Management
39 Key Learning Points
In order to have successful change efforts, there should be created short-term wins. Short-term wins help to build momentum and direction for the change effort.
In successful situations, people build on momentum to make a vision a reality by keeping urgency up and a feeling of false pride down; by eliminating unnecessary, exhausting and demoralizing work; and by not declaring victory prematurely.
Even though you are achieving and celebrating short term wins, it’s very important to never let up.
You do not have to become frustrated and resist the temptation to “beat up” on your people. You have to be relentless until you reach the end goal.
When you have too much work, jettison some because you can still fail because of exhaustion. You do not have to make such kind of mistake.
Group 13.
In successful change efforts leaders find the way to deal with negative attitude towards large-scale change. Leaders show people something that addresses their anxieties that accept their anger, that evoke faith in the vision.
The messages to employees should be simple, heartfelt, and not complex.
The goal in communicating for buy-in is to get as many people as possible to create a vision.
Matching words and deeds is usually tough, even for a dedicated guiding team. In highly successful change efforts, members of the guiding team have to help one another with matching words and deeds.
Honest communication can help greatly with all but the most cynical employees. People love honesty even if it’s not what they wanted to hear. It makes them feel safer.
New technologies offer useful channels (satellite broadcasts, teleconferencing, Webcasts, e-mail) for sending information and can solve communication problems.
If you help people to see, to feel and to change they could make the leap.
Help people to see the need for change.
Let people feel as they are hit with the reality of their situation and feel the need to act.
Let people take their emotional charged ideas into action.
Communicating the need for change through a Question-and-Answer session can be effective if done properly. Make sure employees are given a well-prepared presentation about the change effort underway and are encouraged to ask any questions. During the Q&A session, each presenter responds quickly and clearly, with conviction, and without becoming defensive. This demonstrates to everyone that the ideas aren’t muddled, that the presenters have faith in the vision, and that those answering the questions think the changes are good.
Group 12.
Getting the right vision in organization is similar to building your life in the right way. You can change it, you can influence it, and you can build your own.
There are four elements that have helped successful organizations direct action in the right direction: budget, plan, strategy, vision. The budget is the financial piece of the plan. The plan specifies step by step how to implement a strategy. The strategy shows how to achieve the vision. The vision shows an end state where all the plans and strategies will take you.
Answers to the questions such as “What change is necessary? What is our vision for the new organization? What should not be altered? What is the best way to make the vision a reality? What change strategies are unacceptably dangerous?” are required to produce a clear sense of direction and good answers position an organization to leap into a better future.
There are some points which works and which doesn’t in getting right vision:
Articulate a vision that is so clear that it fits on one page and takes less than a minute to share.
Articulate a vision that’s moving — such as a commitment to serve people.
Create a bold strategy and move ahead quickly.
Don’t assume that logical plans and budgets are enough.
Don’t rely on overly analytical, financially based vision exercises.
Group 4.
There are three phases of transition: letting go, the neutral zone, the new beginning. Letting go is setting free what is ending and accepting the loss of what is familiar. The neutral zone is an in-between time after letting go and the new beginning. The new beginning is the new way, developing new energy and identity for the change which begin to work.
There are two strategies to help people navigate through the neutral zone:
Normalizing the Neutral Zone.
Redefining the Neutral Zone.
Creating temporary systems for the Neutral Zone.
Strengthen intragroup connections.
Using a transition monitoring team (TMT).
Using the Neutral Zone creatively.
The Neutral Zone is a key to turning transition from a time of a confusion and breakdown into problem solving and breakthrough.
The Neutral Zone is not the wasted time full of confusion that it seems to be. It is a time when reorientation and re-definition must take place, and people need to understand that.
Reviewing policies and procedures, roles and reporting relationships helps people deal with certain aspects of the Neutral Zone.
Intragroup connections can be strengthened by holding informal meetings, ensuring regular and clear communication, rebuilding sense of identification with the organization.
Using transition monitoring team encourages upward communication.
People experience anxiety, low morale, low productivity, exhibit skepticism during the Neutral Zone.
TMT is an effective way to correct misinformation and counter rumors, because members of the team may be able to disseminate accurate information more believable than leaders can.
The creation of a TMT is a signal that the organization cares about its people. It demonstrates that the organization want to know how things are going for people.
There are some of the dangers of the Neutral Zone: becoming polarized, being vulnerable from outside, high staff turnover. It’s easy for people to become polarized. Discord increases; teamwork decreases. Left unchecked, this kind of polarization and alienation lead to “terminal chaos”. Organizations are vulnerable to “attack from the outside. Disorganized and tired, people respond slowly and halfheartedly to competitive threats.” Staff turnover tends to increase.
Create new roles, relationships, or organizational structures/configurations as needed. Hierarchy often breaks down; mixed groupings and teams may be more effective. Assign temporary titles as needed.
Avoid making promises that you may not be able to keep, or promising high levels of productivity during the transition period. Help “upper level management” understand this and set realistic goals.
Figure out what people need to learn (know and be able to do) to function successfully in the neutral zone, and then provide the special training and support. These might include: problem solving, team building (see next strategy), transition management tactics, etc.
Group 11.
The process for leading change consist of the following stages:
Creating and increasing a sense of urgency;
Building a guiding team;
Getting the right vision;
Effective communication;
Creating short-term wins;
Making meetings work;
The guiding team must be strong enough and consist of the right people to guide the change. Right people are those who have the appropriate leadership skills, organizational credibility and are able to handle any change in the organization. You need the right group of people with the right vision to start the change process.
Vision provides a sense of direction for a company and highlights important areas of change within the organization. Companies should create the right vision. The right vision is helpful in planning and budgeting of company.
The leadership skills are essential to guide team through the times. Good leader must have a vision, must be able to motivate the team and must be communal because all these are very important in the change progress.
It is very important to make meetings work because a successful teamwork demonstrates a great team building. A good meeting must have the stipulated meeting time, the venue, and direction. The most unsuccessful meetings are because of having a new group that lacks coordination, which at the end undermines trust within the members.
