Laying the groundwork for change management

In the last few posts we have dwelt on the issue of Change Management. We over saw the importance of the process, various things that lead to it & its many benefits etc. However in the absence of a clear methodology ‘change’ proves difficult to handle. Outlined below are some steps that go a long way in integrating new initiatives into the old environment:
1. Building a sense of urgency: Employees need to be told about the paucity of time to launch themselves into the big league. They also need to be asked to inspire themselves & their colleagues to be continuously on the move, set higher objectives & achieve them in real time.
2. Appreciation of effort: All initiatives might not lead to success, they never do. But failed initiatives should not be scoffed at lest that would lead to employees becoming too afraid to initiate new developments. The organization should be made to understand that dramatic success comes only through trial & error. Hence all genuine efforts should be equally appreciated.
3. Creating change champions: Brownian motion only leads to disturbance, random ideas & activities need to be grouped together into right teams. Once the suitable people are in place with sincere emotional commitment, the right mix of skills and levels can be reached. And none should forget to a get a Captain for the team. Without a committed leader, the team is bound to loose direction.
4. Forming a vision: Leaders of the teams should establish a simple vision and strategy & focus on the tactical decision necessary to drive the change & assimilate it.
5. Selling the change: Everybody will appreciate the change if they realize its benefits to them. It’s very important for the initiators to sell their vision to the whole organization so as to create whole hearted acceptability.
6. Authorizing & motivating actions: The team spearheading the growth initiatives must have authority to take all steps it needs to remove obstacles, enable constructive feedback and ensure development. These actions can also be motivated by rewarding and recognizing valuable contributions, progress and achievements.
7. Let success come in stages: The whole objective should be broken up in steps such that achievements of each stage are easily identifiable. This way success seems to come faster thus motivating everybody further & justifying the change.
8. Persistence Pays: As discussed above all efforts may not be successful but it doesn’t mean that the process should be given up. Things take time to change. We should foster and encourage determination and persistence. Results will come sooner or later.
9. Preserving success: Whenever an initiative results in success (small or big doesn’t matter) the change initiative that led to the success must be immediately incorporated into the policy of the company so that it becomes a permanent fixture.
The measures listed above are a comprehensive lot which if followed by all will definitely lead to their collective prosperity & explosive growth.

Pessimism never won any battle

Pessimism never won any battle, neither did optimism alone loose it. Yet when it comes to initiating out of the box thinking, the scales tilt in favor of pessimism, albeit in the guise of ‘Conservatism’. Few seem to realize that what got them here, may not get them there, into the big league. Established methods, processes & industry practices (having them is in itself a big achievement) will only help an organization to grow at the organic pace. It is the ability of an organization & its people, to surpass their industry’s best practices, that will catapult a budding ‘me too’ player to the top. Such differentiation can be achieved only through ‘out of the box’ thinking for which we need to be an optimist.
One might wonder at the link between pessimism, optimism & out of the box thinking! Change management is this common link. Let’s see how?
The practice of forever working with a model hugely tried & tasted in the past has its origin in a feeling of insecurity arising due to the desire of most individuals to maintain the ‘status quo’. In simple words nobody wants to upset the applecart as the changed circumstances might be too hot to handle. Innumerable ideas & concepts have fallen prey to this fear of uncertainty leading to huge losses for corporations that did not encourage professional adventure & benefits for those that motivated dynamism. Risk, no matter how calculated, is uncomfortable; but has the potential of bringing in huge profits. Inertia is comfortable, but comes at a huge cost.
The key to having the best of both worlds is to have an efficient & effective process of Change Management in place in the organization. When an organization is on the threshold of launching itself into the big league, it needs an environment where the more enterprising of its employees can bounce off ideas & put them on trial without the fear of being prosecuted for the uncertainty there ideas might land the organization in. This requires the creation of an environment that recognizes creativity & has its contingency plans ready to meet any unwarranted situations. All this can only be achieved with a positive frame of mind. Success may elude us at times leading to bouts of pessimism, but we have to make it a habit to treat pessimist tendencies as passing phases of our lives. Perseverance, continued persistence & an inherent belief in the optimism of out of the box thinking is the only way to win the battles against ordinary existence & strike gold.