Ignite! Newsletter—May 2009 Article

Creating a Change-Ready Organisation

Leaders need to create fast, flexible, and nimble organisations to meet constantly changing market and customer demands. Otherwise they risk becoming obsolete, according to Dr. Patricia Zigarmi of The Ken Blanchard Companies.

"We can all think of examples of companies that in our lifetime have gone out of business because they were not fast and flexible and didn't respond to a changing environment - retailers like Woolworth's, manufacturers like Polaroid, or airlines like TWA."

Companies need to be constantly adapting. The challenge for companies--especially large companies that have enjoyed success over time - is how to stay open, innovative, and forward thinking.

Warning signs

How can you tell if your company is in danger of losing its capacity to change? Zigarmi recommends that companies be on the lookout for some early warning signs.

Resting on your laurels. You see companies ignoring the numbers on their balance sheet, or in their employee turnover or customer satisfaction numbers. These companies treat bad numbers as a blip on the screen rather than as a trend over time

Discounting customers' expectations and competitors' innovations. These companies stick their head in the sand and seem bent on protecting the way that they have always done things. They are more interested in defending their decisions and their approach than they are in exploring new ideas.

Discouraging new players and new voices within the company. A tendency to find ways to say that "the next generation doesn't really understand the situation" or that some people with strong opinions based on experience elsewhere "haven't been here long enough to really have a voice at the table" is a sure way to stay stagnant

Increase involvement and influence

To break out of this, Zigarmi suggests that leaders work hard to get others' perspective.

"Leaders have to increase involvement and influence. They have to look for good ideas everywhere. They have to look for ideas from people who are informal leaders in the organisation in addition to people who are formal leaders. They have to look to resisters as well as adopters of change.

"The more that we can get people talking to others who have different viewpoints, the more chance we have to be responsive and resilient and adaptive in the face of change.

For Zigarmi, this means looking to people who are new as well as people who have been around for a long time. You want a combination of young people with fresh ideas combined with the ideas of people who are wise because of their experience.

"I think that you have to look for good ideas everywhere and trust that synergistic decisions are what will help the organisation be responsive and resilient. Don't discount either side of that equation: fresh eyes or wisdom born of experience. Both of them are valuable."

Involvement - Slow down to go fast

While some people may think that increasing involvement ends up slowing down the change process and delaying results, Zigarmi believes that the opposite is true

"I think that you get challenges and concerns out on the table faster with high involvement. You get to know what the obstacles and the pitfalls are - the dynamics that you can't really see on the surface.

"There used to be something called planned change. I don't know if this even exists any more. Today you're lucky if you can plan for three months or maybe even six weeks in terms of solutions that are durable and continue to work."

According to Zigarmi, if you involve people in planning change and in sharing their perspectives, you are also going to build change leadership capability for the future. You need to push the responsibility for decision-making lower and lower in the organisation. People closest to the problem and the organisation's customers often have the best insight into the problem and the solutions. That's something that all organisations need to address.

"I think that someone who is leading an organisation can't possibly know everything that is going on - even a talented, charismatic leader. A challenge for leaders is developing capacity at the front line to spot problems and to come up with solutions.

"That starts with sharing information broadly. I believe that people are smart - if they know what you know, see what you see, understand what you understand, they will contribute immensely to leading change."

Today, more than ever, organisations need everyone to be involved and responsive to provide the quick, nimble, and adaptive response that allows your organisation to adjust to constantly changing conditions. By sharing power and expanding influence, leaders can create an organisation with a strong overall capacity to change and succeed.

 

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Would you like to learn more about making your people your business partners?

Then join us for our forthcoming Irish free executive briefing, on Thursday 21st May, 2009 at 8.15 am Irish Time, until 10.15 am.

"Make Your People Your Business Partners".

Free Executive Breakfast in Dublin's Burlington Hotel for Senior Executives & Entrepreneurs."Leading At A Higher Level - Make Your People Your Business Partners." With Morgan Pierse, MD, Blanchard International Ireland Ltd. Join our team for two hours for breakfast to reflect on Leadership in the current climate. Register Event below.

During uncertain times, people need to feel involved, your leadership can help them unearth many of the answers and the energy that can help you through the toughest challenges.

Presenter, Morgan Pierse, MD, Blanchard Internationl Ireland, will discuss new insights for managers and leaders.

Please don't miss this opportunity to learn or re-engage with some principles and actions that will help your business group. Call us on 01-523 7514 OR Email angela@blanchardinternational.ie to register your(s) or a colleagues place.