Change for the sake of change is never good, but so often organizations spin through change initiatives like dealers at the roulette wheel. Senior managers push for change because they encounter a roadblock or sense a lack of momentum. Rather than probe for a fix, they wave their arms and push for change — big changes. These managers confuse the motion of change with purpose of change. In reality, the effort is wasted motion, draining energy and resources. In the long run, such churnings deplete enthusiasm and breed apathy. Therefore, senior leaders must first provide solid reasons for change initiatives, and then use their communications to drive the process. Here are some things to consider:

Relate the WIFM (What’s in It For Me) People evaluate with their intellect, but often choose with their hearts, i.e., the cognitive versus the affective. Managers must structure their appeal in this way. Consider a three-step process:

State the benefits to the organization. Speak of how this change will improve competitiveness as well as long-term stability. One, address the hardships. Change is seldom pleasant. It puts us out of our comfort zone. Managers must be realistic and not gloss over this aspect. If they do, they cheapen their credibility; their case for change gets lost in corporate palaver. Two, talk up the benefits. Emphasize what change will mean to individuals and teams, specifically noting benefits that relate to personal destiny. People want to know that they have some control and so if the change initiative relates to increasing autonomy and spans of control, stress it. If the initiative will do just the opposite, then promote the benefits of tighter control in terms of work flow and customer satisfaction.

Sell the benefits. The root of salesmanship is persuasion. And with any transformation, you need plenty of persuasion to succeed. When managers communicate change, they must do so with a note of enthusiasm and hint of passion. Talk about how the new change will affect the daily grind. While there is always pain in change, look for jewels that exemplify the gain both short and long term. For example, in a sales reorganization, play up what it will mean in terms of selling to more people or fewer but more select customers. Include comments on incentives. Also, emphasize what the change will bring in terms of opportunities for personal development and promotion.

Praise individuals. Who is doing the real change? Very often it is not the senior leaders; they are busy masterminding the entire process. The real change comes in the trenches where the real work is done. Companies must find ways to find examples of how people are changing and what impact such change is having on the work flow as well as customer satisfaction. Play up those stories in company newsletters and websites. At the same time, leaders can feature those stories in their speeches and meetings throughout the company. Such stories not only recognize individuals and teams, they mark progress with the change initiative. It is also appropriate to include metrics that quantify the improvement; again this contributes to momentum but appeals to our logic that values sound strategy and planning.

Excerpted from “Heart of Change” by John Baldoni CXO Media 2004

What kind of manager may be hurting your company’s ability to perform according to plan? The boss who is “too nice.”

That is a conclusion explored by Wall Street Journal columnist Jared Sandberg his column on managers who avoid conflict either to keep the peace or to avoid confrontations. The havoc that abusive bosses seems much better known but in reality the “kill ‘em with kindness” boss may be doing just that: stifling his people and in the process ruining productivity.

The non confrontational boss problem goes beyond individual bosses; its causes are systemic. People are promoted into management with little or no training. While a pharmaceutical company would not hire a researcher without a science background, nor an accounting firm hire an accountant who could not read a spreadsheet, companies in so many industries do the equivalent when they promote managers without preparing them first to manage, and second to lead. People are thrust into management positions for which they are ill prepared and possibly ill suited. They accept the position one, because it’s offered; two, because it represents advancement; three, because they fear retribution for turning it down.

Yes there are many in house management training programs, as well as myriads of training programs available everywhere from the finest universities to the local community college. But so often due to time, circumstance and cost, inexperienced managers are not given the opportunity to learn and so they are thrust into the deep end without a life preserver. And so it’s no wonder that so many flounder. They either ape behaviors of a previous boss (authoritarian) or avoid those and so become non confrontational. So what can be done?

Select candidates carefully . When considering someone for promotion to management, assess her ability to manage others. Interview her about working with others and supervising them. Evaluate through assessments how suited for management this individual is.

Give them options . Going into management for many people means giving up what got them promoted. That is, they are good engineers, financial analysts, purchasing agents, or marketers. For some, moving into management means giving up what they love to do. Ask them if this is okay? For some, it’s not an option; they simply do not want to manage others. [Note: beware of people opting for management simply for pay; many companies provide parallel pay tracks for high performers in specialty fields, engineering, IT, design, and so forth.]

Coach them/mentor them. Be available when the manager takes the reins. The manager’s manager needs to be ready to lead his new charge; that is provide him with insight into expectations and delivery. This is not micro-management; it’s one-to one coaching. Also consider getting the new manager a mentor, someone who is removed from the day to day management can advise and counsel with a level of disinterest.

The cost of avoiding management development is may be too high. As David Bradford of Stanford’s business school tells Sandberg, "In a knowledge economy, where work is more complex and interdependent, people need feedback more -- what they particularly need feedback on are on things that are difficult to give: one's interpersonal style." The question then becomes not whether you can afford management development, but can you afford not to provide it.

Source: Jared Sandberg “Cubicle Culture: Avoiding Conflicts, The Too Nice Boss Makes Matters Worse” Wall Street Journal 2.26.08

Have you ever found yourself in a meeting frustrated no end by your inability to get people to follow your argument? Do you find you do not have the words to shape your argument? And do you feel that someone is using position rather than reason to trump your ideas? Of course you have. We all have found ourselves tongue tied or at a loss for words to describe our ideas in ways designed to win others to our point of view.

Before it happens to you again, you may be ready to try some jujitsu argument. Jujitsu is a martial art that is based on leveraging an opponent’s strength against himself. For example, a smaller and lighter weight football team may use a spread offense where players stretch the field of play by running and passing to gain an advantage over bigger and heavier and less nimble football teams. The same can apply to arguing your point of view.

Before you can do anything, however, you must consider the outcome. That is, what do you hope to accomplish. If the stakes are important to you, plow ahead. On the other hand, if the odds are stacked against you, perhaps you are wiser to wait another day. That said if you want to argue, here are some suggestions.

Identify your opponent’s strength . Consider the foundation of your opponent’s argument. Your adversary (at least in terms of the argument) may be a technical wizard, or he may be the recognized expert in his field. Or perhaps his experience in the company gives him an understanding of the issue.

Consider your strengths . What do you bring to the table? Your experience matters, too. You may know the customer. You also may have some new research that counters a prevailing point of view. Echoing the voice of the customer is often a good entre, particularly if you position yourself as a customer advocate.

Leverage your strengths . Use your strength to counter your opponent’s strength. If you have customer insight, share it with the team. If you have experience, use it to illuminate the story of your argument. If you are new to the company, find an advantage in your fresh perspective. What you are doing in each example is exploiting your best against your opponent’s best.

Jujitsu argument may not always work. You may not have a better argument; your opponent may hold the advantage in terms of resources and influence. You would be wiser to wait for another day. Likewise you may not want to use it against your boss’s boss in an open meeting. If you disagree with her, then do it behind closed doors, but only after you have your boss’s blessing?

Leveraging an opponent’s strength is a time-honored tradition. It not only demonstrates your cleverness; it points out your ability to think quickly and carefully. What’s more, it is valuable when challenging assumptions, especially those that underscore the status quo. Raising objections to what everyone assumes is the right course challenges others to reconsider. Perhaps they are right, but perhaps not. Better to consider a counter argument than plunge headlong into a project that may be doomed to fail.

Marian Hossa left at least $28 million – maybe much more – on the table for one simple reason. “I [am] looking for the best place to win the Stanley Cup.” A standout forward with the Pittsburgh Penguins, Hossa opted to sign a one year contract for $7.45 million with the Detroit Red Wings, rather than sign a report five-year deal for $35 million with the Penguins.

What Hossa’s deal provides one more data point in an ocean of evidence that people work for recognition more than a paycheck. Hossa is well-paid regardless but what matters most to the veteran is the opportunity to have his name engraved on the Stanley Cup, the trophy that goes to the NHL champions. There is something else that Hossa illustrates; he likes a big challenge. Creating suitable challenges is a terrific way for managers to motivate their teams. Here are some suggestions.

Make it big. Built to Last by Jim Collins and Jerry Porras taught us the importance of creating “big hairy audacious goals.” Employees like to contribute to something better than themselves. The quest to be the first to market, the best in quality, or the fastest on delivery can be more than words; they can be badges of pride that employees strive to achieve.

Make it feasible. Big is better, yes, but it must be doable. Say you work for a hospital and the leadership team says it wants to become a center of excellence for orthopedics. You mobilize resources, and even facilities, to deliver on that goal. If you have the right mix of surgeons, staff and facilities – coupled with solid management – it could be possible. On the other hand, if the hospital has no reputation, nor orthopedic staff, then the goal is a pipe dream and will turn people off rather than get them on board. Feasibility is essential to motivating people toward a goal.

Make it accessible. People want to feel they can contribute. One of the reasons that Toyota has succeeded so well over the past twenty years is that the company is that employees know what they must do to achieve the corporate vision and strategies. It will be interesting, now that Toyota is mired in the auto industry slowdown, how they tweak their strategies and mobilize their people to get on board once again. My bet is Toyota will find a way by making people involved.

Managers need to keep in mind that not everyone is equally motivated by the same challenges. That is why Marion Hossa’s example makes headlines. Most professional players sign for more money, not a chance to compete for a title. So compensation is important. Sales teams, for example, are routinely challenged by the spiff, that is the extra incentive that comes from attaining a monthly goal. Spiffs work in a sales culture but not so well in a design or engineering culture; in the latter, people measure their contributions not in terms of quotas but in terms of products and processes developed or problems solved.

The manager’s challenge is to find the right way to pull the right switch to motivate the right person at the right time. Easy to say, but difficult to deliver!

Source:
Larry Lage “Marian Hossa signs with champion Detroit Red Wings” Associated Press 7.02.08

Thwack! The ball soars high up off the tee and into the blue then as it reaches its apogee, it drifts , slowly but steadily as if guided by a giant hand way off line. As I watch the ball sink into the woods forever lost I quickly check my posture; I am twisted like a pretzel. Slices like these, or hooks in the opposite direction, are often the result of poor alignment. For me as a golfer, alignment encompasses three distinct actions: stance, coordination and tempo.

Alignment is vital to golf but in some ways it is the Holy Grail of organizational effectiveness. In other words, everyone needs to be working together in harmony as well as a well-executed golf shot. And for that reason the three element of golf swing may serve as a good reminder for leaders seeking to align their teams in order to fulfill intended goals.

Get situated. The legendary golf pro, Harvey Penick, advised his students to lay a golf club across the knees to ensure they were pointed toward the green. Alignment in management occurs when everyone on the team understands how his or her role contributes to the goal. That is, if your team is challenged with introducing a new product, everyone what he or she must do.

Coordinate. In golf, the hands, arms, hips and feet need to work in a well-timed sequence to deliver a good golf shot. Same for management. Toward the end of introducing a new product, people need to work together. Designers and engineers collaborate with marketers and sales folks. People need to know each other’s schedules and timelines.

Watch your tempo. Every job has a natural flow. If the timing, as with a golf swing is rushed, then things may go awry. Rushing a new product to market before it has been tested and evaluated is foolhardy. Deadlines are imperative and while there is always a rush to meet them, too much rushing, apart from deadlines, contributes to mistakes as well as task overload.

Do these things right and you will keep your team aligned in the right direction. Alignment alone does not guarantee success. Before you can align, you need to think. To return to the golf metaphor, there are many times I think that I can drive the ball over a pond, or through an opening in the tree branches, or even around a sprawling bush. I convince myself of it, and even when my alignment is correct, the ball invariably goes into the drink or is swallowed by the foliage. If I truly considered the options, I may have played a better shot.

Same goes for aligning your team. You need to ensure that they have the tools and resources to do the work and more importantly you want to make certain they understand the mission as well as the strategies. I do not know that I am one who subscribes to the fact that golf can teach business lessons, but I do know it teaches humility. And if we consider what we can do rather then what we think we can do, the better able we will be to lead our teams.