I thought it might be good to take a break from my \u201cpreaching\u201d on business philosophy for a post or two and get down to some basics on change (and maybe include a little shameless self-promotion).\u00a0 Big or small, almost every organization is going through change for economic reasons.\u00a0 The recession is driving business owners and leaders to rethink their organizations, processes, and even their fundamental purpose for being.<\/p>\n
People and organizations are reinventing themselves.\u00a0 People who have been out of work are thinking about starting their own businesses instead of getting back into the \u201ccorporate world\u201d.\u00a0 Some of you want more control over your own destiny and think with your own business you can take charge.\u00a0 So maybe it\u2019s time to prepare a new career plan.\u00a0 If you believe in a God, maybe you\u2019re doing a little soul-searching about what God\u2019s plan might be for your life and work.\u00a0 These are big changes, strategic changes, and it seems like no one can avoid them.<\/p>\n
Two studies of North American businesses over the last thirteen years have validated that strategic change initiatives fail two out of every three times.\u00a0 Our own data shows that employees are unaware of management\u2019s expectations seventy percent of the time!\u00a0 And we wonder why change initiatives fail!<\/p>\n
My partners and I are in the business of \u201calignment\u201d.\u00a0 The first question everyone seems to have is, \u201cWhat\u2019s that?\u201d\u00a0 Alignment is the process of translating change into action, making change personal, removing assumptions, and getting people on the same page.\u00a0 We believe we can improve the probability of\u00a0achieving successful and sustainable change by getting down to the basics: communication and accountability.\u00a0 Management can declare what change is needed\u00a0and when it will happen.\u00a0 But it will not happen unless the change is effectively communicated to and translated into action by someone who can deliver and chooses to be\u00a0held accountable; in other words, when your people are aligned.<\/p>\n
There are several steps in the process of change.\u00a0 First you must define clearly and concisely what change you plan to implement.\u00a0 We help our clients link the components of change to their mission and strategy to make it relevant.\u00a0 Then you identify\u00a0the key players in the organization.\u00a0 Next, we help the leaders share the component definitions in their own words (the corporate language) with the key players so they \u201cget it\u201d.<\/p>\n
Now comes the really important part, making change personal and translating it into action.\u00a0 Each key player and leader writes the most significant tasks and behaviors related to the desired change that they expect of each other person with whom they work, and what they think each person expects of them.\u00a0 They then meet one-on-one and discuss and resolve every significant expectation, agreeing, editing, discarding, or escalating the expectation.\u00a0 When they agree, they define what success looks like for each expectation.\u00a0 Then they execute, and hold each other accountable for what they agreed to, coaching as often and extensively as necessary. \u00a0If you don\u2019t do these things, don\u2019t expect your change initiative to be successful.<\/p>\n
Note that there are two communication channels between each participant, what I expect of you, and what you expect of me.\u00a0 Not a big deal when there are just two of you involved in a change, but if there are twenty of you there are 380 channels.\u00a0 One of our big projects involves 100 participants; that\u2019s 9,900 possible communication channels.\u00a0 That\u2019s a lot of data to manage, but we\u2019ve created some web-based software that helps you manage it all.<\/p>\n
And by the way, those channels exist whether you are peers, or leader and subordinate.\u00a0 For you leaders out there, it is a two way street, and don\u2019t you forget it!<\/p>\n
As we like to say, \u201cChange is hard, real change is real hard!\u201d\u00a0 This process sounds simple, but it isn\u2019t.\u00a0 My partners and I usually come in to facilitate this process in organizations where it has failed, often several times.\u00a0 If you are struggling with change in your organization, whether you are a sole proprietor or one of the directors of a large corporation, keep these points about change in mind:<\/p>\n
Businesses that don\u2019t change don\u2019t survive.\u00a0 Change is an essential part of your business.\u00a0 How you handle it is one of those better business basics.\u00a0 Check out the resources on our web site, www.pdsgrp.net<\/a>, and if you need help with alignment, don\u2019t call your mechanic or chiropractor, call us!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" I thought it might be good to take a break from my \u201cpreaching\u201d on business philosophy for a post or two and get down to some basics on change (and maybe include a little shameless self-promotion).\u00a0 Big or small, almost every organization is going through change for economic reasons.\u00a0 The recession is driving business owners … Continue reading Strategic Change and Alignment<\/span>