Sandy Schwan at Evolving Strategies, LLC

Measure Twice. Ask a Few Questions. Measure Again. Cut Once.

"The correct solution to any problem depends principally on a true understanding of what the problem is." Arthur Mellen Wellington

Have you ever seen people rallying around a solution, putting money and other resources towards building that solutions, only to eventually see that solution as an amazing non-solution? I have.

Confirmation bias: a tendency to search for or interpret new information in a way that confirms one's preconceptions and avoids information and interpretations which contradict prior beliefs.

Lots of interesting words, but what does it all mean? It means:

o        We think we understand the problem.

o        We think we have the answer(s) even though we may not fully understand the problem.

o        We will find information to support our understanding and ignore information that doesn’t support our line of thinking.

o        We may dig in our heels to support our point of view, ignoring new, factual information for any number of reasons (pride, not liking the message deliverer, not having the time to explore alternatives).

Pay attention to your confirmation biases the next time you are looking for the best solution to a problem. These biases are there – your challenge is to bring them to light. Your opportunity is the creation of spot on solutions. Ah – a win-win for all.

What's Behind Your Successful Organizational Change Efforts: Your Customers' Needs or Your Smarty Pants Insights?

"We believe that our activities should be governed by the needs and desires of our customers rather than by our internal requirements and insights." Eugene F. McCabe

A system enhancement, regulatory requirement, merger and/or acquisition are often the obvious faces of organizational change. And while it may not always seem so, if you search for the root cause of most successful organizational change, it is in fact customer needs. If your search leads you to another root cause, assess the success of that change closely.

Internal requirements and smarty pants insights can be prudent/sexy/unique/mind blowing/the next great thing, etc. If you want to increase the likelihood of organizational change success, challenge yourself to ensure that the root of your great ideas are driven by your customers' wants and needs.

Action:

Ask your customer(s):

• What is the one thing we could change in the services we provide you that would help you most?
• How can we change _______ to serve you better?
• We are thinking of changing the way we ________. How could this change affect you, both positively and negatively?

Again, ask better questions to get better answers. Be wise, not smart.

Engage. Resonate. Apply. Change.

I am always grateful to learn when my presentations resonate with the audience. I'm hopeful that what the audience also takes away is the respect I have for their time. If you or your leadership team wants to discuss how to effectively lead change or manage change, let me know. Helping folks become better change leaders is tons of fun.

Here's an abbreviated version of feedback I received from a presentation I gave last week to a group of highly talented CIOs - all wanting to bolster their change leadership skills:

"Sandy,

I would like to thank you very much for all your time and efforts to prepare for and present your views on ...strategies CIOs can use to ... lead change. 

Your presentation was well organized and very informative. Once again, you did an excellent job of engaging the group and keeping the session interactive! The CIO members and guests in attendance offered high words of praise for your knowledge and experience on the subject and contributions to their learning on this very important topic area.

Our ‘feedback reviews’ reflected very positively on the insights and perspectives you shared....  A representative sample of what they liked best about the discussion and what they consider to be their key take-away include:

• There are many things to pay attention to when dealing with change
• The importance of change management to large projects
• Too much change can undermine projects
• Do not lose sight of the people aspect of change
• Good framework brought things to light
• Organizing the different aspects/ways of managing change
• Formally scheduling time with shareholders
• The idea/practice of shadowing
• Business skills to develop in direct reports
• The Five imperatives – I will pin this up!

The overall ranking from the group was excellent.

Sandy, excellent presentation! Very well received and very much appreciated!"

The sound of silence can be deafening, can't it?

The sound of silence can be deafening, can’t it? But, you need to learn to be comfortable with that silence if you want to get to the root of an issue. Specific to leading organizational change, you need to ask the questions and be quiet to get to the root of the resistance which you can count on facing.

1.       Ask short questions.

2.       Be silent.

3.       Listen and observe.

Taking notes is a good technique, just don’t lose sight of your primary objective. If you are too busy taking too many notes, you aren’t listening.

What Does Impact Mean to the CTO of a Top IT Organization? Read On.

The short answer: Impact = Assess Effectively + Plan Well + Create Value + Get Along

A successful new hire has been defined in many ways by many people. My ears perk up when the chief technology officer at a company recognized as one of Computerworld's 100 Best Places to Work in IT offers his insight.

Nirup Krishnamurthy of The Northern Trust Corporation had this to say when asked what he considered a successful hire to be:

"Someone who within the first two years has made impactful contributions to the team he or she has joined. Someone who fits into the culture and environment and successfully works with peers and business partners. Also, someone who can quickly assess a situation and come up with a plan that actually creates value for the company or for whatever his or her job is."

I've personally seen Nirup in action at two companies be able to effectively align and use technology as a strategic lever to partner with and drive the business. You can find more of Nirup's insightful and thought-provoking answers in his recent interview with CIO magazine on what matters most to succeed in IT at a top company. I suggest that you take a look at the article. I am confident you will learn a nugget or two that you can immediately apply, no matter your level.

Correlating Competencies: To Each Industry Its Own

Talent research firm Bersin & Associates recently released “The Role of Competencies in Driving Financial Performance,” a study on the relationship among performance reviews, competencies and business success.

The firm found a clear correlation between the competencies used in performance reviews and business outcomes such as growth and profitability in four different industries:

• In the financial services industry, initiative and communication are critical to creating and managing the many mergers and acquisitions that take place in the industry.
• In industrial manufacturing, tactical competencies such as quality and job knowledge are needed to ensure the production of superior products.
• For retail professionals, dependability, personal organization and quality help mitigate the industry’s high turnover rate.
• In the high-tech field, customer focus and innovation help get successful new products onto the market.

While the study consistently found the competencies that drive growth and profitability are different in each industry, some larger trends also were identified. High-performing organizations focus more on organizational capabilities, while their lower-performing counterparts value competencies that build individual skills.

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Adapted from the January 2007 issue of Talent Management

A Lesson from the NBA: Test the Product & Consult the Players

There are business lessons to be learned everywhere, and the latest comes from the NBA. That's right, the National Basketball Association.

On June 28, the NBA introduced a new Official Game Ball for use in the 2006-07 season. The new basketball, manufactured by Spalding, got a lot of hype. "Technologically-advanced game ball has new design, better grip and consistency," reads the headline at the NBA site.

The basketball is synthetic as opposed to leather. To read about it, the change sounds like a good thing.

"The new ball features Spalding's Cross Traxxion™ technology, a union of revolutionary design and breakthrough material. The design is comprised of two interlocking, cross-shaped panels rather than the eight oblong panels found on traditional basketballs. As a result, there is more material coverage. The material is a microfiber composite with moisture management that provides superior grip and feel throughout the course of a game. Additionally, the new composite material eliminates the need for a break-in period, which is necessary for the current leather ball, and achieves consistency from ball to ball."

NBA Commissioner David Stern praised the ball: "The advancements that Spalding has made to the new game ball ensure that the best basketball players in the world will be playing with the best basketball in the world."

Except it didn't quite turn out that way.

Some players got cuts on their fingers from the synthetic basketball. Others didn't like the feel of the ball. The players ended up filing a labor grievance because they weren't consulted about the change.

On December 6, Jerry Stackhouse, the Maverick's guard, was quoted in The New York Times as saying, "it's one of those things where it is directly affecting our workplace."

The New York Times indicates the NBA Commissioner admitted regret over not consulting the players beforehand.

Well, score one for the workers. On December 12, the Los Angeles Times reported that old-style basketballs will return on January 1.

What does this story have to do your business? A new year often brings an opportunity to acquire new systems and new tools. The message from the NBA is twofold: test the product and consult the players.

Terms like "revolutionary" and "breakthrough" are meaningless unless a product actually delivers. It's why technology consultants recommend that companies demo products, even if those demos take several hours. They also advocate getting staff members involved in the review process, especially people in critical impact positions. Their involvement not only helps with selection, it will also reduce blockages to success.

Such advice applies whether you're in charge of a company, a team or the NBA. When it comes to acquiring a new product for the workplace, it's important to make sure you don't drop the ball.

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Adapted from AIRS

GARTNER: FIRMS AT RISK OF LOSING WOMEN TECHNOLOGISTS

The world is flat. Better go out and hire some women.

That seems to be the gist of a recent Gartner Inc. report on the gender gap in information technology. According to the Stamford, Conn.-based consultancy, women -- with their strong communication and listening skills -- are "innately better suited than men" to navigate the new global economy.

If organizations don't pay heed to their female technology workforce, women will take their IT acumen and good ideas elsewhere, meaning the looming IT skills crisis just got 50% worse.

Gartner singles out five gender-based traits CIOs should pay attention to when building IT staffs:

1. Bilateral brain involvement in listening: Women are apparently better at listening with both the left and right sides of their brains; this has implications for roles like business analyst and team leader.

2. Spatial visualization, pattern spotting: Men are better at come complex mental visualization and pattern spotting; this has implications for certain aspects of engineering roles.

3. Language: Women are better at a range of language skills, such as verbal fluency. This has implications for analysis of human discourse and writing.

4. Aggression and risk taking: Men take more risks and are happier doing so openly; implications for innovation, competitiveness.

5. Social orientation and empathy: Women score better on social skills, understanding others' views; implications for team building, negotiation.

adapted from article by Linda Tucci, Senior News Writer. 12.05.2006. SearchCIO.com

Four Processes to Successful Retention

"Want to keep people? Then be welcoming, aim for excellence, build a meritocracy, and go flat. People will love it."

In his monthly column in CIO Decisions, James Champy notes that increased turnover within an organization can lead to an overall decrease in productivity and quality of work. He suggests an offensive approach to retention and offers four tips for retaining qualified employees:

On-board. Get people engaged as soon as possible. Early experiences shape the relationship people will have with your company.

Measure performance. Let people know where they stand against standards. 

Recognize. You'd be surprised by how much loyalty you can buy with genuine recognition.

Develop careers.  Enable progression of increasingly challenging and complex work vs. hierarchy.

James Champy is chairman of Perot Systems Corp.'s consulting practice and head of strategy for the company. He is also the author of the best-selling books Reengineering the Corporation, Reengineering Management, The Arc of Ambition and X-Engineering the Corporation.

Robert Reich: The Economics of People

With globalization, disruptive technology and aging demographics bearing down on the U.S. economy, Robert Reich says we need a new way to think about people.

Equal parts economist, professor, polemicist and politician, Robert Reich is quite unlike any other business thinker on the current public scene. These days, the former Labor Secretary under President Clinton is a professor of public policy at the University of California–Berkeley, National Public Radio commentator and sought-after public speaker. [note from Sandy: He spoke at a recent talent management strategy conference in Chicago, so I can vouch firsthand that Mr. Reich is a wonderfully engaging and interesting speaker.] But in his spare time, Reich worries that the U.S. has reached an economic crossroads and could take the wrong path, choosing protectionism over globalization and failing to take advantage of its most important resource: its people. Read the rest of the article by Allan E. Alter at CIO Insight. Enjoy.