Sandy Schwan at Evolving Strategies, LLC. Organizational Change Consultant

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Leave Unsaid the Wrong Thing at The Tempting Moment During Organizational Change

The real art of conversation is not only to say the right thing at the right place but to leave unsaid the wrong thing at the tempting moment."

Dorothy Nevill, British Writer 1826-1913

On a recent trip to London, I hopped in a taxi for an hour-long ride from Heathrow to my hotel. After I informed the driver of my destination, he turned back and said, "You have an American accent. Are you American?"

"Yes," I responded, thinking that I really have a 'southern American' accent.

He then made a pretty bold generalization about the culture I came from.

It was raining. I was a bit tired. I weighed my willingness to engage in a conversation. As I considered ignoring the comment I thought, "I should be able to do this. I should be able to talk to someone with a strong opinion even if I don't fully agree."

As this challenge took shape in my mind, I found myself more interested in a dialogue. I had no intention of trying to change his mind, but I thought, "Here's a guy who wants to be heard. And if there's hope for the world it's only if people like him and me can disagree in a respectful way." With this moral mission in mind, I responded.

"Not too worried about your tip, I take it?" I bantered and smiled at his eyes in the mirror.

He broke into a broad grin, then continued, saying that he loved Americans. Again, though, he reiterated some strong generalizations.

His voice got louder and his face redder the more he spoke. I began to wonder if I should just nod and smile or if I should really engage. I returned to my conviction that we can find peaceful ways of disagreeing. At one point in what turned into a five-minute monologue, I patted the back of his seat to interrupt him.

"Hey, my friend. May I ask you a question?"

He looked into the rear view mirror and paused. "Sure. This is your taxi at the moment."

"You know, I am from the United States and don't get as much contact as I'd like with people who have a whole different experience than I do. I am interested in hearing your views. And I may agree with some of them but disagree with others. Are you interested in mine, too, or should I just hear you out?"

"Oh, no," he practically crooned. "I want a debate!"

"Okay, then how about this. You take the first five minutes and then I get the next five. At the end, I don't care if we both agree on everything or not, but I'm guessing we might both be a little smarter. How is that?"

He laughed heartily, turned to face me full on and said, "That is a deal."

I don't know that my taxi-driver friend ended up seeing the world any differently when we were done with that ride, but I did. Not that my opinions were profoundly altered, but they were tested in a way I was grateful for. Most importantly, I was encouraged to discover that dialogue was possible with someone who held strong views and who seemed initially uninterested in anything but a monologue.

Action

This is what I've found to be helpful in such a controversial conversation. And be prepared: during organizational change, you can expect many such conversations.

1. Talk about how you'll talk. If you're having a one-sided conversation but would like a dialogue, and it's not going that way, stop the conversation and come to agreement about ground rules. You can do this in a respectful way by letting the person know you are interested in their views and want to continue the conversation. Then ask for time boundaries, or lower volume, or whatever (less pen tapping, eye-rolling) will help you engage in a healthier way.

2. Check your motives. Be sure your interest in the conversation is sincere. If you just want a chance to demonstrate the perfection of your own opinions, expect the same from the other person. Fair is fair. But if you want dialogue, be sure you are open to new information or perspectives. If you are sincerely interested in getting smarter not just looking smart, you'll behave in ways that will invite the same from the other person.

3. Encourage disagreement. We've learned a startling truth about dialogue. People are okay with you expressing even strongly held views so long as you are equally genuine in your invitation of their disagreement. Before sharing your opinions, make a statement like, "You know, I've got a strong opinion on this. I've thought a great deal about it and read pretty widely, and I'd like to tell you my point of view. Then, at the end, if you see holes in it, or if you have new information I don't have, I hope you'll challenge me with it. I want to learn from your view in any way I can." This sincere invitation takes the fighting wind out of others' sails. They realize they don't have to beat you over the head with their opinions because you're asking for them!

4. Never miss a chance to agree. Finally, don't go for efficiency. When we agree on 50 percent of a topic and disagree on 50 percent we tend to move quickly to the disagreements because those are what interest us most. And besides, life is short, so why not start with the fight, right? Wrong. If you want worthwhile dialogue, take the time to listen for points on which you agree. Point them out. Confirm them. Then—and only then—move to the areas of disagreement. When you do this you reaffirm that your goal is not to win, it's to learn.

I hope these ideas are useful to you as you engage with others. Developing mutual purpose and mutual respect can happen one conversation at a time.

adapted from Crucial Conversations: Tools For Talking When Stakes Are High

Laughing Your Way to the Bank During Organizational Change

"...what humor is all about: playing with ideas, challenging assumptions, and poking fun at tradition."

 from a great post by Rosabeth Moss Kanter on the virtue of humor.

Three Questions to Assess Your Change Readiness

"The real act of discovery consists not in finding new lands but in seeing with new eyes." Marcel Proust, French Novelist (1871-1922)

Leaders need to be sure they are exercising their situational awareness for what today's quickly changing business landscape means to them, their teams and their organizations.

Action

Here are three questions to help you face the challenge of change:

1. Do you see opportunities others don't? Change breeds opportunity. Don't out-compete your rivals; reinvent the rules of the game by finding new opportunities first. Therein lies the fun.

2. Can your clients live without you? Options constantly evolve. If your products and services aren't indispensable, clients are likely to move on.

3. Are you learning as fast as the world is changing? As a leader, you absolutely cannot afford to stop learning. Seek out ways to evolve and be humble enough to know you do not always have the answer.

Adapted from William C. Taylor, co-founder of Fast Company magazine and coauthor of Mavericks at Work: Why The Most Original Minds In Business Win

Rule of Three: Knowing When to Confront Someone

You will find peace not by trying to escape your problems, but by confronting them courageously. You will find peace not in denial, but in victory.” J. Donald Walters (1926 - ), Romanian author, lecturer, composer

Expect to see a wide range of interesting behaviors during an organizational change. Some behaviors will be productive, and other behaviors won't be. What matters most is having a plan in place on how you want to handle various behaviors.

For instance, when someone shows up late to a meeting or makes a comment that makes you uncomfortable, it can be difficult to decide if it's a big enough deal to address or if you should let it go. In such situations, try using the "rule of three."

Action - The Rule of Three

1. The first time someone does something that makes you uncomfortable, take notice of your discomfort.
2. The second time, acknowledge that the first time was not an isolated incident and that there may be a pattern emerging.
3. The third time, speak up. Tell the person that you've noticed something three times, and you want to discuss it with him.

This simple rule can both help you determine what's worth raising and hold you back from jumping on every single issue.

Stay tuned for more 'Rule of Three' applications when leading and managing organizational change effectively.

Adapted from Peter Bregman.

Seeking a Change Management/OD Consultant for 3-Month IT Capability Diagnostic for a Global Firm in Downtown Chicago

Ability is of little account without opportunity.  -Napoleon

If you've got the ability, I've got the opportunity. My company has been engaged to deliver this analysis for the company, and I’m looking forward to delivering. If you or your potential candidates have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me via the information noted below. Thank you, Sandy

________________________________________________________

Sandra M. Schwan  |  Evolving Strategies, LLC

1660 N. LaSalle Street, Suite 3011  |  Chicago, IL 60614 

office 312.337.8442  |  mobile 312.371.7263

www.evolvingstrategies.com  |  [email protected]

Helping People and Organizations Learn, Change and Perform

Opportunity Brief

Information Technology (IT) Capability Consultant

Reporting Line

This role will report to the HR Business Partner for Client’s North America Finance team, who will be the primary client.

Scope

· Client’s North America Information Technology (IT) group, including Canada and the USA (circa 600 FTE).

· All grades below IT Executive Team.

Role Outcomes / Deliverables

· Program design and plan to deliver end to end Capability Build within IT.

· Future state IT capability requirements defined by function and role.

· Current state capability gap analysis by function and role.

· Define future generic roles across IT.

· IT capability build strategy developed and agreed with IT Senior Leadership Team, to include sourcing strategy.

· IT talent strategy developed and agreed with Senior Leadership Team (linked in with capability build strategy).

· Learning paths developed for generic IT roles. (Appropriate training solutions identified and where necessary brief for new training to be built)

· 2010/11 Learning and Development (L&D) road map/plan for IT (incorporating academies and skill soft roll out plan).

· Client Human Resources (HR) capability build through knowledge transfer to internal Change Consultants and L&D Consultants.

· Upon exiting Client, the program activity should be set up to enable the internal Client resource to successfully execute the plan.

Approach

· Use external knowledge and approaches, but incorporating existing Client processes where available. E.g. Talking Talent and Capability Toolkit.

· Capability requirements should be defined in line with the ongoing Organization Design activity.  Including the identification of generic IT roles.  Utilizing aligned Change Consultancy resource. 

· Capability build and talent strategy to incorporate options around what capability the client will retain, grow or buy.   The option to buy should consider ongoing outsourcing and Global Service Provider discussions.

· In building learning paths and development solutions existing academy solutions should be used as far as possible.  Where new learning solutions are required these should be scoped and brokered with L&D for design and development.

· External consultant has accountability for the overall program delivery and will co-ordinate and program manage the internal resource effort.  This should include aligning work, coaching and supporting in such a way as to engender knowledge transfer and learning for the aligned HR resource.

· Linking in with consultants in other areas of client’s North America business undertaking capability assessment and development activity to share learning and approach.  Also to identify synergies and opportunities to avoid duplication.

Timescales

The timeline will be set as part of the initial program planning process, but broadly will be as follows;  

Activity	When
Program scoping and planning	April
Future Capability Requirements definition	April / May
Capability Gap analysis	May
Capability build/ sourcing strategy development	May/ June
Learning paths development	June
Learning solutions brief development	June/ July
External consultant exit	End June
New learning solutions created	July
Capability development/ sourcing strategy implemented	TBC – in line with OD roll out plans

Person Specification

· Extensive knowledge of defining and building organizational and team capabilities.

· Strong program / project management capability.

· L&D / change consultancy background.

· Ability to engage with and quickly build rapport and credibility with senior stakeholders.

· Previous experience and knowledge of IT capabilities.

Here are some other details that I thought you all might find helpful in thinking about potential candidates:

· Immediate start date for three months for the right candidate, with the high likelihood to extend the contract to help with the design and delivery of the recommendations

· % of time onsite: full-time mostly

· Rate: Commensurate with candidate experience and match to opportunity specs

· Where the project is currently: Needing to kick off

· Client location: Downtown Chicago

· This consultant will be staffed through Evolving Strategies LLC, who is working with the client in other areas

Impact of Holding Your Breath During Organizational Change

"Resisting change is like holding your breath, if you persist, you die."

Lao Tzu, the founder of Taoism

Any change effort is likely to face a few change resisters. Unfortunately, even if these resisters are few, they can quickly erode momentum and stop change in its tracks.

Action

Employ the following four tools to help get people on board.

1.  Cold, hard facts.

Use evidence to show that change is necessary and possible. Get your facts from multiple sources, and be diligent about details; even a small error can discredit your case for change. I've seen this happen.

2.  Counter-arguments.

Know what your opponents are saying. Prepare to acknowledge their concerns; then, offer a compelling argument for your point of view.

3.  Big picture.

In the short term, change is uncomfortable. Focus on the big picture and explain why the change is the right move for the long term.

4.  Repetition and pressure.

Stay on message, repeat your best arguments, and apply the necessary pressure to turn the change-averse around. Don't underestimate the power of repetition and persuasion.

Adapted from Rosabeth Moss Kanter's Four Tools for Defeating Denial

Learn Now. Learn Later. Develop Successful Organizational Change Skills Early.

"Learning is a treasure that will follow its owner everywhere."  ~Chinese Proverb

It is never to early to begin learning skills that are useful throughout your personal and professional life.

Here are two opportunities for high school students to learn more about math and science (this month) and to spend their summer with other 'cherubs,' learning teamwork while exploring passions. If you have any questions, please let me know.

Northwestern University and the Society of Women Engineers Present" The 39th Annual Career Day for Girls. Engineering: Explore, Create, Transform.  Saturday, February 27, 2010. This program is designed for female junior high and high school students who have an interest in science and mathematics.  The program will contain educational and career information about opportunities in engineering and applied science.  Our speakers are women who have engineering degrees and current female engineering students. 

Note: I have a table for ten young women reserved and paid for, with a few spaces still available. I would welcome the opportunity to host interested junior high and high school girls.

Northwestern University's National High School Institute, established in 1931, is the nation’s oldest and largest university-based summer program for outstanding high school students. Approximately 850 of the United States' best students will enroll in the Institute’s 6 Divisions: Debate, Speech, Journalism, Music, Film & Video Production, and Theatre Arts. Students in the Institute are affectionately called “Cherubs,” a tradition that began in the 1930s with the founder of the Institute, Dean Ralph Dennis.

NHSI’s goal, as stated by Dean Dennis and as followed today is, “to bring together gifted young people and superior teachers in an atmosphere of affection, knowledge, and trust.” In each of the 6 divisions, students gain practical college-level experience in their chosen field; interact closely with outstanding faculty; tackle new social and intellectual challenges; and experience campus life with other exceptional high school students. NHSI students leave the Institute better able to make decisions about their future and many go on to study at the finest colleges and universities.

Sandra M. Schwan

Liaison - Chicago Public Schools

Northwestern University Alumni Association

Board of Directors, Chicago Chapter

Mobile 312.371.7263

[email protected] 

People Never Care How Much You Know Until They Know How Much You Care.

"People Never Care How Much You Know Until They Know How Much You Care." 

John C. Maxwell, (1947-) American author and speaker on leadership 

Last week, I mentioned this quote in two radically different forums. While I know it is a powerful quote, and is quite simple in its power, I was a surprised how fully it resonated with both audiences. Of all the research and models and theories and ....everything that I prepared and brought to the table, it was this playground (e.g., simple) quote that had the most significant impact and was immediately acted upon.

I had three people follow-up with me to share that they changed their approach to difficult situations they were facing - to positive results - based on applying this quote. One colleague ('Bob') is in the midst of handling a difficult situation with someone ('Joe'). Bob is smart as a whip, super successful, and really wants to help Joe solve a tough problem. Joe hired Bob to do so. Unfortunately, all of the know how, models, tools, techniques that Bob has developed over the past twenty+ years were not helping him successfully navigate through Joe being a bully. Bob said that he and his team were nearing the end of their ropes on what to do next and that walking away from Joe was likely the next step.

Bob and I agreed that being bullied by Joe and tolerating his bad behavior wasn't working or productive for anyone. I mentioned the 'care' quote to Bob. "Does Joe really know how much you care about his success?," I asked Bob. I had a feeling that Joe didn't. If Joe really knew how much Bob wanted to help him - and that Bob could help him if Joe would act in a more productive manner, I was certain that Joe would come around. Bob reflected a bit. Fast forward a few hours to when I received this email from Bob:

"In case you were interested, the call went well with the Joe this afternoon.  It was tough, because we had to shine a light on the elephant in the room that was being completely ignored (note from Sandy: elephant = Joe's bad behavior).  Since Joe was seemingly unaware of the elephant, he was surprised.  But, I think it also made him realize that this needs to be more of a partnership, rather than a bully relationship.  I think we are in a better place, and I personally feel a whole lot better now that we have been real."

Ah, authenticity. Sometimes, putting your cards out on the table and being honest is the best way to show you care. In a way that your audience can understand, continue to show that you care before you show what you know. To be clear, Bob has cared from the beginning. Somehow, Joe wasn't seeing that caring. By being real, Bob was also letting Joe know that his bully behavior could and would no longer be acceptable to Bob and his team. Bob was letting Joe know that Bob cared too much about his team to let them be treated so poorly. (Nice job, Bob!) 

Action

The Maxwell quote above sums up emotional intelligence and its importance in simple, playground terms. I link you back to an oldie but goodie on the importance of listening and how to actively listen. Remember: You have two eyes, two ears, and just one mouth. Use accordingly. When you (re-) read this post on how to be an active listener, what is most important is that you apply these techniques in ways that are authentic to you. There is nothing worse than someone trying to act like they are listening and caring when they really aren't.

Summary

Organizational change management is part art, part science, and executed one person at a time. And what matters most? Care. And show you care.

Step Out of the Shade and Into Your Talents

"Hide not your talents, they for use were made. What's a sundial in the shade?"

Benjamin Franklin

I drive my sister crazy with all of the questions I ask people that I meet. But, if one of my life's missions to to help people understand what they are good at, then my questions must remain. [Note to sis: Coleen, I love you, but I've got to keep on keeping on with my questions!]

By paying attention and asking the right questions, you will likely discover many hidden talents among your leaders, peer, team members, family members, friends, volunteers, yourself. 

Many leaders are in a situation know where they cannot hire more talent. Why not ask the following four questions of the talent you currently have to determine how to maximize your resources? 

1. 

Turn a compliment into an interview.

• Congratulate an employee on a job well done; then, ask exactly what helped her succeed. By better understanding her process, you may uncover an unseen strength.

2. Ask why employees prefer certain tasks or projects.

• Preferences can provide insight into someone's talents. An employee might enjoy a project because it involves a product he cares about or because it gave him a chance to interact with customers directly or because... Knowing which will possibly uncover talents.

3. Inquire about dreams.

• Ask your employee what she would do if she had her career to do over again. Dreams often include an aspect of someone that she doesn't regularly share.

 4. Analyze how people think, not just what they do.

• This one is my favorite. What is behind accomplishments is a way of thinking, particular to an individual, that made success possible. Ask your team member to walk you through his thought process on how he arrived at a solution. Articulating this dimension of how his mind works will help you -- and your team member-- identify the other projects that require his inductive talents. It will l also show him that you truly understand the value of his contributions.

I will also suggest that you consider asking these questions of yourself. I know a number of people in the midst of a job search, and they feel at wit's end with what to do next. I am hopeful that these questions may be a source of freeing your thoughts to find what it is that truly inspires you.

Adapted from Steven DeMaio's How to Identify Your Employees' Hidden Talents. 24 June 2009