Sandy Schwan at Evolving Strategies, LLC. Organizational Change Consultant

The Name of the Game? Integration.

"Talent wins games, but teamwork and intelligence win championships."

Michael Jordan, (American NBA basketball player, widely considered to be the greatest player in the history of the game, 1963 - )

For companies that care about the client / customer experience (and who doesn't these days?), teamwork and integration is a must.

ACTION

1. Choreograph all your client touch points so the client has a seamless experience whether s/he interacts with your account team, speaks with your finance team, walks into your storefront, contacts your service center, uses your website, or self-serves.
2. Ensure sure the systems and processes that support this coordination are in sync. Often, companies have channel-specific silos that are culturally and logistically at odds.
3. Create incentives that encourage your people to coordinate across those channels. Look out for those who serve as barriers to a harmonized customer experience. If they can't learn to coordinate, it may be time for them to make room for their integration-minded colleagues.

 

Learn more by reading the article upon which this posting was adapted and based: How Integrated Are Your Customer Experiences?,by Jesse James Garrett of Adaptive Path.

Trust Your Instinct...& the African Hornbill Bird & Dwarf Mongoose

"Both work together, or network, to accomplish their individual objectives." Is this quote referring to the success of a recent merger? Not quite. The author was referencing the relationship between the dwarf mongoose and the African hornbill bird.

Check out William E. Boswell's book Success by Instinct: Use What Animals Already Know to Boost Your Career. Boswell, a former senior executive with BP America, and one of the company's highest ranking African Americans, presents an thought-provoking approach to managing change, including personal career development. Instead of the usual dos and don'ts, Boswell offers 14 practical principles based on the instincts found in the animal kingdom which are also used by businesspeople, sportsmen, and world leaders alike to tremendous success.

Here is a sampling of Boswell's principles for success through instinct:

Acknowledge that adaptability is essential for an effective transition, organizational shift or change

Establish goals to add direction, purpose, focus and meaning to the change you are facing

Recognize that teamwork is essential to accomplish goals

Maintain knowledge of organizational environmental issues, and ensure compatibility with your personal values 

By the way, going with your gut does not mean that data and research are not important. Trusting your instinct means considering factors that may not always be easily quantifiable but are still quite important. Depending on the situation, you will need to be careful to avoid the confirmation bias trap. More on confirmation bias in my next posting.

Try not to get stuck in the analysis paralysis. Be quiet and listen to your gut instinct.

Crash. Burn. Turnaround: Seven Ways to Turn Failure Into Success

"Every strike brings me closer to the next home run." 

Babe Ruth (1895–1948), American baseball player

Perhaps you are leading an organizational change (e.g., merger, acquisition, downsizing, hyper-growth, business process reengineering) that is not performing quite as planned. It could even be considered a…failure. So, what do you do?

 

You may not realize it now, but you have (at least) two key responses: the ‘little w’ response and the ‘Big W’ response (and I am hopeful that my Northern Trust Corporation colleagues reading this entry are smiling at the re-use of big and little w).

 

Option One: The little w response. wallow in self-pity

 

Option Two: Big W response:  Be Willing. Be Willing to turn disappointments into great accomplishments by:

• Changing a course of action that isn’t working, no matter how much faith, time and money you may have put into it so far
• Abandoning a path that is not taking you where you want to go, and starting over again

Thomas Edison believed there were no mistakes or failures, only “eliminated options” that brought him one step closer to his goal. Decide to eliminate option one above and rethink failure.

A failure can be a valuable opportunity to regroup and rethink strategies and goals. Do not let pride keep you stuck in a wrong decision. Realize there is hope on the other side of the change, even if you cannot see it yet.

 

ACTION: Try these seven steps to turn failure into success. 

1.   Look at your past objectively

2.   Focus on the purpose on the other side of the failure / pain

3.      Realize that you can’t see the whole parade from where you stand

4.      It’s not whether you have won or lost in the past; it’s the person you have to become to win in the future. Think about who you want to become 

5.  Accept that falling is a normal part of life, but try to fall forward - in the direction of your goal

6.  Realize that pain and heartache are only labor pains before your / the change's birth

7.  Know that retreat does not equal defeat

I recognize that these steps are not easy. There are strategies and tools to help you succeed in each step. Consider adding your steps that have worked well for you in the past. Even better, create a new step.

Make a deliberate decision not to give up in transforming your adversities into success springboards.

 

Adapted from © Advisor Today 2008 and Critical Choices That Change Lives: How Heroes Turn Tragedy Into Triumphby Daniel Canstro. All rights reserved.

Do What You Gotta Do: Thinking Beyond Change

"Just go out there and do what you have to do."

Martina Navratilova (1956 – ), tennis champion

It is certain that in every life, change will come. Change represents the situations, conditions, and events we try to avoid that could result in adversity, controversy, stress and inconvenience. We do not intentionally seek out these tough challenges. We do not desire to face these difficulties. We do not want to deal with some changes. When the changes do come, human nature allows these times to overwhelm us. However…

 

When we can appreciate change and respect its value in our lives, we come to a place of contentment. When we can see beyond current difficulties brought about by changing and realize that these challenging times will make us stronger and allow us to grow, we truly open our eyes with optimism. When we understand that ultimately we are in control of the way we respond and think about changes, that only we have the ability to choose the thoughts that enter our minds, we discover absolute freedom. Such hope is there in knowing that when faced with any type of circumstance, the truth remains that change is what we choose to make of it.

 

 

When your change comes – be it in your professional life or personal life, will you choose to be upset how the storm has inconvenienced you? Or, will you choose to acknowledge that while change has the potential to be destructive, it also brings growth and new opportunities?

 

 

ACTION

1.       Choose to think differently about facing change.

2.       Choose to see beyond the change to uncover the opportunities that change brings. 

3.       Choose to welcome change during all of life’s twists and turns.

 

 

 

Adapted from The WALK THE TALK® Company

When Is the Last Time You Hung A Question Mark?

"It's a healthy thing now and then to hang a question mark on the things you have long taken for granted."

Bertrand Russell (1872-1970), British philosopher, logician, mathematician, historian, advocate for social reform, and pacifist

Boy, this sure seems easy to say but can be hard to do. It is a quote I likely will keep in my back pocket to use in organizational change presentations and discussions as a way to set the stage for helping people understand it is okay to consider new ways of thinking and doing. This does not mean that the way your organization, your team, you have been doing things is wrong. Sometimes it just never hurts to try a new point of view, especially if you feel stuck.

ACTION:

To use the simple Nike phrase: Just do it!

Based on the culture of your organization and/or team, decide up front if you want to let people know that you will be explicitly hanging question marks during the next few team meetings.

Or, consider expanding the experiment to engage your team: ask your team members to rotate being the 'hanger' every day for a week or two. Ask them to write a brief reflection at the end of their day to share with the team once the experiement ends. Reconvene after the set time period, and discuss what you learned collectively. See if there are any learnings that you can weave into how your team operates.

What I know for sure is that organizational changes are pull of question marks; so, we all might as well learn to embrace them vs. fight them. Happy hanging.

Donald Says Location. Sandy Says Communication.

"When you are up to your neck in alligators, it is hard to remember that your primary goal is to drain the swamp."

 I don't know who to attribute this quote to, but I'll guess it is from a wise person from the southern United  States :)

Wow. Who hasn't felt like this lately or while going through any organizational change? When you, your team, your peers, and your company's senior executives are working overtime to re-assess risk, re-scope expenditures, prepare for acquisitions, understand government actions, and anticipate market changes, it is hard to remember you are there to serve your customers.

Communicate Effectively During Organizational Change

Is there a relationship between frequency of contact and client satisfaction? According to the Corporate Executive Board, the answer is a resounding yes.

During an organizational change, when relationship boundaries are shifting, effective communications to customers and employees matters more than ever. If employees are not clear on the 'what' and 'why' of the change, how can they effectively communicate with customers? Often, when I work with clients who've asked for my assistance on an organizational change effort that has failed, what I uncover is that employees are distracted and poorly equipped to communicate. They have obsolete scripts, mixed messages, and uncertainty regarding their own careers and finances.

ACTION:

What can you do to help your stakeholders deal with organizational change effectively?

Prepare and support managers.

Employees will be looking to their managers for cues on how to interpret the change. Develop FAQs, talking points, host small group discussions and/or on-line discussions just for managers. Ask them what they need to perform their roles effectively.

Equip all employees emotionally.

Explain the 'what' and 'why' of the organizational change. Focus on the 'why'...that is really what most people care about. Help employees address uncertainty and negative emotions that may arise within themselves and their customers. Prepare them to exude confidence and competence when interacting with customers. Remind employees to focus on what they can control and to seek assistance or guidance otherwise.

Equip customer-facing employees to handle customers effectively.

Keep client communications materials current and readily available. Remind employees of the importance of frequent client contact, and to stay focused on servicing clients. Share and reward successful ideas and methods.

Ensure consistency across stakeholders.

Inconsistent messages to customers, employees, investors, or regulators can and will surface, causing undue pain. Establish a Communications Coalition across the company (with all geographies and business units) to ensure coherence of messages.

Foster two-way communication.

Listening is an important part of customer communications (any communications, really). The distance between inbound teams (e.g., sales, customer support) and outbound teams (e.g., corporate communications, marketing) makes it difficult to have "closed loop communications." Establish tighter collaboration between these teams. For example, look for new shortcuts you can create between customer-facing staff and communications executives.

These are just five of many communications tactics to consider when building your organizational change strategy. One of the opportunities organizational change presents is the ability to play with the elasticity of relationship boundaries. Don't be afraid to test some boundaries in the name of change. And remember, as the venerable former coach of the Chicago Bears football team, Mike Ditka, said: "Success isn't permanent, and failure isn't fatal." Now go test a boundary!

Adapted from the Corporate Executive Board, my former employer, 2008.

A N.I.C.E. Solution to Challenging Times

“Do not let what you cannot do interfere with what you can do.”
~ John Wooden, author of Wall Street Journal Best Seller Wooden on Leadership: How to Create a Winning Organization (2005) and American Basketball Hall of Fame member (player and coach)

Uncertain times - initiated by an organizational change or market turbulence - present an opportunity to stay focused on what you can change / control and what you cannot.

I'd like to share with you an acronym used by Jana Schreuder, president of Northern Trust Corporation's Worldwide Operations and Technology group - Be N.I.C.E. 

Never panic. Innovate. Communicate. Execute.

ACTION: Consider how you might be able to apply this acronym to help your team or organization remain resilient during uncertain times. I've included one of my interpretations below to get you thinking:

N	Never panic. How can you instill confidence in your team, your organization, your family, your clients, your suppliers, the community the marketplace?
I	Innovate.  How can you help leaders understand how to navigate their teams and themselves through challenging scenarios in interesting, creative, and likely cost-effective ways?
C	Communicate. How can you ensure that those people being affected by a change properly know what is going on impacts them, and if / what tools or ideas do you have to assist them?
E	Execute. How can you 'keep on keeping on'  - and even grow! - while also stepping out of the way to attend to urgent matters that may arise?

Keep asking, "Given the business reality that exists, how can we make the most positive, possible difference in our future?" The solution: Be NICE...and I am not just saying 'be nice' because I am from the south! :)

Give Me Back My Personal Space! Be Quiet to Silence the Bully

"One's ability to perform a given task competently decreases in proportion to the number of people watching." Mark R. Frank

We've all got that bully at work who likes to intimidate by invading our personal space or try to put us on the spot. This bad behavior can rear its ugly head particularly during organizational change, because the 'turf' the bully knew is shifting beneath his/her feet. And guess how uncomfortable this shift makes him / her? Enough to take out his/her insecurities on you.

I've also seen this happen unintentionally during the training and learning stages of an organizational change brought about by a new technology system implementation. A number of people may be monitoring progress, assessing if the training is effective, determining if the user interface is intuitive, considering system speed, etc.

Master both situations by trying the following:

ACTION:

1. Breathe.
2. Sit or stand tall with you shoulders back.
3. Maintain eye contact when speaking.
4. Keep a neutral or minimal smile (i.e., don't look fake).
5. If you can, shake your hands somewhat aggressively. This really does help settle your nerves by quickly releasing some of your unproductive nervous energy.

Here are some suggested phrases to keep handy as well when you are introduced to a bully or new change:

"I don't know. Let me get back to you."

"Good question. I need some time to think about that. Let me get back to you this week with the answer."

"Let me have one minute to make sure I'm taking all angles into consideration before I answer you."

" I need some time to complete this task, and I don't want to waste your time while I am doing so. I'll let you know when I am ready to discuss further."

Try humor: "Talk amongst yourselves while I figure this out."

If these ideas don't work, you can always kick him/her in the knees :)

Speaking of Halloween, here is a great disguise to try...Genius

"Genius is perseverance in disguise."

Mike Newlin, (1942-), American basketball player in the NBA known for his fiestiness and persistence

Well, I think we will all have to settle in for a little perseverance. Developing perseverance can help you and your team to get ahead of the organizational changes and roadblocks and focus on the future...which will be here before we know it. So what can you do now to demonstrate your and your team's genius?

ACTION

- Self: Here are some ideas you can use to continue to develop your perserverance: 

1. Organize and use time wisely

2. Work hard—reap what you sow

3. Refine leadership skills and people skills

4. Learn something new, or take a subject you know and view it from a different lens

5. Flex your focus muscle - this is a great time to practice, practice, practice

ACTION

- Team: Here are some ways you can work with your team to build their perseverance further. Bring them back to challenge they overcame when learning to ride a bike.

1. How many of you fell the first time you tried to ride a bike?

2. What would have happened if you had not kept trying?

3. Can you think of other times you have had to work very hard at something?

4. How do you feel once you have accomplished something that at first was very difficult?

5. How does all of this relate to the current situation / organizational change we are experiencing now?

Don't leave in the midst of a challenge or be disillusioned. Your company, team, and peers need you. Remember that all successful people have had their share of 'failures' before they experienced success. Setbacks will appear along the way. Treat them as stepping stones, and learn from them. With each new lesson learned, you will gain momentum and reach your goals faster.

Have You Smiled in a While? The Role of Optimism in Organizational and Team Performance

"The optimist proclaims that we live in the best of all possible worlds, and the pessimist fears it is true."

James Branch Cabell, (1879-1958), author of fantasy fiction and belles lettres

If you've ever experienced organizational change - and I don't know anyone who hasn't, I'll bet you can identify people who fall into both the optimist and pessimist camps. Is one approach better than the other? Let's approach this question from an athletic and organizational perspective.

Learned optimism guru Martin Seligman made some interesting predictions for athletes and team sports on this topic. Assuming that all other factors affecting performance are equal:

1.  The athlete with a more optimistic attitude will succeed or win because s/he will try harder
2.  An athletic team with a higher level of optimism will win. 

Seligman says that once an athlete changes his/her attitude from pessimism to optimism, s/he should succeed better or win more, again particularly under pressure. Thus, the optimistic and pessimistic attitude of the whole team may produce either victory or defeat, respectively.

Let's bring that train of thought into an organization or organizational team. According to Seligman, talent is not always enough – especially in ‘high-defeat’, ‘high-stress’ occupations requiring persistence and initiative. An optimistic employee produces more, and that even an extraordinary talent may amount to nothing unless a firm belief in one’s chances to succeed is present.

On the other hand, team pessimism (general pessimistic attitude among team members which spreads and grows inside the team as an epidemic outbreak, preventing the team from performing to the best of its ability and potential) may be a severe inhibitor of team alignment. For a team to recuperate as a united whole when adversity strikes, team pessimism needs to be addressed properly. The path to optimism should be the clear marching orders.  

Ready for more optimistic news (pardon the pun)? Optimism can be taught – on a personal and team level.

ACTION: Recall a time when you approached an organizational change from an optimistic point of view. Then, recall a time when you approached an organizational change from an pessimistic point of view. Keep thinking: going into these changes, did you perceive the change to be positive, negative, or neutral? How was your / your team's performance? Were you able to shift your attitude in either a pessimistic or optimistic direction? What was the result?

Follow the link above to take a short quiz and learn where you fall on the learned optimism scale.

Ah - so patience - AND optimism - are both real virtues. 

Adapted from Martin C. Westerlund, Theory of Constraints Revisited – Leveraging Teamwork by Systems Intelligence, 2004