Apr 2012
Communicating Change
12/04/12 16:13
In most change efforts, this is the area that is usually given inadequate attention. Let’s face it, if you cannot effectively communicate your vision, then how can you expect to garner support? To effect lasting change, you must achieve excellence in the following areas
· Maintain clarity of vision
· Keep the message simple
· Align words and actions
· Know your audience
· Utilize innovative approaches
Think of the last change effort in which you were involved. You probably held an all-hands meeting to communicate and discuss the vision, distributed an email from the CEO, held a Q&A session, and finally, sent a memo before the change commenced. If you were lucky, updates were posted in the company newsletter and a follow-up meeting represented the sum total of the communication regarding this significant organizational change. Consider the amount of communication that is foisted upon an employee in a given day, and it becomes clear that a few communications are not enough to sell the vision.
It is critical to remember back to when you were developing the vision and the process you underwent to internalize the vision. Now, look at the amount of communication that accompanies most change efforts and it is no wonder that they fail to take hold and produce lasting change.
To help you achieve success as you embark on your next change effort, here are some things to think about.
· Maintain clarity of vision
· Keep the message simple
· Align words and actions
· Know your audience
· Utilize innovative approaches
Think of the last change effort in which you were involved. You probably held an all-hands meeting to communicate and discuss the vision, distributed an email from the CEO, held a Q&A session, and finally, sent a memo before the change commenced. If you were lucky, updates were posted in the company newsletter and a follow-up meeting represented the sum total of the communication regarding this significant organizational change. Consider the amount of communication that is foisted upon an employee in a given day, and it becomes clear that a few communications are not enough to sell the vision.
It is critical to remember back to when you were developing the vision and the process you underwent to internalize the vision. Now, look at the amount of communication that accompanies most change efforts and it is no wonder that they fail to take hold and produce lasting change.
To help you achieve success as you embark on your next change effort, here are some things to think about.
- Ensure the leadership team has a crystal clear understanding of the vision and can communicate it effectively. If it is muddled for them, imagine how the recipient of that information will receive it.
- Look for smaller opportunities to communicate and reinforce the vision, such as in team meetings, your one-on-ones, hallway conversations, etc. Look for every opportunity to tie actions and conversations to the new vision.
- Keep the vision clear of jargon. Use analogies or metaphors to convey meaning; these are often more effective than a well-crafted vision statement. Remember the adage, “a picture is worth a thousand words,” in this case, you are creating a mental picture.
- Practice your message and anticipate questions or objections, which will strengthen your message and ensure it is well received. For large change efforts, I recommend that you form focus groups where the message can be fleshed out to ensure greater clarity.
10-80-10 Rule
12/04/12 16:11
I ran across this rule in John Maxwell’s book Thinking for a Change. His approach to leadership uses this formula. He spends 10% of his time in establishing the vision for a project, getting the necessary resources, and providing encouragement. He then lets the responsible individual or team take it 80% of the way to completion, and d. oing all the creative work necessary to reach the stated objectives. He then spends the final 10% to wrap up the project and lend a hand to take the project the rest of way, if needed.
This ensures that his time is spent on the most productive activities and provides others with the opportunity to grow their own leadership skills. This is part of his formula which seeks to answer the question, what are you going to give up?. He identifies the following:
This ensures that his time is spent on the most productive activities and provides others with the opportunity to grow their own leadership skills. This is part of his formula which seeks to answer the question, what are you going to give up?. He identifies the following:
- You Can’t Know Everyone
- You Can’t Do Everything
- You Can’t Go Everywhere
- You Can’t be Well-Rounded
Building Resilient Teams
12/04/12 15:23
In the world of knowledge workers, teams are a ubiquitous presence; however, few of us have probably worked on a true team. According to Jon Katzenbach, with true teams “the leadership role shifts among the members of the group; a Single Leader Unit, by comparison, always has the same leader.” Based on personal experience, I have participated in more Single Leader Unit (SLU)-based teams. It is important to note that both types of teams are effective in their respective contexts; one difference is that true teams tend to be more productive than SLU’s in the long run, while SLU’s produce results almost immediately.
Regardless of the team type, I have found four main ingredients critical to the development of a resilient team, including
1. Clarity of Purpose
2. Autonomy
3. Working Sandbox
4. Measurement & Feedback
Clarity of Purpose
It is the leader’s job, regardless of the type of team, to clearly and authoritatively declare the purpose of the team. Just as with individuals, this is the most important element and is the foundation upon which all other elements are built. Without a clear purpose, it is difficult for the team to take over and assert its power, instead the team will have to rely on the leader for decision-making, and will require constant tending to ensure they stay on course. You must ensure that the purpose allows some latitude for the team to define the means to achieve the goal. Remember clarity = measurability!
Autonomy
The purpose should be clear, but should not spell out the method for achieving the vision. This provides a rich experience for members of the team and gives them the opportunity to flex their creative muscles, which is an essential element to grooming high-potential leaders and exposes them to problems in the context of real business situations. In addition, this develops the strength of the team unit, and enables individuals to take the lead in their respective areas, manage conflict, and exercise their decision-making skills. This is the best, most effective type of training for leadership.
Working Sandbox
It is your job, as a leader, to create a safe environment where failure can be celebrated. That may sound like an odd statement, but we can learn a great deal from failure. Amy Edmondson, in her article,Strategies for Learning from Failure, actually creates a continuum by which to measure failure from Deviance to exploratory testing. She suggests that not all types of failure should be celebrated, especially that which is due to violations of prescribed processes or inattention to detail. These types of failures stem quite simply from laziness. On the other hand, failures based in exploration or hypothesis testing is valuable as a learning tool for the team.
Creating this environment enhances the overall cohesion and resulting productivity of the team.
Measurement & Feedback
Providing clarity to the vision is essential to outlining what the business outcomes must be. Given a clear picture of the vision and the desired end state, teams can use innovation to reach the desired result, but it is also important that feedback is given throughout the process so that progress can be measured along the way. In a famous Gallup poll on employee engagement, receiving regular feedback ranked higher on employee satisfaction surveys than salary and other tangible benefits. This should cement for the engaged leader how important it is to provide usable feedback.
Regardless of the team type, these four ingredients must be present to overcome the organizational inertia and produce lasting change
Regardless of the team type, I have found four main ingredients critical to the development of a resilient team, including
1. Clarity of Purpose
2. Autonomy
3. Working Sandbox
4. Measurement & Feedback
Clarity of Purpose
It is the leader’s job, regardless of the type of team, to clearly and authoritatively declare the purpose of the team. Just as with individuals, this is the most important element and is the foundation upon which all other elements are built. Without a clear purpose, it is difficult for the team to take over and assert its power, instead the team will have to rely on the leader for decision-making, and will require constant tending to ensure they stay on course. You must ensure that the purpose allows some latitude for the team to define the means to achieve the goal. Remember clarity = measurability!
Autonomy
The purpose should be clear, but should not spell out the method for achieving the vision. This provides a rich experience for members of the team and gives them the opportunity to flex their creative muscles, which is an essential element to grooming high-potential leaders and exposes them to problems in the context of real business situations. In addition, this develops the strength of the team unit, and enables individuals to take the lead in their respective areas, manage conflict, and exercise their decision-making skills. This is the best, most effective type of training for leadership.
Working Sandbox
It is your job, as a leader, to create a safe environment where failure can be celebrated. That may sound like an odd statement, but we can learn a great deal from failure. Amy Edmondson, in her article,Strategies for Learning from Failure, actually creates a continuum by which to measure failure from Deviance to exploratory testing. She suggests that not all types of failure should be celebrated, especially that which is due to violations of prescribed processes or inattention to detail. These types of failures stem quite simply from laziness. On the other hand, failures based in exploration or hypothesis testing is valuable as a learning tool for the team.
Creating this environment enhances the overall cohesion and resulting productivity of the team.
Measurement & Feedback
Providing clarity to the vision is essential to outlining what the business outcomes must be. Given a clear picture of the vision and the desired end state, teams can use innovation to reach the desired result, but it is also important that feedback is given throughout the process so that progress can be measured along the way. In a famous Gallup poll on employee engagement, receiving regular feedback ranked higher on employee satisfaction surveys than salary and other tangible benefits. This should cement for the engaged leader how important it is to provide usable feedback.
Regardless of the team type, these four ingredients must be present to overcome the organizational inertia and produce lasting change
