Agents2Change - Smart Business Thinking

When Implementation gets tough – three strategies that might help Leaders succeed

Today’s global companies are driven by projects.  Projects to implement new processes; projects to implement new systems; projects to outsource; projects to insource, you name it and they will be doing it.  The challenge that they often face is how to access the implementation skills to ensure that the project is delivered on-time and in a relatively pain-free way.

If Leaders are asked to take on this role as part of their day job it can be very challenging for three  reasons:

• The pace and needs of an implementation project is very different from that of business as usual leadership.  Getting the style, approach and finding the energy to do this alongside running the day job can be very demanding and it is frequently under estimated.
• Implementation by its very nature often means stepping on someone’s toes.  If Leaders are uncomfortable causing ripples they can shy away from having difficult (and usually long overdue) conversations with other parts of the organisation to address areas of blockage.
• Implementation requires a fair degree of honesty to address inefficiencies that you the Leader may have turned a blind eye to for a long time.  This may involve upsetting trusted and favoured employees as their roles and responsibilities are tested or changed by the implementation project. 

 

So how can Leaders continue to stay focused and have the energy to continue to lead implementation when the going is getting tough?  Some things that will help include:

 

1. Self awareness is key: Be aware of how change affects you and others and how to support people through it.    There are many models that can help with this such as The Change Curve (below) which explains simply all of the different phases that we go through as we undergo change.  Nobody is immune from it, but self-awareness and acknowledgement goes a long way to mitigating the issues.  Understanding where you are in the process can help you to recognise the signs and the stages that your team are at and know how to respond to them.
   
   
   
2. Belief is essential:  We have all heard the phrase ‘Failure is not an Option’ but that could be turned into a far more motivating phrase such as ‘Success is our only option’.  Even if there are private moments when the leader has a loss of faith in the implementation program, publicly they should always be encouraging, motivating and upbeat with their team. 
3. Responsive trumps planning: The plan is only the best guess at the time of what is required to implement successfully, but the key to success is in how to respond to the roadblocks along the way.  Modern mythology tells us that the US Moon Mission in the 1960's was off-plan 90% of the time  What the team became very good at was ‘on-the-job’ problem solving.  So whilst we are not saying that you don't need a plan (Fail to plan, plan to fail - right?) as a leader, you need to rely on more than the plan.  And the more is the role you can play to create the kind of collaborative team environment where problems can be raised, discussed and solutions created by your team.  This is both skill building and deeply motivating for your people whilst in the midst of heavy-duty Implementation.

Have you some implementation experiences that you would like to share?  Do you have other tips of what makes implementation a success?  Please do share them here.  Or if you would like to hear more about our experience of implementation – contact us on [email protected]

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There are no shortcuts to good management, Silicon Valley

One of the rising trends with the silicon valley based industries has been to create a fun ‘anything-goes’ type workplace to encourage its (usually) young teams to feel relaxed, see work as fun and generally hang out with the guys in a cool, happening place.

That’s great, and I’m all for making workplaces fun and enjoyable places to be, except when this is done as a shortcut to managing people well and giving them the skills and setting them up to succeed.

But the iPhone generation is getting wise to the all bells and no whistles approach to employment and starting to realize that work stops being fun and cool when you are just not getting the nuts and bolts support to do your job.

Google, despite its reputation for being an employer of choice has an average tenure of 1.1years  according to a survey last year by Payscale.  Others are not far behind, with many of the high-tech companies failing to get an average tenure above 2 years.  This compares to an all-sectory average of at least 4 years.  Even factoring age into the equation,  (under 25’s being the most mobile workforce), we still see that something is turning more people off than on in these high-octane environments, so what is it?

The fact remains that there is no shortcut to good employment practices.  Yes of course offering employees a free iPad and an unlimited supply of Mars Bars sounds amazing.  But if that goes with unlimited work hours, unmanageable workloads and poor or just plain absent managers, then reaching for another candy bar rarely fills the gaping hole that is left.

In an era where everything needs to be cut down to 144 characters or less, management has become a cliché.  But like all industries that are on the rise in their trajectory, the plateau and the inevitable decline will come at somepoint.  And when organisations don’t have a bottom-less pit of resources, the lack of stability will hurt and cost more than can be sustained.

So as high octane as the party might feel, far better to wean off the party poppers now and start to build more sustainable, grounded organisations, that can still be agile, creative and be motivating for everyone involved.

What do you think?  Share your thoughts or comments here.

 

A man convinced against his will is of the same opinion still - or the art of persuasion.

Benjamin Franklin offered this nuggest of advice on persuasion.  But can we really change someone else's mind?  

Before we even contemplate the question, we need to consider is it even valid in the first place?  

Just because someone holds a different opinion or set of beliefs to ourselves, does that really matter? Quite often we spend enormous amounts of time and energy trying to get people to come to our own way of thinking, just so we have the satisfaction of feeling right.

If after considering the question, we come to the view that, yes it does matter and we need to have a point of agreement, then we need to consider how to do this, without undermining the person concerned, or losing ourself in the activity of arguing a case.

Deepak Chopra in a recent article offers some wise advice that includes:

 

Let’s consider each of the five points a bit further.

1. Be sincere and truthful. Don't be manipulative.

You can't sell other people on something you don't actually believe in.The upshot is that you shouldn't try to be a master manipulator. It only works on weak-willed people, and in the end they are fickle allies. Rely on your listener's natural ability to detect sincerity.

 

2. Appeal to what someone else already believes. Don't impose your own belief system.

People identify with their beliefs. With that knowledge at hand, you can align yourself with their beliefs. Without that knowledge, you are throwing darts at a brick wall. If you try instead to impose your own beliefs, the other person will feel that you are making him wrong, and immediate shutdown follows.

 

3. Be aware of the other person's blind spots. Don't assume they are open-minded.

A blind spot is a fixed opinion that is so strong, the person shuts out any input to the contrary. It's the supreme example of rigid thinking. If you are self-aware, you know that you have your own blind spots - there are certain things you simply can't stand or that bring out your most stubborn reactions. Almost no one has an open mind, yes, even you; but it's a fact of practical psychology that must be considered. Your task is to avoid sensitive topics and to appeal to the part of your listener that wants to agree with you.

 

4. In general, persuade through reason, not emotion. Don't assume that emotions aren't in play, however.

One of the most confusing aspects of persuasion has to do with being reasonable. Everyone thinks they are, and decision-making is supposed to be rational. Yet psychological research has shown time and again that emotions cannot be separated from the choices we make. To be persuasive, you must argue rationally while always monitoring the emotional atmosphere. (It's worth noting too that competitive personalities regard a show of emotion as a sign of weakness - with them, you must muster all the rational reasons you can.) 

 

5. Make the other person feel right. Don't make them feel wrong.

We all feel wrong when we are judged against. We feel right when we are accepted, understood, appreciated, and approved of. If you make someone else feel accepted, you have established a genuine bond, at which point they will lower their defenses.

So if you have an important area that you need to get to a big 'yes' from a person with an opposing view, think about how you would use these skills to positions yourself better for the conversation.  Remember to put your own ego aside, become the passive listener and see how easy it can be to turn around the most staunch of opponents, always remembering to do it with a smile.

Please do share your experiences here.. or if you would like some further information on how we can support you in becoming more persuasive contact us on:  [email protected]

 

 

Look beyond the skills, see the soul

Deepak Chopra is a hugely influential figure in the fields of Leaderships, self awareness and well being.  In this article he challenges the way that we find new talent for our organisations. 

Chopra reminds us that recruitment is not just a match of skills to role, but a connection of a people to an organisation, its culture and its values.  Here he gives us some great questions to consider when next recruiting. 

 

Since my life's work has always focused on self-awareness and well being, I have made those two attributes the criterion for people I want to work with. In my course, The Soul of Leadership, I advise employers not only to get references and bios from prospective employees, but also to engage with them before hiring in creating a "Soul Profile". Here are the questions that we ask when we create a soul profile:

via www.linkedin.com  

Take a look at the full article here.  Does this resonate with you?  Are these the type of questions that you can imagine asking of your candidates.  Type a comment here.  Or if you want to know more about how we can help you to get a soul based approach to recruitment, management and leadership, contact us at [email protected]. 

Conscious Leadershp - some wise words from Deepak Chopra

We spend a lot of time here discussing the behaviours of leaders and looking to how they can engage better with their poeple and be more effective as decision makers.

Much of the challenge for modern executives is the lack of any time to reflect; to think; and to weigh up options  before acting.   What are really essential attributes to be able to function well are viewed by many as luxuries that they can't afford.  The difficulty with this mindset is the negative impact it has on the person and on their organisation's performance.  Something we are all too readily reminded of by the global crisis caused by the unthinking actions of key executives across the banking and financial community. 

In his article, Deepak reminds us that if you examine the rise of a typical leader, the ability to look and listen decreases as power increases. That's a trend you need to be aware of. At the outset, a future leader often rises out of a group to present a grievance or to offer a new idea or way of doing things. Hands-on experience motivates him (or her), and the group supports his efforts because they recognize a need to be fulfilled.

 

But leaders at the top are often enmeshed in corporate politics and insulated by immediate aides. The notorious White House bubble that isolates presidents also encloses any leader who lives inside a small circle. Here are some pointers about looking and listening all the way up the ladder.

Read more ..

 

About us:

Agents2Change specialises in organisational change and implementation and supporting leaders to do this in an engaging and energetic way.  We would love to hear your feedback on tihs or any other issues and we can be reached on : [email protected]

 

 

Turning a bad day into a good one - sharing some great tips

There is a great article from Inc.com about how to turn a bad day into a good one.  We can often find we start the day feeling a bit stressed, negative or overwhelmend.  Often the bad mood can escalate into a really bad day, but it does not have to.  Very often how we think about something can affect its outcome and learning to thing positively is a great way to improve your chances of having a great day.

 

In his article Geoffrey James of Inc.com reminds us to: 

• Remember that the past does not equal the future.
• Refuse to make self-fulfilling prophesies. 
• Get a sense of proportion.
• Change your threshold for "good" and "bad."
• Improve your body chemistry.
• Focus on what's going well.
• Expect something wondrous.

The tips sound simple, but can make a powerful difference in how you feel and how you work.  Read more here and see if it has a positive impact on your day.

 

The Five Personalities of Innovators: Which One Are You? - Forbes

We have just completed a two-parter on personality types  (Myers Briggs and the Four Temperaments, and as if to complement that, Forbes have just published this article on the five personalities of innovators.

The Forbes Insights study surveyed more than 1,200 executives in Europe across a range of topics and themes. Using a series of questions about their attitudes, beliefs, priorities and behaviors, coupled with a look at the external forces that can either foster – or desiccate – an innovative environment, a picture emerged of five key personality types the play a role in the innovation cycle.

Are you a:

Movers & Shakers;
Controllers;
Star Pupil;
Experimenter;
Or a
Hanger on?

 

 

 

Read More here:  via www.forbes.com

 

 

About us

Agents2change works with some of the world's largest companies on change and implementation issues. We regularly use personality frameworks for leadership, team and organisational development.  If you’d like to know more contact us at:  [email protected]

Trouble at the Bleeding Edge – Or how the Mighty Fall

Earlier this week we talked about challenges at the Leading edge of change.  But what about at the other end of the spectrum?  It’s a salutary reminder of the unrelenting pace of change, when you hear that Eastman Kodak have filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection.  It is a mighty fall from grace, given the near monopoly status that Kodak held in the world of photography for over 125 years.  Yet it is also a stark reminder of the dramatic changes that our digital based economy has wrought. 

Kodak was once viewed amongst the world’s most innovative companies, providing innovation not only in the camera but also in the development and print field of photography.  Yet in the last 30 years it has gradually slipped further and further from the mainstream, as smaller more agile competitors, better able to respond to the rising tide of digital technology started to take its place, alongside that of the multi-media smartphone. 

Management arrogance is one of the accusations for its demise.   Yet perhaps its biggest failing was not realizing that the moment to change had arrived and passed it by; quietly and swiflty.   It is one of life’s truisms that the moment to change, is just when everything seems to be going swimmingly.  It is at the point of our greatest successes when we have to consider its demise and therefore the need to innovate and change. 

The Danger of resting on one’s laurels

Whilst Kodak fades to black, we can see a similar struggle occurring with Research in Motion's (RIMs) Blackberry.  Once the smartphone of choice for Executives around the world, it has become more and more obscured by the rise of Apple products and the demand for tablet-based technologies. 

Blackberry like Kodak is accused of failing to read the market conditions and consumer choices.  Being unclear where its core market base lies – ‘are we the smartphone for executives, or the consumer product for young people?’.  This fuzzy marketing focus has led to inconsistent R&D (such as the disastrous launch of the Storm and Playbook and the lack of a single OS platform for software development).

Fuzzy leadership  and poor engagement are also cited for Blackberry's demise.  As we fully embed ourselves in the digital age, companies that fail to provide a figurehead to tell their story, or those that don't engage their customers through the infinite options of social media are at risk of being ignored, overlooked and eventually shunned completely by their once loyal customers.

Engagement & responsive-ness, the new watchwords

How can you ensure that you are listening to and engaging your customers as you develop your products and services?

• The world’s most innovative companies all have a strong and clear strategy, communicated by a strong and clear leader
• Using social media – twitter, facebook, youtube etc., as well as the traditional media channels ensures the widest possible circulation
• Creating closed loop marketing opportunities e.g. Once an Apple product owner, one naturally migrates to the next Apple product.
• Anticipating rather than responding to trends – this one of course is the silver bullet, but the world’s most innovate see this as their raison d’étre.  What are you doing to anticipate?

About us

Agents2change works with some of the world's largest companies on change and implementation issues.  We'd love to hear your thoughts on this blog, innovation or change in general.  Share your comments here or email us on [email protected]

Trouble at the Leading Edge - The Zuckerburg effect

As Facebook readies itself for floatation, the debate centres around what leadership is required to take it forward and whether Mark Zuckerburg is the right person for the job.  At the heart of the issues are concerns about how much power and influence he will have to veto shareholders post IPA.  But are they valid and does history suggest that they are right to be concerned?

Why does the Founder CEO make us so nervous?

We have in this blog looked at other founder CEO’s and the impact that they can have on an organisation.  The love/hate relationship that emerges because of  founders controlling and some might say over-bearing influence often causes frictions with shareholders, who are not used to playing second fiddle to a CEO. 

The front-runners in the category are obvious:  Steve Jobs, Michael Dell and Bill Gates.  It’s also interesting to note that a recent study by Wharton Business School, concluded that founder CEOs outperformed professional CEOs.  Their decisions tended to be longer-term, linked to a deeper understanding of core products and strategy; and less influenced by the whims and demands of shareholders. 

But there is the other equally tricky aspects of the founder CEO.  As can be seen in the biographies of Steve Jobs, Bill Gates and others; the archetype founder CEO often takes on a maverick role in how they run their organisation, and this is what makes investors and analysts most nervous about the Facebook floatation. 

An unswerving focus on the future

But what Founder CEO’s particularly in the technology field have proven again and again, is that there vision is beyond our grasp until it comes to fruition.  Apple were about to go down the ‘me too’ PC strategy until Steve Jobs returned in 1997 and took the radically different step of complete vertical integration.  A model that was seen as totally outdated at that time  (Amstrad anyone?).

Zuckerburg has also shown such courage, fighting off many law suits and rejecting many lucrative offers in Facebook’s history.  But he has also show an awareness of the need to bring in operators, who will spend time thinking about strategy and core operations, such as the appointment of Sheryl Sandberg.

As Facebook moves closer to becoming a founder-led public company many will feel ambivilant about whether the leader that brought Facebook to here, is the one that will lead it on to profitability in the future.  A profitability that is still relatively untested and in its infancy.

Certainly some of the pitfalls of the Founder CEO, are the tendency toward the Maverick.  A tendency to view one’s own opinion as superior and an intolerance to dissent.  But we have seen how even these poorly viewed leadership practices have brought out the best in some organisation’s performance, so we wait to see how well Facebook lives up to its early promise under Zuckerburg’s control.

Examining Culture #6 - 'That's just the tip of the Iceberg!'

In this mini-series, we are looking at the challenges of managing across a diverse range of geographic and cultural boundaries.   We have already looked at the key writers on National Culture.  Today we turn to organisational culture theory. 

Probably one of the most extensive writers of recent years is Edgar Schein of Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MiT) who has over the years provided much insight into the complexities of understanding and managing cultures within organisations.  He introduced the concept of Culture as an iceberg, in that those things that are observable on the surface are but a small percentage of the issues that are occurring underneath the surface.  

Schein describes culture as multi-layered.  At the visible layer we see artifacts and symbols that represent culture, which in turn come from beliefs and attitudes.  These all stem from basic assumptions that are  deep-rooted and often held at the sub-conscious level.   We don’t often think about how culture is expressed in organisations, and yet its influence is everywhere.  From the organisational structures, to the brand identity to the communications and visual art observable within the office.  It all speaks to the values and underlying assumptions of what this culture represents.  Apple and Google are probably the best proponents of culture as a tangible asset to be encouraged and encompassed by all employees.  Other headquarters such as banking and insurance, exude power and status messages to maintain status quo.  One sector is about game-changing and the other is about the old order. Both are valid, just different.

Schein went on to describe Three Cultures that arise in distinct occupational communities.  The Executive culture is about hierarchy and control.  The Engineering culture is concerned with design and process.  The Operators culture is concerned with the hands-on day-job, whether that be manufacturing or service based.   

When we look at how global companies today are often a made up of many legacy companies that have come together through acquisitions, each with their own distinct history and culture, this therefore poses some challenges for the post-merger integration efforts. 

What we at Agents2Change have found useful is some a cultural mapping exercise to help explain the key differences that occur across organisations.  We will look at this in more detail in our next and final instalment in this Culture series.

What experiences have you had with cross cultural conflicts?  Does this model help explain the reasons for those conflicts?  Please share your thoughts or experiences on cross cultural management here, or email us if you would like to find out more about our work in this area at [email protected]