As January begins, and your New Year’s resolution is fresh in your mind, your will to complete your stated goal is strong. You’re focused, energized, and determined. If you are like many individuals that struggle with your resolutions, if I checked back in March, you’d be much less energized, not quite as determined, and possibly focused on other priorities. For many, the inability to stay on track and see a resolution through to completion is a sign that you lack will power, and will power is all that is needed to meet a goal. The good news is that will power is only a small portion of the equation to success.
Close the Loop
10/11/2011In our assessment work with organizations we often provide recommended next steps following the completion of a project. One of the most basic steps that can hinder change initiatives following a project is what I call “failure to close the loop.” This is a lack of communication which often leads to a misunderstanding between leaders and employees.
A Guide to Implementing Change
9/27/2011Organizational change is difficult; yet, change is imperative to remaining competitive. Studies suggest that change efforts fail for a number of reasons, including:
• Changes are not anchored in corporate culture.
• A compelling business case is not made.
• The organization is not prepared for the change.
• The change vision is unclear; outcomes and measures are not well defined.
• Leaders fail to plan for and accomplish short-term wins.
• Communication is inadequate.
• Executives do not get personally involved in leading the change effort.
While change initiatives are often complex, we offer a few quick ideas to increase the success of your next change effort:
Learning About Change From the Hoo Doos
5/10/2011
I took a vacation several weeks ago and explored Zion and Bryce National Parks. Both parks were magnificent—fabulous hiking with beautiful scenery and breathtaking views.
At Bryce Canyon you’ll find spectacular rock formations called hoodoos (tall, skinny spires of rock protruding from the bottom of the canyon). They range in size from a few feet to heights exceeding a 10 story building.
Hoodoos are the result of change at work—a constant weathering process—water freezing and expanding to pry open cracks bit by bit making them ever wider. (Bryce has over 200 freeze/thaw cycles in a year.)
Current Culture: A Starting Point for Change
4/26/2011“The only thing of real importance that leaders do is to create and manage culture. If you do not manage culture, it manages you, and you may not even be aware of the extent to which this is happening.”
–Edgar Schein, professor MIT Sloan School of Management
I often hear leaders talk about the need to change organizational culture. According to Schein, in most organizational change efforts, it is much easier to draw on the strengths of the current culture than to overcome the constraints by changing the culture.
So, how do we better understand current culture?
