I continue to be amazed by that fundamental truth about living: how we choose to see a situation dictates the choices we–and others–make about it. Take a look at this 2-minute clip that demonstrates it better than any more words I can write. You will be glad you did.
How you choose to deliver feedback on an employee’s performance will have a huge impact on how he/she responds to your message…acceptance, in the spirit of learning, denial, as a victim, or angry counter attack.
How you present to employees a change mandated by you or by upper management will guide whether they come around willingly, begrudgingly, or not at all.
When you hear the word conflict, it has negative associations with words like argument, war, battle, and disagreement. In reality, conflict should be embraced as being essential to a healthy organization.
The majority of employees (and many supervisors and managers) avoid conflict because of the assumption that conflict is destructive. Conflict is expected and desired when implementing change and continuous improvement.
There are typically three sources of conflict related to change and continuous improvement:
Where we are now (Facts): Even though most people assume that facts speak for themselves, the reality is that different perspectives can cause conflict. Leaders should assume that not everyone will agree by default about the need for change. Build and communicate the need for change by revealing the facts and assumptions.
Where we are heading (Goals): If agreeing on where we are now is hard, imagine building agreement on what the future looks like. At this point leaders can acknowledge that there are many alternatives and that the chosen path is expected to be the best solution.
How to get there (Methods): Even if it possible to gain agreement to number one and two above, there will inevitably be conflict surrounding the method of getting from A to B. Absolute certainty isn’t possible. Leaders should focus on explaining the rationale and then being open to suggestions for continuous improvement. Remain flexible to make changes along the journey.
By embracing conflict related the change, front line supervisors and managers can be a proactive leaders of improvement.
City councils, boards of administrators and other governing systems demand a performance management framework that focuses on what outcomes employees will achieve, and how success is going to be measured. This tool reveals how to construct an integrated performance management framework that takes into account the many different functions which a city or a county needs to administer. Continue Reading
This tool is useful for visualizing the steps in a typical strategic planning process, from the initial environmental scan to the narrowing of strategies and developing of related performance targets. Managers and leaders can use this tool to communicate their planning process to other managers, employees, board members and other stakeholders.
This tool is best used in conjunction with Leading at Light Speed, ourstrategic planning book that helps leaders build trust, spark innovation and implement the 10 best practices of high performing organizations. Continue Reading
I have written before about the “First Five Percent.” That’s my approach to strategic change management that says the quality of the first five percent determines what happens in the rest of the process.
I was in Los Angeles last week, working with a large association, on a strategic plan for their organization. It was the start of a year-long process to build a high-performing organization. One of the rules of the First Five Percent is to engage as many people as possible early on. You never know who may have an excellent idea. The more people you engage early on, the quicker you can identify the best thinking and the hidden resources. Continue Reading
When people ask me to describe our change management model at LRI, I tell them it boils down to three principles.
Principle number one: Focus on the first five percent. To guarantee a successful outcome you must gather champions, set expectations, how extensively you engage stakeholders, and how well you paint a picture for people of the decision-making process. Let me stress here the importance of engaging with those who will be affected early on, and enlisting the help of those with the right expertise. When ideological stances are strongly opposed it is best to engage early instead of shutting people out of the process.
Principle number two: Focus on defining the root problem. A solution is only useful if you have defined the problem correctly in the first place. We employ a systems approach. People too often say things like: “We need more sales,” or “staff isn’t working hard enough,” or “we need better products,” without looking into the reasons why. Very often, the answer lies in looking in the mirror – at what you’re doing or not doing. One systems approach is to identify the organizational core values – or that which is essential for its success. Tough decisions are easy to make when you ground them in well-understood core values.
Principle number three: Find a good guide. An experienced guide can set the tone, identify key issues, keep minds open, articulate the points of agreement, and keep things moving along. Make sure your guide is able to offer examples and models from other organizations. A healthy sense of humor and the courage to face tough problems and uncertainty are key qualities to look for. It is not easy to find a good, experienced guide. But they are absolutely essential to our change management model.
