a specific topic? She can be reached at (704) 763-0754 or http://www.kinzeycompany.com.
What I have below is clearly not exhaustive, but they are the ideas that really resonated with me as a recruiter. Also, as we all know, many vital corporate communications skills are clearly timeless and I’ve tried not to put too much overlap of them here.
Increased Importance Of Ethics And Corporate Social Responsibility Considerations.
The concept of transparency as it pertains to the modern enterprise is relatively new and hugely transformational. Because of current and future technology, our organizations are going to be transparent whether we like it or not. We’re all living, or will shortly be living, in glass houses. As a result, it’s going to be largely up to the top communications leaders within the company to make sure this fact represents an opportunity and not a restriction. The silver lining of the existence of the challenge posed by transparency from the communications person’s point of view is that, if it’s within her purview, it gives her a lot more leverage for influence internally — and should mean even greater access to and cooperation from C-level executives.
Greater Flexibility In Writing And Speaking Style.
My PR friends tell me that in many cases the press isn’t the primary audience for their press releases anymore. More often they’re writing them for the end users, or they’re presenting the information in a short, web friendly video. As a result the savvy communications pro is very careful about balancing the use of conversational-style writing and speaking with the more formal, “professional” style. Use of the proper voice and tone in the company’s various channels of communication is key, and while it’s a task that in and of itself may not be that hard on a case by case basis, we have to remember that it all has to be integrated seamlessly with the overall messaging and marketing activities.
More Metrics And Quantitatively Oriented.
There is clearly debate about the extent to which lead generation and lead nurturing could and should play a role in what PR people are going to be asked to do in the near future, at least as it pertains to their role driving social media initiatives for their companies. What’s really not debatable is that the need to analyze what people do on the web (and how much they do it) will continue to grow. That means looking at numbers, data, statistics — web analytics. There’s no escaping it. Communications experts are going to need to know their stuff here, especially if they want to gain respect and get more influence with top management.
We did a quick poll of our nearly 20 speakers before the 2nd Annual RETHINKING CORPORATE COMMUNICATIONS Conference & Bootcamp. All of them have an amazing breadth and diversity of experience in all sizes and types of organizations, from corporate to non-profit to governmental and academia. Here is the question we posed, and their answers:
Of all the issues you see facing corporate, government, non-profit and small business communicators this year, which one do you see needing rethinking the most – and why?
Michael Morley, President, Morley Corporate Consulting, former Deputy Chairman of Edelman New York, and author, How to Manage Your Global Reputation and The Corporate Global Brand Book (Spring 2009):
“To be relevant in the new era, communicators will need to combine strong old-fashioned values with a mastery of the new techniques spawned by the digital revolution. Nothing less will be demanded by a general public disenchanted with the behavior and performance of institutions –Government, Banks, Corporations, Media, watchdog organizations and their leaders. Citizens are increasingly well educated, strongly motivated and skilled in the use of the new democratizing communications tools available to them”.
Greg Caires, Director, Public Relations, BAE Systems, Inc.:
Rethinking media engagement – who are “the media” now, when anyone with Internet access and a penchant for typing/filming their opinions can be “published” or “broadcast,” found via Google alert, and has the potential to impact an organization’s reputation and possible business operations. The public seems less concerned whether their sources of information come from professional journalists or amateurs with an avocation, as long as the source appears credible and their message aligns with preconceived notions; “YouTube” may be seen as a farm team for 60 Minutes, Angie’s List the equivalent for Consumer Reports. How PR professionals choose to either engage or ignore these new media sources has the potential to affect their employers in ways we have yet to imagine.
Roger Conner, Vice President, Marriott International:
Authenticity and trust, with new media/social media channels a close second.
Jeff Porro, PH.D., Principal, Porro Associates:
The struggle will be find a way to keep three critically important balls in the air — staying proactive, being realistic, and staying optimistic. The current crisis is making it harder than ever to do more than just react to problems, but communicators absolutely have to find the time and energy to stay out front. At the same time — the audiences most critical companies’ success demand realistic communication (frank acknowledgement or problems, tansparency about plans, etc.) But these audiences also want evidence from communicators that a company has a path to recovery and future success.
Ned Lundquist, Senior Science Advisor for Alion Science and Technology and Founder, Job of The Week:
Everyone is under the pressure of a tighter budget, so we need to find simple and effective ways to communicate with big impact, but without a big price tag. Good communications has always been about making meaningful connections. Social media allows you to do just that in an immediate, direct and personal way.
Shonali Burke, Principal, Shonali Burke Consulting
Measurement has started making its way across the average communication professional’s radar screen, but lately, it’s been running. And about time; it’s the one area that communicators have fallen woefully short in. Perhaps one of the mixed blessings of this economy will be to give it its rightful place.
Andrew Gilman, President & CEO, CommCore Consulting Group
The Boot Camp offers attendees an opportunity to work on their own personal leadership and technical skills. In times like these, it’s critical that communicators have a seat at the table. It’s not just what you say, but how you say it and demonstrate communications leadership that counts.
Debbi Jarvis, Vice President, Communications, Pepco Holdings, Inc.
Like many organizations, during these challenging financial times, we are rethinking our communications strategy. While our customer are asking for more, we are working with less. But still, we have to deliver. To do that, we are looking for ways to enhance the tools and information on our Web site and exploring social media as a way to connect with customers. I’m encouraging my team to bring ideas to the table and to not be afraid to try something new.
Mark Weiner, CEO, PRIME Research and author of Unleashing the Power of PR: A Contrarian’s Guide to Marketing and Communication.
One area that is ripe for re-examination and change is the common equation for proving the value of public relations. Especially in these economically challenging times, understanding the often cryptic system by which your internal clients value public relations is the key to sustaining PR resources, improving performance and driving meaningful business outcomes. Unfortunately, “value” is highly subjective and its definition changes not just from organization-to-organization but from person-to-person within the same organization. As such, most public relations people — whether their organizations are large or small — have found it impossible to align PR performance with expectations.” At a time when resources are precious, PR must be one of those functions with a clear sense of what drives their own value equation in terms that are meaningful, measurable and reasonable.
Debbie Weil, consultant and author of The Corporate Blogging Book (One book will be given away, and Debbie will do a book signing at the event)The value of FREE. Everyone is critically budget conscious. The best way to build long-term value for your customers or members is to ramp up your efforts to create useful and engaging experiences. Stop thinking about selling. Start thinking about what’s valuable to your stakeholders and how you can seamlessly deliver it online. A corporate blog that’s truly engaging. An online community via Ning that ignites passion. Twitter accounts that enable customers to connect with real people in your organization in real time.
What do you think needs rethinking?
Great communicators employ many different skills as they pursue success. Many of us focus on continual improvement in the tactical skills that carry our role — particularly true early in one’s career. Later, leadership, analysis and relationship skills help us become trusted advisors and strategic contributors.
One of the most important skills we can employ is giving unsought counsel – having difficult conversations with executives and clients where you disagree or offer an alternate view from theirs. I recently found myself in such a situation. The client is a new client and we don’t know each other well. She and her team are very interested in intranet governance and social media.
It is my practice to review current business and communication goals and objectives to better understand what drives the organization. The communication goals and objectives in place in this client organization are not strategic, not focused on behavior, and not likely to successfully position communication as the trusted advisor it should be. They also aren’t contributing to a strategic view of communication that drives the business.
Improving intranet governance and using social technologies may result in some successes, but couched in a flawed communication strategy, these things won’t have near the impact they could if the communication strategy itself were sound. Can you say “time for a tough conversation”?
What this requires most is courage – courage to think along a different line, to be observant of issues for which we’re not responsible, to speak up without prompting or expectation. Courage is in short supply in communication circles.
The best thing you can do is to prepare. Ask yourself the right questions first, and you’ll be better able to deliver clear messages and ask appropriate questions of the client. Consider:
1. What’s my relationship with the person and how might the conversation affect that relationship?
2. What would be the outcome if I never have the conversation? Bad enough to warrant intervention?
3. What are the two messages on which I can focus to get at the heart of the matter?
4. What is the balance to those two messages that helps to persuade and also lighten the negativity?
5. What examples can I offer in support of my concern?
6. What questions can I ask to get the client thinking along my lines of thought?
7. What solutions will I offer?
8. How will I wrap up the discussion in a positive and productive way?
What other tips do you have for giving unsought counsel? Share those and examples of a time when you worked through such a situation successfully.
Stacy Wilson, ABC, is president of Eloquor Consulting, Inc., in Lakewood, Colorado
It takes a village – or at least a workforce. Over the past 23 years, I’ve worked with a variety of very talented leaders, and one thing I know for sure: As talented as a leader may be, he (or she) can’t transform an organization, a department or a team without the support and engagement of others. Whether the change involves creating new products, services, processes – or a total reinvention of how the organization must look, operate, and position itself for the future – success dictates that the individuals impacted by change be involved in the change from the very beginning.“I think that people will challenge any leader who states, ‘here’s where we’re going!’ before asking the question ‘where do you think we should be going?’ The most powerful leadership strategy is to allow the group to come to their own conclusions about what the challenges and solutions are.”Joseph P. Pieroni, President, Sankyo Pharma
Visioning is a team sport. Today’s most successful leaders guide their organizations through transformation not through command and control, but through a shared purpose and vision. Leaders adopt and communicate a vision of the future that impels people beyond the boundaries and limits of the past. But if the future vision belongs only to top management, it will never be an effective force for change. The power of a vision comes truly into play only when the employees themselves have had some part in its creation.
“We created a vision for the future by engaging everyone in that conversation. Vision facilitators guided the process for the national organization, at each and every affiliate, and among the different constituents — medical directors, clinic directors, educators, etc. Although my views were strongly represented, everyone’s input was considered. The result is a cohesive vision that is owned by the entire organization.”
Gloria Feldt, President, Planned Parenthood Federation
Diversity is crucial to harnessing the full power of collaboration. Experiments at the University of Michigan found that, when challenged with a difficult problem, groups composed of highly adept members performedworse than groups whose members had varying levels of skill and knowledge. The reason for this seemingly odd outcome has to do with the power of diverse thinking. Group members who think alike or are trained in similar disciplines with similar bases of knowledge run the risk of becoming insular in their ideas. Instead of exploring alternatives, a confirmation bias takes over and members tend to reinforce one another’s predisposition. Diversity causes people to consider perspectives and possibilities that would otherwise be ignored.
The following is excerpted from a letter to Marriott managers from the Lodging Director of Diversity:
“We must begin to see diversity as an asset to our business and encourage the special talents and diverse perspectives of each associate to produce quality service of superior value for all of our customers.”
So even if the information coming at us is clear, we often don’t take the time receive and decipher it accurately. And as a result, we misunderstand, miss handoffs, and have to spend valuable time trying to get projects and relationships back on track.
As part of the project or team kick-off, include a segment on communication guidelines. For example, as a team, decide on the best way to communicate with each other, including the subject lines to use in email messages, project terms, and names, any abbreviations or acronyms that are okay versus off limits, and other rules of the road. And next determine how the team and the leaders communicate with the rest of the organization.
Liz Guthridge is a consultant, author, and trainer specializing in strategic change communications. Department leaders of Fortune 1000 companies hire Liz and her firm Connect Consulting Group LLC when they need their people—who are confused, angry or in denial—to adopt complex new initiatives so they can quickly change the way they work. For more information, contact Liz, liz.guthridge@connectconsultinggroup.com or 510-527-1213. Follow Liz on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/lizguthridge.
A reporter once asked Dale Berra, son of baseball great Yogi Berra, and a major leaguer himself, if he was similar to his father. To which Dale replied, taking a page from his oft-quoted father, “No, our similarities are different.”
I thought of this comment the other day when a client I had worked with several years ago contacted me about speaking at an upcoming leadership event.
“Sure!” I said, “I’d love to work with your organization again. But tell me, are you facing the same problems with organizational change as when I last addressed this audience?” He quickly replied, “Oh no, it’s nothing like before. Sure, we are still trying to get people to embrace change, but the change is completely different!”
Over 20 years ago, I began researching, writing and speaking about managing the “human side” of organizational change. At that time I thought it was a topic that would be a top priority — for a few years (until we’d all mastered the strategies and techniques of change management) — and then the focus would shift to more current organizational challenges.
I was wrong.
Two decades later, dealing with change remains the crucial organizational challenge.
In a recent survey by the Conference Board, 539 global CEOs were asked to list their top concerns. In Europe and Asia as well as in North America, organizational flexibility and adaptability to change consistently ranked at the top of the list. Only revenue growth received a higher ranking.
What I overlooked in my assumption of change mastery is the radical way change would, well . . . change. Many leaders did become proficient in managing incremental change (continuous improvement) and the occasional (or annual) large-scale transformation. But managers today are facing a flood of continuous, overlapping, and accelerating change that has turned their organizations upside down. And managing people through that kind of change requires all the communication and leadership strategies we learned in the past – and then some.
The shift from “a change” to “constant change” is more than just semantics. The increased difficulty lies in the fact that most people and processes are set up for continuity, not chaos. We’re built to defend the status quo, not annihilate it. But the world is throwing change at us with such intensity that there is hardly enough time to regain our equilibrium or catch our breath. Nor is there much hope that the rate of change will ease in the future.
So, what does it take to manage people through continuous change? Here are some suggestions:
Realize that resistance to change is inevitable – and highly emotional. This may not really surprise you, but understand that it is a very real result of our neurological makeup. Change jerks us out of our comfort zone by stimulating the prefrontal cortex, an energy-intensive section of the brain responsible for insight and impulse control. But the prefrontal cortex is also directly linked to the most primitive part of the brain, the amygdala (the brain’s fear circuitry, which in turn controls our “flight or fight” response). And when the prefrontal cortex is overwhelmed with complex and unfamiliar concepts, the amygdala connection gets kicked into high gear. All of us are then subject to the psychological disorientation and pain that can manifest in anxiety, fear, depression, sadness, fatigue or anger.
Didn’t think you were hired to manage emotional turmoil? Think again.
Being aware of and responsive to the emotional component of change is now a prerequisite for effective leadership. This task is complicated by the fact that the emotional cycle of transition (denial, resistance, choice, acceptance, engagement) overlaps – as one change begins while others are in various stages.
Give people a stabilizing foundation. In a constantly changing organization, where instability must be embraced as positive, a sense of stability can still be maintained through corporate identity and collective focus of purpose. The leader’s role here is to create stability through a constant reinterpretation of the company’s history, present activities, and vision for the future. And, by using the term vision, I’m not referring to a corporate statement punctuated by bullet points. I’m talking about a clearly articulated, emotionally charged, and encompassing picture of what the organization is trying to achieve.
Encourage employees to mingle. The new change-management fundamentals include an increasing focus on relationships and collaboration. Social networks – those ties among individuals that are based on mutual trust, shared work experiences, and common physical and virtual spaces are in many senses the true structure of today’s organizations. Anything you as a leader can do to nurture these mutually rewarding, complex and shifting relationships will enhance the creativity and change readiness within your team or throughout your organization.
Give up the illusion of control. The biggest obstacle to the organizational flexibility that executives say they want may be their unwillingness to give up control. Rather than tighten the reins, leaders need to loosen their grip in order to align the energies and talents of their teams and organizations around change initiatives. No one likes change that is mandated – but most of us react favorably to change we are part of creating.
Leaders need to loosen their hold on information, as well. Transparent communication means disclosing market realities and the company’s inner workings to everyone — not just to the upper echelon. It requires an unprecedented openness: a proactive, even aggressive, sharing of financials, strategy, business opportunities, risks, successes and failures. People need pertinent information about demographic, global, economic, technological, consumer and competitive trends. They need to understand the economic reality of the business and why that reality is the driving force behind change. Most of all, people need to understand how their actions impact the success of change initiatives – and how those initiatives impact the overall success of the corporation.
I often tell audiences that “organizations don’t change. People do . . . or they don’t.” The similarities in today’s continuous change may indeed be different from change in the past. But here’s one thing that has hasn’t changed. People are still the key.
Or, as Yogi Berra might have explained it: When it comes to the importance of the human element in change, “It’s déjà vu all over again.”
The company’s commitment to leadership development is in direct contrast to what I’ve seen in many other organizations. Definitive, purposeful succession planning is rare, even at the very highest corporate levels. Too often the “bench strength” in leadership is so poor that careers stall because no one else has been groomed as a management successor. Companies that don’t address this issue now are going to be at a serious disadvantage in the very near future.
By the year 2011, the leading edge of the Baby Boom workforce will be 65 years old – eligible for full retirement. And that generation’s collective wisdom will leave with them unless it has been transferred to younger employees. Which in turn makes succession planning and knowledge sharing increasing important to an organization’s financial strategy.
Effective leadership is a crucial source of competitive advantage, and corporations can’t just wait for leaders to arrive, fully developed. Organizations must actively seek out people with leadership potential and find ways to nurture and develop that potential. It takes a serious commitment of both time and resources to do it right. But that is the key to what separates great companies from good companies. Great companies make developing leaders a priority.
Here’s how . . .
The process begins with the early identification of leadership talent, and the realization that under certain circumstances, leadership potential is easy to spot. In an area of complex problems or in times of crisis, there are people who organically rise to the top. They are proactive, reliable, thoughtful, and they automatically take control. These natural leaders speak up – and other people listen to them because they’re providing solutions, not just stating problems.
Joseph Pieroni, president of Sankyo Pharma, notes the emergence of informal leadership in his organization: “Every time we are in a tough situation, people point to the same two or three individuals because we feel confident these ‘leaders’ will go well beyond their area of responsibility – and do whatever is needed.”
Identifying new leaders is something that all current leaders should be responsible for – and that policy is most effective if it starts at the top. CEOs and presidents need to spend time focused on this issue, assessing leadership strengths as well as current and future organizational requirements. And leadership development should start early. Ten or fifteen years before a person is expected to be at their full potential, current management should be discussing how to develop this individual. The most valuable conversation will center on how people use their time: How can their skills be leveraged in new ways? Who needs to know these people? Who should be working with them, coaching and mentoring them? What experiences would be the most advantageous?
Spotting potential leaders is also a smart move for managers who want to advance their own careers. As one savvy leader told me, “The minute I begin a new assignment, I start looking for people who can be groomed as my successor. I know that I won’t be able to take the next step until someone else can take over my current job.”
However future leaders are identified, the next step is to find ways to nurture their potential. Along with formal educational opportunities, mentoring relationships, and personal coaches, leading-edge companies make sure that key candidates receive the kind of assignments that help them grow and develop.
The head of Ketchum’s brand practice, also the associate director of their New York office, was offered the director position in Atlanta as a way of rounding out her expertise. That was a decision made to advance her career, and looked at from the standpoint of what would add the most value for her. Another example from Ketchum is a director from the San Francisco office who was moved to a leadership role in London so that he could gain international experience.
But leadership development isn’t only about acquiring business skills. It’s also about effective mental preparation. According to Bob Dilenschneider, CEO of The Dilenschneider Group, the key is learning to keep a sense of perspective: “Keeping your balance at all times can be extremely difficult. Since leaders play the game at the highest and lowest levels, they experience the glory of the victories as well as the disappointment of setbacks and failures. The trick is not to let the glory go to your head nor let the disappointments devastate you.”
I agree with Bob. Giving people the freedom to succeed and fail – and the guidance to help them deal with both – may be the best leadership development strategy of all.
What other actions should you steer clear of on Fridays?
Answer: Location, location, location.
Answer: Communication, communication, communication.
Which is not to say that the top-down cascade communication strategies of the past are sufficient. They’re not. What is taking their place is a broader, more inclusive definition of communication. Here are five ways to add strategic value to your change communications.
1. Don’t just recite the facts – interpret them.
Facts are neutral. People make decisions based on what facts mean to them, not on the data itself. What people really want to know is, “What sense do you make of this? What is the conclusion? What does it mean to us?”
2. Utilize the power of symbolic communication.
There are a thousand ways to communicate symbolically. There are ceremonies, awards, logos, icons, drawings, and metaphors. Best of all, there are real-life leadership behaviors that “speak” volumes.
Folks at BBC still remember when Michael Grade, then controller and now director-general of BBC One, visited the news department one day when they were short-staffed. He pitched in and acted as a junior researcher to cover a shipwreck incident, finding a member of the coast guard to interview. That example raced through the company grapevine to become a positive symbol of corporate culture change.
3. Tell more stories.
Storytelling is an important tool to connect with audiences on an emotional level. In communication terms, storytelling is a “pull” strategy, in which listeners are invited to participate in the experience and to imagine acting in the mental movie that the storyteller is presenting. Stories resonate with adults in ways that can bring them back to a childlike open-mindedness — in which they are less resistant to new and different ideas.
4. Turn first line supervisors into first-rate communicators.
There’s little doubt that one’s direct boss is a crucial link in the change-communication delivery system. Who better to align employee efforts to the change goals? But most first-line supervisor are lacking a key communication element.
While consulting for a utility company in New York, I was observing several supervisors delivering a change message to their teams. As you would expect, there was a great variety of styles and expertise on display: Some managers were glib ad-libbers while others were stilted and read from a script. Some were well liked and others were barely tolerated by the people they managed. But all the supervisors had one weakness in common. Not one of them had the training or skills to turn a monologue into a dialogue.
5. Harvest the grapevine.
Research suggests that up to 70% of all organization information circulates through the grapevine, yet few communicators have taken advantage of the informal channels in their organizations. Gossip moves through people who gravitate into an intermediate position, making connections between individuals and factions. Those who control the gossip flow hold a lot of power.
