Team Building For Executives - This Is Where It Starts for The Organization

Team Building For Executives - This Is Where It Starts for The Organization

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Productive organizational team building starts at the top and works its way through the chain of command. Executive team building (ETB) is that starting point from which all organizational team building is initiated. But, one size does not fit all executive teams; rarely would you find an ETB Plan to be off- the-shelf. Therefore, expect a Plan to be hand built with professional help. Success is likely with good planning and research to find a facilitator with experiences targeted at an organization's needs. Remember, every member of the executive team brings their own hardwired attributes to the team. Individual attitudes and perspectives add the necessary synergy to the executive team's exercise.

As a starting point, here are some thoughts about ETB:

Team building approaches and techniques will always need to change to keep businesses relevant to specific industries, employees, customers and cultural mores. ETB sets the stage, a road map, for needed changes thro ughout an organization. It is not a one-time event that fixes everything. Like a business plan, state team objectives and results the executive team expects to achieve. Then find the right professional to design and carry out a plan for the executives and their subordinate organizational managers.Don't let any team building experience become esoteric or mystifying.

ETB should not be heady. Having initiated numerous team building exercises and watched others approach the subject; it appears that a straight forward and honest approach is the most productive. These are not meant to be psychological exercises of the mind!

All organizations need to recalibrate management approaches toward their customers, available technologies, education levels of the workforce, new management tools, and the sophistication of the workforce. Team building is an effective management tool when objectives are defined and fit a high level corporate plan. This is no different than looking at a n employee evaluation system; evaluation system needs to be uniform and applicable to all.

Remember, "Change Happens", even in industry. Over the past 30 years think about the myriad business jargon we have used. First, we saw an explosion of motivational speakers who were hired to lecture teams on achieving super-human results. Then we had intense training gurus in business disciplines such as sales and production. That was followed quickly by commitment to quality; thank you Dr. Deming. Lest we forget, business and organizations got very heavy into the ISO accreditation process. And the list goes on: whole training industries coming into existence to support many of these efforts.

The internet, Siebel, Oracle and Sybase have been leaders in using technology to build business relationships and approaches. The CRM industry came into being since 1985 and the internet shortly after that. Yes, team building is a business, so make it work for you. There are a lot of professionals with very specific skills for each level of management a company want to target.

Look how quick relevancy of words can change. How about phrases such as: finding your inner self, re-invention, information super highway, business model, dynamic change, becoming customer centric, the 80/20 rule, quality, and I almost forgot my favorite-metrics. Executive Team Building is like style; you would not wear a leisure suit to a meeting would you? So think about the team meeting as keeping up with the latest styles/trends in business; present new concept using current lingo.

The whole purpose of this forced-march down memory lane is to illustrate how business does go through iterations and changes to drive or focus attention on addressing customer needs, employees and markets.

Executive Team Building (ETB) is not about self-improvement. It is about being a leader with of group of others, respect for each member's role on the team and a willing spirit to go beyond what's required. With executives so much of an executive's value is all wrapped up in vision, defining issues and results oriented leadership. There may not be an "I" in team but there is an "I" in team building. However, all members expect the "I" to add value to the team.

After all the meetings, the real question is: Were they productive at an individual level? The next question: Is there any individual accountability as a result of the meeting? If there is no accountability there is probably no commitment and no commitment means there is little collective achieve.

Steven S. Lay has been in the travel and corporate meetings business for 30 years and is now focused exclusively on small luxury corporate gatherings in Wine Country. More information about his company, Symtrek Partners, is available at: http://www.symtrekpartners.com/

Mr. Lay has held "C" Level positions in large private and public companies. These companies, in addition to the trav el corporate and leisure business, include the defense industry and e-commerce. Prior to launching Symtrek Partners, Mr. Lay was the Vice President of Exhibitor Sales for a major exposition company.

Symtrek Partners is a resource to any company contemplating a highly effective meeting, event or function for a small corporate group. Symtrek Partners is very interested in discussing ideas and options. To initiate a contact e-mail: stevelay@symtrekpartners.com or call 707-927-4205

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Role of the CEO in Change Management

Role of the CEO in Change Management

A change initiative involves a concerted, consistent effort at various levels. The Top Management and Board of Directors are as important to the process as is the change agent, the sponsors, the steering committee and the people at large.

The various key roles in an organizational change process include the following:

The Initiator of Change: Organisations often understand the need for change only when they've been stung by some deep loss. The loss could be in terms of a dipping sales figure, the departure of key people, a fall in the market share or the loss of an important client to a competitor etc. Often, a change is initiated when someone within the organization reacts to such events and signals the need for a change.

The Change Agent: The change agent is one who is responsible for driving and implementing change across the organisation. The cha nge agent can either be an external consultant or an internal consultant. In fact, at different stages in the change process, different individuals or teams may come to occupy this role. For instance, if change management task is outsourced to an external consultant, he serves as the initial change agent. However, when the project team starts actual work on the recommendations of the consultant, the team leaders become the change agents. Basically, change agents at various stages push change by reinforcing the need to change, and championing the cause of change.

The Official Sponsor Team: Usually, the organisation will identify a team or a department to officially coordinate the change process. In larger organisations, the sponsors may be the HR Department or the IT department. In smaller organisations, a team of senior leaders can play this role.

Finally, while change efforts are undertaken at the ground level, they need to be steered by th e top management. The role of the top management is paramount in ensuring that the initiative does not lose focus or get stranded due to operational or motivational issues.

THE ROLE OF TOP MANAGEMENT

Change can either "make or break" an organisation. Change never takes care of itself. Change is initially difficult but ultimately stabilizes. These are the three basic facts of an organizational change.

Although after an initial denial phase, people will finally adapt to change, the transition phase is difficult. And this is where Top Management can help. As we saw, change is initiated by one deeply affected by some crisis in the organisation and carried forward by agents and sponsors. However, the success of the change efforts ultimately rests in the hands of top management. Depending upon the structure of the organisation, the work is delegated to different levels of employee participation depending upon the complexities involved. Thus, the Board of Directors may supervise the CEO, the CEO supervises the Executive Assistants, who in turn delegate work to the middle management, until it trickles down to the entry level supervisors.

The Top Management is instrumental, rather vital in setting the mood for change. Not only does it play a key role in communicating the vision and the concomitant goals, it also plays a major part in objectively setting targets and defining results to accomplish the change. People are most deeply influenced by the actions of their supervisors. Hence, leaders themselves need to imbibe the expected behavior that the change warrants, so as to ensure that they induce such behavior in others.

Top Management Teams can reinforce the agenda for change by using their power positions or external links, even pushing it through the media, but ultimately, actual progress comes only in collaboration with workers. Again, it is important for top management to generate a sense of collectiv e responsibility. A key to inculcating this attitude lies in genuinely valuing workers and their role in the whole process. There can be nothing more motivating than to know that your labors are acknowledged and appreciated by the company. Adopting a culture that cuts across the hierarchy and treats all people as equals, giving organisational goals priority over personal goals etc. are all perceived as symbolic acts to signify the need for change and the value that is assigned to it. Thus, a lot lies within the capacity of the top management in terms of sending out the correct signals that will propel change.

Off late, I noticed that a certain brand of shampoo, has its product (read: the bottle) carry the signature and a small picture of the hair expert they collaborated with to create the product. What are they doing? In my view, they are trying to increase the credibility of the product, so that more people come to trust the brand. Similarly, "selling" a change to yo ur people requires what I term "credibility management". And that is a major responsibility of the Top Management Team. The top management not only needs to communicate the vision for change, but also needs to tie the vision to business needs and show how the change will impact profits, productivity or quality of work life. Equally important is the management's ability to realistically address the existing gap between the current situation and the envisioned situation, and present to the people a powerful, reasonable and well planned strategy - a blueprint for success. Next, driving speedy implementation is extremely important. Once people are convinced of the strategy, the top management needs to quickly put them to "act" upon it. The faster your strategies are put to action, the earlier they are likely to succeed. It's like a "buzzer-round-quiz-game", the faster you hit the buzzer, the more your chances of winning. On the other hand, you may well know the perfect answer, b ut if you don't hit the buzzer on time, it really doesn't work! Even with a perfect strategy, immediate action becomes the buzzword. With every success you move closer to your vision and increase your credibility, so eventually people will volunteer to follow you.

Another important observation is that during organizational change, resistance from people is directly proportional to the perceived threat from change. Change challenges the status quo and demands that people venture out of their comfort zones. It means abandoning the "way things are done" and embracing a new set of potentially better conditions. But despite the potential benefits of change, it is always initially abominable. It comes with fears of a job loss, a change in role, a change in reporting, and so on and so forth till people are so consumed with anxiety and doubt that they have little left to think of it constructively. To maximize benefits from change, top management must minimize the perceived th reats from change. Many times a lot of the apprehensions may actually be baseless, hence addressing them at the top level means credibly putting unwarranted fears to rest, thereby averting precious loss due to stress and mental anxiety.

So, we spoke of the top management's responsibility in vision sharing, developing collective responsibility, managing credibility, erasing out meaningless apprehensions, setting goals, defining targets and leading by example, but there's still something we haven't spoken about. Listen, because this is important....

Now consider: How fast did you dismiss the last four words in the preceding paragraph, expecting to stumble upon a great management secret in the next?

Doused expectations apart, the simplest fact that the top management needs to understand about communicating change is that it is IMPORTANT to LISTEN. Just like most of us would miss the message in those four words, hoping for something greater to follow, the manag ement often skips attention to employee concerns, preferring to advocate rather than to listen. Often, employee concerns can raise relevant issues, which need inclusion in your change Management Plan. Top Management Teams need to take care, that communication between them and the organisation, is held as interactive sessions, rather than imposing one way talks. Do not rush to explain how great the change is going to be or offer examples of how people survived earlier changes and how they were expected to do the same again. Rather, acknowledge that change is difficult and that every concern is worthy of attention. Be firm on the agenda, but sensitive to the concerns. From there, the secret of effective communication lies in attentive listening, for only when you listen can you respond appropriately. Only when you respond appropriately can you address your people's concerns effectively, and only by doing that can you minimize perceived threats from change, and maximize product ive efforts towards change. So, take time out, listen and attend to the employees' individual, special needs or issues, while handling change.

Rather than advocating that a certain "new system of working" is better than the "old system of working", Top Management could try the "thesis-antithesis-synthesis" method to communicate change. "Thesis-Antithesis-Synthesis" is a philosophy, commonly associated with the 19th century German thinker, G.W.F. Hegel, who contended that historical evolution is the outcome of conflicting opposites. Simply put, thesis is a statement. Antithesis is the counter statement. Obviously the thesis and the antithesis are contradictory or opposed to each other. The synthesis implies resolving this conflict by offering a solution at a higher level, by combining the positive elements of both the thesis and the antithesis. The synthesis then forms a new thesis, which, in time, encounters an antithesis, and is resolved at the next higher level throu gh another synthesis. This philosophy is often used to explain Hegel's dialectic on the process of historical evolution.

How can it be applied to organizational change? In our context, let us take the current situation as the thesis. So, the new system or the ideal situation is the antithesis. Now, if you try to impose that the new system is better than the old because of a, b, c, d, e reasons, you pose a challenge that is most likely to be resisted. No one wants to think that they are operating in a sham system, which is no longer capable of working. Instead, try striking a "synthesis" between the current and the ideal situation. Communicate the positives in the current system and the desirables from the ideal system. Suggest that the change will bring about a synthesis between the two, for better functioning. This way, you promote the change, without devaluing the current way of working. Psychologically, this has a positive impact on the way people react to the idea of change.

Moving ahead, the top management need also ensure that work processes, performance systems, training programs, job descriptions etc. that form or support the framework within which employees work, are aligned to the change objective and complement each other.

While, in general, change calls upon identifying the different business units involved and delegating work to them, through able team leaders, the top management needs to chart out a macro plan. Having identified the tasks involved in achieving change and the time frame available to complete those tasks, top management must map a critical path of all tasks, wherein they have a clear picture of which task has to be completed by when, which task follows which, and how are different task areas tied to each other. This helps achieve synchronization of work efforts, without which the desired change can never be achieved. From there, the team leaders can take on the responsibility of guiding their respe ctive teams to achieve the set targets within the defined time to accomplish change.

Various studies in the area have shown that it is a better approach for top management to work its way through the existing culture than trying to change it, all of a sudden. This can be done through a shared vision and a buy-in of managers operating at the lower levels of hierarchy. Generating an interest among them and the employees they supervise means pulling in precious energy for your project. For, the real work needed to implement your plans happens here. Once they are committed to their roles in achieving Change, the project can pick up considerable speed. However, while the management adopts such an employee oriented approach, it must also ensure that those not committed to their roles be mentored or shown the door.

Research has shown that many companies, for instance, Navistar International Corporation, who spectacularly accomplished change, did so, not by engaging exte rnal consultants, but by having their top management study the organisational context, company history, standard operating procedures and then building improvement teams to drive change wherever required. Thus, these results sufficiently testify to the importance of the Top Management Teams' role in handling organizational change.

MANAGING CHANGE SUCCESSFULLY - HOW CAN CEO'S ACHIEVE THIS?

In a survey conducted by the American Productivity and Quality Centre, researchers indicated that since change is almost always met by resistance, there arises the need for a champion to drive change across the organisation. Further the more powerful and visible the champion is, the more successful the change project tends to be. In this direction, the research concluded that the leader of the organisation, most often the CEO is often the most effective communicator of the vision and the necessity of change across the organisation. In fact, change projects in mo st of the best practice organisations were found to be spearheaded, planned and managed by the CEO of the Company. Often, it is not enough for the CEO to just communicate the vision to the workforce. In order to ensure that vision successfully translates into reality, the CEO must also play a major role in planning and implementing the change process. The active involvement of the CEO in the project underlines the significance of the same, thus ensuring organisation wide support and commitment.

The CEO perspective Often times, change is viewed as an objectively measurable output. It could be a surge in sales figures, a new business unit or a process reengineering. However, what some CEO's may miss is the transition phase. Till the output becomes visible and operating, the impression could be that the change effort has been unsuccessful or worst not achieved. Fact is, the transition phase, which precedes the phase where change results become visible is not only the toug hest phase, but is also the phase where the maximum change effort is required. This is a time, when people are adapting to the new situation, adjusting themselves into new found responsibilities, and sometimes operating both old and new systems simultaneously. While this phase may not show any visible output, this is the phase where the maximum change is actually taking place. The CEO needs to empathize with his employees during this phase rather than worry about the observable result. The only hurdle that they may face is there are no limits to how long a transition phase will last before the change finally sets in and becomes visible.

Another hurdle for the CEO is to effectively handle pressure situations, wherein the Board may want to see how the change has affected a return on investment too soon. This disregards the fact that a Change is always gradual and can eventually lead to a regression.

A third challenge, which is quite inconspicuous, is that the CEO o ften runs a shorter transition cycle than the middle management, and hence is actually not as "connected" to the middle management as he may feel. The reason is that, for him, the change is often signified by the accomplishment of a strategic objective, whereas for the middle management, the actual change impact sets in after the objective has been achieved and a new set of circumstances established. For it is the middle management that has to deal with this change on a daily basis, slowly regularising the change to make it a part of the system. That requires time. Hence, a longer transition phase. This disconnect, between the CEO and the middle management in a change scenario can pose a challenge to the CEO.

Percy Dastur is the founder of a global multi-discipline business consultancy based in Canada, with a focus to provide critical learning resources to help corporate professionals understand how to effectively create strategies to handle change at various levels en abling organizations to innovate. Percy is a widely respected academic having lectured thousands of senior corporate professionals in various subjects of Business Management. Percy is the author of two books, "The Art of Change Management - Implementing Change from the Top", a bestseller, offering an indepth understanding of how top management can steer organizations through the demands of changing economic environment and "Disruptive Innovation - what every business leader should know" another potential bestseller which uncomplicatedly answers every question that senior management and executive leadership of any company might have on Disruptive Innovation - one of the most powerful tools that can aid businesses in meeting their strategic objectives.

http://www.percydastur.com/

change management - source: via web

How To Encourage Behaviour Change In The Workplace

How To Encourage Behaviour Change In The Workplace

change management process change management plan

I have seen and experienced, as have you I'm sure, so many change efforts that have failed to live up to expectations. It doesn't seem to matter if the change is mall or large or whether it takes three months or a year to implement. Why?

Well I imagine there are many reason a change may not be sustainable - poor implementation plan; ineffective project management; lack of vision and belief that the change was a good thing; leadership detached from the change; This list could go on and on. I'm sure you have plenty of other reasons you could add as well.

Even if all of these things were addressed do you think the change would be sustainable? Maybe, but I'd suggest that more often then not it would still fail because behaviours that need to be changed and the new behaviours that need to be supported are overlooked.

Some times it's hard to recognise the behaviours that need to change so it's important to take the time to look at this. Ask yourself what behav iour is driving the current results? What new behaviour do you need to deliver new and better results?

Examine behaviours around - The way you make decisions (Top down? Consensus? Veto?); The way you respond to customer requests (With intent to understand? With intent to resolve? With intent to protect the company?); The way you handle things when they don't go according to plan (Blame? Shame? Point fingers? Learning experience?); The way you create strategy; How disciplined you are at sticking to plans or strategy (Change frequently? Consistent? Inconsistent? Flexible?); The way you communicate; The way you engage people in problem solving; etc.

Once you are clear on the behaviours that need to change and the new behaviours you want you can begin to plan ways to support the changes needed.

So what can you do to change behaviour?

- Demonstrate the behaviour you want to see at every opportunity
- Communicate the behaviour needed and it's importance
- Look for examples of the behaviours you want in performance reviews, promotion opportunities and when hiring people into the company
- Reward the desired behaviour e.g. if you want to encourage employees to look for opportunities to make changes in their work then you could create a 'Change Agent of the Year' award or cite examples in all employee meetings etc.
- If necessary change policy, procedures and even structure to support the new behaviour

There are many other things you can do to make changes in behaviour, the important thing is that people are aware of what needs to change, what the new behaviour looks like, that leadership is committed to it and that things are in place to support it.

Therese Wales is Managing Director of Up to You providing Leadership Coaching and Organizational Change Management Services. For your free excerpt 'Know your Outcome' the first step to creating lasting change go to http://www.up-to-you.com.au/CreatingLasti ngChange or Email admin@up-to-you.com.au for more information.

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Process Audit Approach: Planning of Product Realization

Process Audit Approach: Planning of Product Realization

change management process change management plan

Now that we have examined what to look for and what to ask for in the areas of documentation requirements, management commitment and provision of resources, it's time to move forward to the area of planning product realization. Processes required for product realization vary between organizations. Some internal processes can include product support, production planning, design and development, purchasing, marketing and sales, manufacturing, assembly, warehousing, delivery and maintenance. 9100 standards work to verify, validate, monitor, measure, inspect and test relevant processes for the underlying organization.

Project Management

Each organization audited will have unique project management plans, requiring a customized audit and advanced preparation. Some of the project management areas to examine include the management's plan, project organization, work breakdown structure as well as phasing and scheduling. In terms of project realization , be sure to examine technical performance controls, cost controls and schedule controls.

Risk Management

What should you look for with regard to risk management? Consider how product risk management activities are maintained. Examine how project phases are performed and updated. Evaluate how risk analyses are updated when products or parts are modified. And, consider how lessons learned from prior risk management activities are taken into account. The auditor's role in the area of risk management is to examine all risks that could potentially disrupt the business's operational processes, or end customer service. Once risks have been accurately identified, they must be communicated to relevant parties within the organization. And finally, following communication, risks must be monitored on an ongoing basis.

Configuration Management

Four primary areas should be examined during this portion of the audit, including:

P lanning Management- Look for the configuration management planning scope, planning timetables, and methods utilized.Identification- Examine the existence of serial number traces, how product configurations are communicated and identification methods for products.Change Controls- Objective evidence can include the configuration methods and any deviations as well as the system of the management's configuration.Status Accounting- Examples of objective evidence can include routing cards, production operations performed by the operators and forms showing data and any relevant changes that need to be recorded.

Control of Work Transfers

Work transfers include the entire lifecycle, not just product production. Both permanent and temporary transfers should be examined. And, moves between suppliers and organizations should be included in this portion of the audit. When examining the control levels of work transfers, acceptable evidence can include identificati on of members of the transfer team and cross functional team, detailed task plans with noted milestones, identified risks, a review of the technical requirements and a verification of production processes.

For additional direction in structuring your audit, consider enrolling in AS9100 lead auditor training. Audit results will increase in efficiency and accuracy with proper preparation in the areas of what to ask and what to examine. Stay tuned for our next article in the Process Auditing series, Customer Related Processes.

Understanding how AS9100 Lead Auditor Training can benefit you and your company is paramount to success in today's global market. AS9100 Auditor Training can be effectively employed cost-effectively to give you and your business the edge. Visit our website to learn more, and thanks for reading.

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Control at Your Fingertips

Control at Your Fingertips

change management process change management plan

After a lifetime of working like a maniac, I am finally in a position to spend my summers in Nantucket and my winters in Palm Beach. Our headquarters are in Orlando, but I still check in numerous times a day. Even though I am not always physically there, I'm proud that my employees still complain they can feel me breathing down their necks. I can access everything I need to know about how my business is functioning on any given day or hour.

I make sure each department sends me a daily flash report that contains all the crucial details at a glance. A flash point is that critical nexus in a business where money can be made or lost. It's where the red flag shows up.

It's taken me years of building and adhering to a disciplined business plan to reach the point where I can run my business remotely. Fingertip control has been an essential tool in getting there.

Of course, you still have to be able to trust the people generating those flash reports. Owners need to audit their department heads periodically to make sure they are getting accurate information. Grill those who prepare the reports and get all the details on how they compiled the data. It takes obsessive compulsive commitment and dedication.

Most small business owners have little to no control over the details of their business operations. They have no idea where or how their most critical resources are being used, and inventory-based businesses are among the worst offenders.

We had a client a few years ago who supplied compressed gas to hospitals and clinics. Once their customers use up the oxygen or other compressed substances, they have to return the special steel canisters to our client for refilling. But no one, from the owner to the inventory manager, had a clue where those canisters were, or how many were off-site. Every year they were spending high six-figure sums on new canisters they wouldn't need if they had the proper inventory controls in place. The owner was abdicating responsibility by claiming inventory control was the job of the general manager.

As always, problems in the business were multiple, but lack of inventory control was the owner's most expensive mistake. It was also the easiest to correct. We put fingertip controls in place, with detailed computer tracking and the general manager at the helm. However, we made sure the owner knew that it was HIS responsibility to stay on top of it. Within months, his profit margin grew another eleven percentage points.

Willful ignorance of the details of an operation is a surefire recipe for its demise.

As the leading provider of implementation-based profit management and cash management services, the American Management Services' team of professional operating executives work directly with owners to implement the changes necessary to improve their businesses and promote business growth.
If you are looking to better your company's sales management, profit management or cash-flow management, American Management Services is more than just another business consulting company. We provide RESULTS NOT REPORTSâ„¢.

Visit our website for more information: http://www.amserv.com/
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The ORID Coaching Model Explained

The ORID Coaching Model Explained

change management process change management plan

The ORID model is revolutionary and is the next step in the evolution of communication. This coaching model is a coach's best friend because it identifies the correct process to enable the client to expand on their inner potential. Awareness and motivation are critical elements to seizing success in personal and professional encounters. We believe that there is no such thing as a dead-end and there is always a possibility to win when there is a present unstoppable will. Our clients overcome extreme adversity and we have the endurance to support against any odds. We implement strategic tools and logic to expand the field of view concerning all situations. The ORID provides a great system to improve communication between the coach and elite associate. Coaching skills such as active listening and powerful questions enable the professional coach to take this tool to a higher level and a lesser qualified coach would not be able to manage the above tool effectively.

The O RID diagram seems complex and difficult to interpret, but the following will explain the complicated terms in clearer detail. The O in ORID stands for observation which is code for understanding the background information concerning specific client situations. Background information is important for understand current and future situations. A qualified professional coach knows how to understand the content that is being communicated. There are hidden messages that a competent coach can pick up on and create awareness for their client. If done correctly, this feedback can be greatly influential in the client's life.

The R in ORID stands for reflective which concerns understanding the feelings and emotions associated with the background information. A skilled coach will move effortlessly between these two categories and can maneuver back and forth gathering background information mixed with the associated feelings. The ORID box is extremely important because it identifie s when discomfort is created - A lesser skilled coach will unknowingly create discomfort during the coaching process because they are unaware of the critical rules of communication. Trust is incredibly important when exploring feelings and emotions when supporting a client during this experience. Comfort and safety associated with privacy and confidentiality during the coaching process is essential in understanding all connected elements. True empathy is omnipotent in these situations and a born to be coach will posses this ability.

The I in ORID stands for Interpretive which concerns a full understanding of the previous two categories of O and R plus a focus on co-creating strategic solutions to improve current and future situations. A common mistake of inexperienced coaches is to cross the center and jump to decisions from feelings or from solutions back to background information. These jumps cause discomfort and skew the coaching relationship because mistrust is unc onsciously created. When the coach has safely guided their client to the solutions stage there is a synergy that is growingly powerful. The momentum to overcome obstacles is fierce and the client begins to establish new growth that leads to greater accomplishment. This stage provides a clear-minded platform for expert brainstorming that magnifies client abilities to think strategically from multiple perspectives. The coaching feedback during this stage is extremely beneficial for the client because it signals that they are on the right page and reinforces their motivation to succeed - Sounds great huh.

The D in ORID stands for Decisions and this is the fourth category that has the task of capturing the momentum of the previous three categories. This is the mental arena where the client puts the optimum solution into practice and owns the process. This firmly empowers the client to take action in their lives to improve their position by making decisions that are free of false underlying beliefs that create arresting emotions that inhibit appropriate action. The coach guides the process and the client controls the content - The coach empowers the client through the coaching process and the client embraces the opportunity to reach their ultimate potential. An ongoing coaching engagement provides a constant platform for the client to interact with a professional coach. This provides the ability to reflect on progress or various factors that limit progressive action. This is a time to gain a deeper understanding about issues, circumstances, decisions, beliefs, and to brag about reaching previously unrealized goals faster than could possibly be conceived. This experience is what professional coaches live for and witnessing the development of clients is the greatest gift that the coach could receive. If you are interested in getting started or restarted in a coaching engagement - Please visit http://milliondollarcoachingcompany.com/ to view the products and prices that we have available.

Keith Lawrence Miller "I specialize in Leadership Coaching & Consulting, Business Management - Executive & Career Coaching, Assessment Specialist (360 Multi-Rater Feedback, EQ-I, ESCI, Strengths-Based, DISCS, and much more)

Educational Background M.A. Candidate at Columbia University Leadership, Coaching, Change, & Consultation (Organizational Behavior: Social-Organizational Psychology) Emotional Intelligence, Cultural Intelligence, & Social Intelligence

We provide Certified Professional Action-based Coaching and Consultation services to Maximize Opportunity through Innovative Communication and Goal Setting by using Strategy in Leadership, Business, Career, and Life. Optimize your Strengths and Achieve Success in Less Time with a motivated Focus - Call 855-My-Pro-Coach - http://www.Coachonomics.com

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Leading Change Across Different Generations

Leading Change Across Different Generations

Regardless of what generation(s) you have in your organisation there are some things about leading change that are the same - Knowing the outcome you want; Understanding and creating compelling reasons for the change; Communication; Leadership who walks the talk; Paying attention not just to the work (systems, structure, processes etc.) but all the supporting elements that make change sustainable (rewards, decision-making, behaviour, information). How you go about all of this is will determine how successful you are at engaging your organisation in the change required.

Let's look at some interesting and important differences between the generations*. Baby boomers (late 40's and older) work ethic is all about building a career, they are the 'workaholics'. They value collaboration and participation. It's not just about engaging the mind you need to engage their heart as well. They are motivated by th e contribution they make and their career development. To effectively lead them is to be authentic and provide recognition.

Gen 'X' (early 30's to mid 40's) employees like work-life balance. They value achievement, thrive on change and being entrepreneurial. They are motivated by continual learning and development; flexible work arrangements and believe that extra results should equal extra pay. To lead them is to involve and empower them.

The millennials must learn and be kept interested. They value inclusiveness, consensus building and optimism. They are motivated by the meaning of work, lifelong learning, a chance to contribute and to move up the ladder. To lead them is to engage them in decisions and to use people skills.

What does all this great information tell us about leading change across different generations? That one size does not fit all! It means we need to put more effort into matching these different needs in communicating change, engaging t he organisation in the change and empowering them to be part of the change. Perhaps it's not more effort but rather more focused effort e.g. instead of repeating the same message and having more of the same types of meetings in an effort to engage it means having potentially different ways of delivering the message and maybe even different highlights that you share.

Leadership today requires more behavioural flexibility then ever before to be successful. Leaders need to know and understand not only the differences between generations but also the different ways employees learn; are motivated; work; and communicate. Then they need to be able to match that (when appropriate).

Successful change begins with a great vision that employees can associate with and believe in. It's followed by really compelling reasons they should be part of (or lead) the change from both a business and personal perspective. Then it's about communicating the right messages to the right aud ience at the right time (and continuously). That's how it starts. Taking into consideration the different generations you have in your organisation while doing this sets things up nicely.

Knowing what you know, what will you do differently?

*Source: The Heart of Coaching by Thomas C. Crane

Conventional change management suggests addressing behavioural and attitudinal changes by putting in place four basic conditions will improve success rates: a) a compelling story, b) role modelling, c) reinforcement systems, and d) the skills required for change. Statistics based on this are low, why aren't they better? Where do you start? The contents of Change, It's Up To YOU - A Leader's Guide to Creating Lasting Organisational Change will show and support you in successfully implementing the "change" you need!

This book will change the way you think about change
http://www.palmerhiggsbooks.com.au/change-it-s-up-to-you-ebook.html

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Effective Change Management: Five Critical Steps

Effective Change Management: Five Critical Steps

change management process change management plan

You wouldn't blink if someone told you they needed to do a better job managing their company's "budgeting" process or "manufacturing" process or "new-product-development" process, would you? But managing a "change process"? Sounds like "consultant-speak," right? Wrong.

Given the need to make a significant change in your business, especially one that will affect people and/or require their involvement and commitment to be successful, you really need to think of change as a process, too. Fact is, time-honored principles and practices of so-called "change management" do exist. And they can mean the difference between a change effort that improves your business and fires people up and one that bogs you down, fails to achieve its objectives and damages your company's morale to boot.

So, let's look at these principles, these "steps," in effectively managing change, one by one.

Step One: The Status Quo Is Not an Option

First, as a leader , you need to demonstrate to all who need to get behind the change, that the status quo is unsustainable. Ironically, this is easier when there's a crisis at hand than when only you and a few other leaders see the rationale for change. But if you're the first one to see that you have a quality problem or that a key product line needs to be significantly modified to suit the tastes of a rapidly changing market, then you need to marshal the right facts and arguments to make your case. This is a must. You can't escape it. But that alone isn't enough.

Step Two: Create Compelling Vision of the Future

Along with the first step, you need to create in the minds of those you want to enlist a very compelling picture - a vision - of how much better it's going to be once you succeed in making this change. In other words, you need to give people something to change for. So, the upside of fixing the quality problem or effectively up-grading the key product lin e is the integrity involved in adhering to your heritage of quality and the excitement of winning in the marketplace through constant innovation. And so on.

Step Three: Build a Change Coalition

So far, you've established that "business-as-usual" is not an option, and you've dramatized the new and better state that the required change will lead to. Now you need to get some help. You need to establish a coalition, or team, of folks who buy your rationale for change and agree to lead it with you. This is not always easy. Executives can sometimes look at the same data and come to different conclusions, and the pages of the business press are full stories about executives who have parted ways over disagreement on business strategy.

Be that as it may, however, your job as a change agent is to win over a "coalition" to help you move your change program forward. This heightens the critical importance of building your case solidly in steps one and t wo.

If you are a CEO, your coalition would typically be drawn first from your leadership team. But don't forget to look more broadly to thought-leaders, key influencers and subject experts elsewhere in the company. If you have a quality problem, support from your plant manager will be key. And key influencers within marketing and product development will need to be on board if you're going to successfully update that major product line.

Step Four: Mobilize Commitment

With a solid case for change and a strong core team beside you to help lead it, you're now ready to go out and enlist more broad organizational support. And this is best done, not just through formal authority or "top-down," so to speak. True, you need to make the case, and you and your team need to "get the ball rolling." But if this change is going to be successful, it's going to need more arms and legs than you and your core team could ever supply alone.

So you need to provide opportunities for a broad range of individuals to actually get "in the trenches" with you to make change happen. You also need to structure this involvement to ensure that, pretty quickly, they can achieve some small "wins" that indicate success and motivate them to continue to move this new change program forward.

The guiding principle behind this kind of approach is that people on the front lines know their jobs better than you do. So if you're an appliance maker, and your quality problem is "too many dents in new refrigerators," your fork-lift drivers are probably better equipped to help you solve that problem than your VP of marketing. So involve them, and let them tell you, specifically, how the work they do needs to be changed to improve product quality. Once they do and you approve, you have just turbo-charged your change program with the strongest force there is: personal ownership through meaningful involvement.

Step Five: Cheerlead

Once these early "wins" start to happen, you need to cheerlead as if the change depended upon it - because it does! You need to celebrate and praise what's being done that's helping to "move the needle" and identify and discourage what isn't. Use every opportunity - chance face-to-face meetings, formal speeches, internal newsletters and other company communications channels, etc., etc. - to reinforce the kind of behavior that supports your change program.

One last point: it's usually best if you orchestrate and plan all of this beforehand, not make it up as you go along. Just follow the five-step framework above and at least think it through in broad strokes before you start. That's what we mean by managing change vs. letting change manage you!

by

Ray Gagnon

Gagnon Associates

Management and Organizational Consulting

Ray Gagnon is Principal of Gagnon Associates, a management and organizational consulting firm located in Metro-West Boston, Massachusetts, USA. The firm helps clients - local and global, large and small - achieve improved business results more quickly and efficiently by accelerating the pace of positive change in their companies. Its service offerings include: Change Management, Organizational Assessment, Strategic Planning, GEWork-Out, Business Process Improvement, and Executive Coaching. Gagnon Associates has consulted globally to such enterprises as GE, IBM, Philips, Novartis and Polo Ralph Lauren and locally to such clients as Weston & Sampson, Yellow Freight, and The Orvis Company, Inc. For more about Gagnon Associates and its service offerings, as well as detailed client case studies and testimonials, please visit http://www.thinkgagnonassociates.com/. Or contact us by phone or email: 978 635 9836 or rgagnon@ThinkGagnonAssociates.com

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Change-Management Misconceptions

Change-Management Misconceptions

change management process change management plan

Change management is a common concept for most organizations. In fact, it's fairly essential considering our fast-paced world will pass an average bystander in a millisecond. Businesses, managers and employees that tend to stand ahead of the crowd and stay ahead of the game are those that seem to master the concept of change management.

Before I get going on my main point, let me briefly define change management. Simply put, it's the framework for taking an individual, a team, or an entire organization from its current position to a more desirable future position. The goal of change management is really to minimize the negative effects for those enduring the transition. Obviously, the reason why that's the goal is because if the negative effects are greater than the benefits one believes exist at "the end of the tunnel," then more than likely, the change-management efforts will get stopped dead in the their tracks. In order for change to take place, the individual, team and organization have to somehow, someway, believe that making the change is WORTH embracing anything that gets in the way in the meantime.

Now, there are many beliefs about change management. One common ideology is the belief that the best way to get people to change is to create a sense of urgency. Another very common concept that's been used in this realm is the term "the burning platform," which was coined by Daryl Conner. But, the thing is that there's a massive misunderstanding (in my opinion) when it comes to these ideas. We hear "urgency" and "burning platform" - and our mind immediately jumps to "JUMP!" I mean, let's imagine ourselves on an actual burning platform, I'm sure we'd feel a sense of urgency to get ourselves off the platform (at whatever cost, whether we can swim or not, and whether it looks like we'll live or not). In that moment, what might we feel? FEAR. PANIC. ALARM. How about LIFE OR DEATH? I think so. Well, that's the pro blem. "Urgency" and "burning platform" don't need to mean (and maybe were never meant to mean) "scare the pants off your people, so that they do whatever you tell them to do." No, no, no. I think we have it all wrong.

Recently, I watched a wonderful explanation by Daryl Conner about what he intended to mean by the "burning platform," and I was ecstatic to see we're on the same page. As you'll see if you watch this video here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KwRB0sHpN9E it's more about courage and commitment.

I'll illustrate my point with an image. You are the captain of a plane (the manager of your team). You want them all to learn how to skydive well (collaborate, use their resources, make cautious, but courageous decisions, land successfully, etc.), so you put everyone in your plane, and head for the heavens. At 14,000 feet, you tell your passengers, "alright...I'm about to open the door. I'm going to give you five seconds to jump. After six seconds, I'm skydivin g out of this plane, and you're left to fly yourself home if you don't jump."

Now, if we had misinterpreted "the burning platform" concept, we probably wouldn't have taken into consideration the following:

Did we teach them how to put on their parachute pack?Did we educate them on how long they should expect to free fall before activating the parachute?Did we give them lessons on how to handle high winds?Did we instruct them how to turn & twist, in the case they need to adjust where they land?Did we walk them through what to do in the case of an emergency if their parachute doesn't activate?And lastly, did we help them practice their landing, in order to avoid injury?

If we had properly understood the concept, we would have shown our team how to make the jump. And the only way we could have trained them through each of the steps, is if we had actually gone through the process ourselves. That's the secret of good change-management managers...they don't scare their teams into something they've never considered enduring themselves. Instead, they venture into the foreign territory first. They check it out. And then, they share that experience with their team, in a way that properly prepares the team members to head in the direction of change. Not that the manager needs to know everything, but they need to at least understand what they are asking their team members to do.

Ignorance Is NOT Inspiring.

It takes courage to jump out of a plane. It's plain stupid to ask others to do it without preparing them. The best way for a manager to execute proper change-management practices within their team, is for the manager to courageously jump first. If a manager doesn't help his team handle the transition toward change, once his team gets started, how does he possibly expect them to survive the skydive?

Doug C. Watsabaugh, senior partner at WCW Partners, understands how to meet your unique perform ance challenges. With more than 20 years of experience, WCW Partners is a performance-improvement company that helps businesses revitalize their results and achieve record-breaking performance.

If you are looking to excel in sales, service or leadership, let Doug develop the capability in you! http://wcwpartners.com/.

If you're hoping for more change-management insights, check out WCW's blog now.
http://wcwpartners.com/our-blog/

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2012 - The Year to Look Towards Business Transformation?

2012 - The Year to Look Towards Business Transformation?

European leaders have warned of a difficult year ahead, as many economists predict recession in 2012... so the BBC reports. They go on to say that growth in Europe has stalled as the debt crisis has forced governments to slash spending. The leaders' New Year messages came as leading economists polled by the BBC said they expected a return to recession in Europe in the first half of 2012.

However, it doesn't have to be all doom and gloom.

Whilst the inevitable chaos caused by recession has a tendency to push organisations into retreat this is not always the case. Did you know that iconic companies like:

Disney, CNN, MTV, Hyatt, Burger King, FedEx, Microsoft, Apple, Gillette, AT&T, Texas Instruments, 20th Century Fox, IBM, Merck, Hersheys, IHOP, Eli Lilly, Coors, Bristol-Meyers, Sun, Amgen, The Jim Henderson Company, LexiNexis, Autodesk, Adobe, Symantec, Electronic Arts, Fort une, GE, and Hewlett-Packard

were all founded during periods of economic recession.

One definition of chaos suggests that it is the uncertainty sparked by uncharted territory, economic recession, and bubbles of opportunity. We seem to phase in and out of this chaotic state... a state of randomness and disorder. The ebb and flow happens in an almost natural way, almost mimicking what occurs in the natural world. This system of natural governance that blends the characteristics of chaos and order is known as the chaordic state.

The good news is that we can use the significant power of these chaordic forces to help with generating revenue and growth, so important for our future economic survival.

One such way could be to embark upon a business transformation programme, another might be to merge with or acquire another company. All of these require change... something that we have to accept is a permanent feature of the world in which we all live.

S o what is business transformation - well, it's all about aligning people, process and technology to achieve some previously agreed significant change. These three areas also feature as being important when considering an integrated approach to the associated areas of governance, risk and compliance within an organisation.

Our Business Transformation Consultant comments on the importance of making sure your desired significant change is relevant and appropriate ie is your business strategy "fit-for-purpose" and correctly aligned with what is going on in at the operational level? It could be that in order to achieve your strategic objectives you need to merge with and/or acquire another company... or it could be that organic growth is what is needed.

The conclusions from a recent Economist Intelligence Unit report on business transformation highlighted that the ability to manage change effectively is a great competitive advantage. It goes on to make the point that external crises such as what we are experiencing at present help to drive change in organisation and provide a "burning platform" for change, but emphasises the importance of the people-related challenges.

Several years ago, an earlier white paper from our own consultancy promoted the benefits of using a ten-step approach for generating prosperity from the deteriorating economic conditions at that time. It is encouraging to see that recently, the Kepner-Tregoe consultancy has been recommending a similar approach in their paper about coping with uncertainty in the business environment. The key message from both approaches is the importance of developing a clear business strategy and then maintaining strategic directions and integrity when times get tough.

Working with an experienced Business Transformation Consultant will enable you to take advantage of well-proven, tools and techniques to help you survive and prosper from the continuing economic uncertainty.

< P>Ben Austin is a trained copywriter and employee of Internet Marketing Ltd, SEO Specialists and Web Designers in Leeds. Ben writes insightful articles on behalf of clients across all industry sectors. This article has been written for Chaordic Solutions, the owner of which being a specialist Business Transformation Consultant.

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Four Basic Conditions That Will Improve the Success Rate of Change

Four Basic Conditions That Will Improve the Success Rate of Change

change management process change management plan

Conventional change management suggests addressing these behavioural and attitudinal changes by putting in place four basic conditions:
a) a compelling story,
b) role modelling,
c) reinforcement systems, and
d) the skills required for change.

So why aren't the statistics better? Where do you start?

Let's look at these four conditions to see what you can do to increase the rate of success.

a) A compelling story. Usually when we make changes, especially large-scale changes, there are compelling reasons. These reasons could be because of competition, to comply with some law or regulation, to increase efficiency and reduce costs, to improve customer service etc. All of the reasons you might have are likely critical to improve the short and long-term success of the business. The thing is, most employees need more than that to support and embrace the changes. They want to know what is in it for them (WIIFT)! If they go through the change, endur e the stress and the impact on their workload or future they want to know what they will get out of it.

So, the question to ask when you put your compelling story together is 'what's in it for employees?' Perhaps it's simplification, less rework, better career prospects, learning new skills, better data, more flexibility, smoother interface with customers, etc. Whatever it is, it has to be something that interests them and even compels them to want to change.

b) Role Modelling. This is critical, so much of what employees believe to be true about leadership, change, expectations etc. comes from what the leader says and does, or what is not said or done. If words and actions are not congruent then we don't have credibility. You need to demonstrate the behaviours you want, work with the new systems and processes, make decisions consistent with the change/future, continually link the change to the vision (and WIIFT).

c) Reinforcement systems. Often when there i s large-scale change the focus is on the new system, the new process, the new structure etc. If you want the change to stick though it's import to review the reinforcement systems. Do role descriptions need to change? Measures and KPI's for performance reviews? Hiring and orientation processes? The way people are paid? Do you need to put in place new awards or other recognition programs to support the change (or remove ones that support the 'old' way)? How about workflows or even policies and procedures? Believe it or not getting these reinforcements systems up to date and supporting the changes will go a long way to creating lasting change.

d) Skills required for change. There is nothing more frustrating for an employee or that increases resistance to change than not being enabled to support the change. Depending on the type of changes made you might need to do a skills gap analysis and then train people on the new skills and capabilities needed to perform and succeed . Education on new systems, the impact and what will change for each individual will be needed. You might even need to help people understand how they can embrace and even lead change going forward.

Therese Wales is Managing Director of Up to You providing Leadership Coaching and Organizational Change Management Services.

Want to start making a change right now? Request a no obligation, FREE 45 minute strategy session valued at $300 http://www.up-to-you.com.au/whatsup or Email admin@up-to-you.com.au for more information.

Prefer to get to know me and my work better first? Try this http://www.palmerhiggsbooks.com.au/change-it-s-up-to-you-ebook.html

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The Unwritten Rules: A Source of Conflict in Families and Organizations

The Unwritten Rules: A Source of Conflict in Families and Organizations

change management process change management plan

Have you ever had an experience at work or in your family life where your behavior was influenced by the unwritten rules? For example, perhaps there is an unwritten rule that you do not talk about the declining sales in the department meetings. Or perhaps you have an unwritten rule in your family where your do not talk about anything relating to your father's diabetes and his diet. My guess is that you have experienced unwritten rules before in many group settings. All organizations and families have unwritten rules that regulate your behavior. Many times these rules go consciously unnoticed, but they can account for many of the decisions and actions within an organization.

Unwritten rules or "latent rules" as I like to call them, make up a powerful, invisible force that moves through the lives of all the members of an organization. They are the unwritten rules that govern the freedom, values, speech and behavior of the organizations members. They can create a posit ive and strong dynamic culture. Such latent rules as "we are free to talk about our feelings", "we welcome new experiences", or "you are expected to be honest" can go a long way in making our families and organizations strong. If your latent rules are positive, they can promote a dynamic environment that promotes growth, creativity and productivity. Good latent rules allow organization members to thrive and be happy.

But what happens when our latent rules are poor? Poor rules can hinder growth, opportunity, and cause conflict and pain within an organization. They can damage relationships, and create a high cost in time and money. As a mediator I have seen conflict escalate, and relationships damaged because of poor latent rules. Damaging rules can be subtle and harm individuals and groups without being recognized as the culprit for their pain. Many of my clients are surprised to discover that some of these rules exist and the influence that they have over their organiz ation.

Poor latent rules cause great barriers in the growth of organizations. What happens for example if an office does not talk about the declining sales? Or a family never talks about money openly or Dad's diet? These unwritten rules create a rigid system that can hinder the group's success. Generally these latent rules are never brought up and discussed openly; therefore they are never challenged and become detrimental in the growth and success of the group. Ultimately poor latent rules leave the group's members to interoperate and guess on how to respond and work under them. This potentially causes a source of conflict, confusion, anxiety, and inappropriate actions within an organization because of the unclear and murky rules.

So the question is how do we address latent rules? The reality is that no matter what we do, these rules will always exist. Therefore the best thing that an organization can do is to acknowledge them. Be aware that as a member of a gro up there are rules that you are not aware of. Awareness alone will help overcome the barriers that these rules can create. We cannot address or challenge our unwritten rules if we do not acknowledge their existence.

Another strategy is to take time to examine and discover these rules. Try to determine if these rules are good or poor. Do they foster an open organization that promotes growth, and healthy productiveness, or do they foster a closed ridged organization that is fearful, and anxious?

Additionally, ask yourself what is your role in fostering unwritten rules. In many corporate settings, these rules seem to be made and influenced heavily by management. So ask yourself, if there are any unwritten rules that you unintentionally project toward your employees? Are there any unwritten rules about communication that exist? Do your actions create standards, and latent rules that are being enforced in the group? Being conscious about how your behavior can affect h ow others work with or for you can help to create a strong environment.

Finally, take the time to consciously create latent rules that work for the organization. Our attitudes, openness, speech, and behaviors can help create new latent rules that can foster strength. Examine yourself and the image that you are portraying. What kind of shadow are you casting down upon others? Does your behavior and speech reflect your open door policy? Does it reflect a safe place for your employees and foster creativity, and action? Many times company values are created to foster and measure some of the unwritten rules. They create a space to examine them, and to make them more visible.

Being conscience about latent rules will help you identify them as they manifest. It will give you an opportunity to address them in an honest way. Sometimes talking about latent rules can be painful, and create a picture about ourselves that we may not like, but it will move you toward a path of change. Many times when I am called into a conflict situation, we spend a lot of time discovering the latent rules, and fostering an open dialogue regarding them. This always brings them into the light and allows everyone to address them and the barriers and conflict that they create. Awareness and being conscious of your sphere of influence will help create latent rules that will create strength and growth within your organization.

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A LEAN Approach in Healthcare

A LEAN Approach in Healthcare

An Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI) Innovation Series white paper (2005), Going Lean in Healthcare, spells out how the principles of Lean management or thinking can and do apply to healthcare. The paper includes examples from Seattle's Virginia Mason Medical Center and northeast Wisconsin's ThedaCare, Inc.

The paper provides a brief summary of what Lean thinking or management is and where it came from. It looks at the value stream mapping approach and emphasizes how important it is to maintain our focus on the patient - the patient who defines value in our system.

Given that this paper was released in 2005, why has healthcare not embraced Lean thinking more extensively?

The paper addresses one major impediment - skepticism in the form of "we are not making automobiles, this is healthcare." While I also believe this is an important point, I see more to our reluctance than skepticism. I believe that it is also a complex combination of "lacks" - lack of consistent leadership, lack of time, lack of money, and lack of a compelling reason to change. As long as we think we are doing an adequate job of providing service as measured against our peers, we have little motivation to make a change. And change is hard.

Yet, if we will take a look at the potential benefits of Lean thinking - improved flow, reduced costs, decreased adverse event rates, improved patient satisfaction, etc. - it makes a move to Lean practices one of the most critical steps any healthcare organization can take.

One additional reason for not jumping into Lean may be the name; Lean. While we may want to be lean ourselves, for the organization we work in we seem to prefer Fat; fat in all ways, so we think we are safer or protected in some way. We want fat or extra supplies, and the same with people ready when we need them. All of this leads to excess in our systems and processes tha t do not add value, value in the only terms that matter, those of the patient. Lean thinking turns this around by looking at our systems or processes with the patient answering the question: Does this add value? So while the system and processes become leaner, it is not just to satisfy a financial goal; it is to satisfy a patient goal. It is very Patient Centered - a goal we can all support by whatever we call it. Lean Thinking, Lean Management, or Lean Patient Centered.

Link to IHI article: http://www.ihi.org/knowledge/Pages/IHIWhitePapers/GoingLeaninHealthCare.aspx

Fritz M. Brunner, Ph.D. is an organizational effectiveness consultant engaged in working with organizations wanting to excel. Please contact him with your feedback at dr.fritzmb@gmail.com.

change management - source: via web

Open Up the Lines of Communication

Open Up the Lines of Communication

change management process change management plan

Many times, bad communication comes from the person or department that's just too embarrassed to ask for the help that they need. And instead of stopping and letting the men and women know that could help them, a supplier, vendor or another department, they wait. And when they wait, time goes by and the challenge grows and the time wasted becomes too large to ignore and all of the sudden, the issue that should have been a quick fix is under the scrutiny of higher ups.

Yes, the challenge always escalates and is magnified when management is brought into the picture. Is easy to see why it does this, but it's difficult to know why it became this way. You can not know the motivating factors of why the situation was left to get out of hand. But now that management is involved, you can bet that the blame is going to be shifted around, pushed down the line to the person or department that is least responsible for the mess.

Many times, this breakdown in communication c ould have been easily avoided. But because it was either ignored or was blatantly disregarded, it has become somebody else's problem. Many times, the reason these things happen is because along with a lack of communication, there seems to be a lack of taking responsibility. Whether this comes from a organization culture of lack of accountability or a deep fear of losing one's job, or because management makes it clear that everybody should be afraid of their job, the effect is the same.

Something goes wrong and nobody is able to explain why it went wrong and the blame is shifted around until it sticks on somebody. And maybe that somebody had nothing to do with the problem or was never even informed that there was a problem in the first place. But it does not matter, they are at the end of the line and the buck has to stop somewhere.

Where the buck stops is dependent on how long the situation was allowed to fester and grow behind the scenes and who is quickest to s hift the blame to somebody else. Regardless, wasting time and effort, and in turn money, on problems that could have been avoided with a little bit of clear communication, is a waste that's uncalled for and is an even bigger waste because it could have been completely avoided.

six sigma training can help you be a more efficient manager. Do your best for yourself and your company with six sigma. To learn more log onto stupidcupid.org.

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Become a Champion of Change

Become a Champion of Change

change management process change management plan

The most well-known distinction between a manager and a leader is found in the fact that managers are great at maintaining direction or managing processes, whilst leaders are able to influence people and move an organization in a new direction. Managers are thus able to steer the ship, whilst leaders are able to plot the course. These constantly changing times we now live in, have made managers redundant, any business, which wants to thrive and even survive, in the new age of constant and rapid change, must be filled with leaders, at every level in the organization.

Managers were able to manage systems and maintain the direction of businesses in the past. All business today need to be flexible and be able to rapidly change direction, so that they can work within the changing environment they face every day. Any business, which wants to still be around five years from now, needs a competent leader at the helm. In times of change, like we are facing right now, people always seek out more and better leaders. The leaders, who will thrive in this new environment and who will be the most sought after, understand the fact that any change, needed in their organization, must start with them first. Mahatma Gandhi said it so well when he said "We must be the change that we envision." and Tolstoy said, "Everyone thinks of changing the world, but no one thinks of changing himself."

If you are a leader, who wants to successfully lead your organization in these turbulent times, which I believe is the new norm, you must accept that all change starts and ends with you. If you want anything around you to change, you must change. When you are the example of the change you want and need in your organization, people will support you as the leader and introduce the change needed. No leader can change anyone else. The only person who can change himself or herself is himself or herself. I know this sounds really simplis tic and obvious, but too many leaders think that they can change the people in their organization. As a leader you are responsible to lead the people who follow you and positively influence them. You can never be responsible for them and the way they think, feel and just are.

No one can ever change anyone else, unless they want to change and they choose to make the change themselves. As a leader you are responsible for teaching the people in your team good leadership, for sharing things that can add value to their lives, guiding, growing and evolving them, but the people in your teams are the only ones, who can take responsibility to change themselves.

As a leader the best way to encourage the people around you to embrace change, is to stop hoping things will change and to lead the necessary change, by changing yourself first. Once the leader has embraced the necessary change, he or she must encourage people to see the importance of change and to lead them to sta rt the necessary change within themselves. You must encourage and show all the people in your teams that change is an inside job. Change is a door that opens from within.

When you as the leader can influence the people within your teams to start making the personal changes necessary, to support the changes in your environment and they understand that the change must start with them, you will have discovered a fantastic tool for managing and thriving in these new changing times. Change is the new normal and just the way things are today. When everyone in your team becomes a part of the solution in your organization and they are willing to make the personal changes needed, to thrive in these rapidly evolving and changing times. You have discovered the winning formula to play a winning game and you and your organization get to become a champion of change.

http://www.andrewhorton.co.za

Hi my name is Andrew Horton; I am an inspirational Speaker, Master Teacher, Radio and TV Host, Global Traveler and Author. My area of focus is in the field of human behavior, expanded awareness and enlightenment. I travel the planet constantly researching, learning and seeking ways to unlock the mysteries of the human mind. I delve into the inner workings of the universe, always looking for ways to understand my role in making things better and contributing to the improvement of the human experience. Please visit my website to sign up for a daily inspirational message, by following this link Daily Inspirational Message. This is your daily call to action, a reminder to do things better each day. Visit my website at http://www.andrewhorton.co.za/

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Business Pressure: How To Act Right Under Pressure

Business Pressure: How To Act Right Under Pressure

change management process change management plan

Relax. Everyone is trying their hardest to do their best in order to survive and thrive when under business pressure. Pressuring oneself on trivial matters will only create stress in your life.

Working under pressure will only make matters worse. Life is full of challenges and one of these is business pressure. The people that surrounds you, air that you breathe, things that comes your way, etcetera, etcetera. You need to learn how to deal with it.

There are ways to handle pressure from your business. First, you just have to learn how to retain control. When you are stressed over matters that demand some urgency, your ability to deal with the problem will be impinged on. What's more, your decision-making will also be affected. Your inability to check your emotional turmoil when faced with a problem won't make you an effective person. So, instead of focusing on those negative thoughts and feelings, replace and convert it to a certain level of energy necessary t o solve the dilemma at hand.

Secondly, before charging into some deeds, you must first appraise the issue. Scrutinize the subject matter. It is so easy to make a bad decision when you do not have enough time to think. Do not let this happen to you. Always assess the problem with a prudent mind and keen heart. Clear your thoughts and emotions. Never jump to conclusions. Always ask the right questions to avoid further business pressure.

This means take a time off. This does not mean take a one week vacation (although, if possible, it's better). Just don't decide right there and then, or don't give in to real bad emotion. Maybe go out and take a coffee or talk to someone who can help carry the pressure with you.

Lastly, make a plan. To avoid surprises and surmises brought about by business pressure, always think prospectively. Be organized. List all your back up plans to evade difficulty in times of tribulation. Impose self-rules. Be serious and strict in stic king to your plans. Nothing beats a good planner.

When faced with something that you need to deal with in the future to which you have set a plan for, put into writing everything that you see fit as a solution. This may be useful in creating your step by step plan for that particular issue that may arise in the future.

Do not fret under business pressure. Take note that some people do their best when working under pressure. Who knows? You might be one of them.

For more tips and tricks in improving your business, visit the Administrative Outsourcer Virtual Elves at http://www.virtualelves.com.au/

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6 Top Tips on How to Overcome Resistance to Change

6 Top Tips on How to Overcome Resistance to Change

In today's environment, people are experiencing change consistently on a daily basis both in their personal lives and workplace.

People have differing levels of just how much change they can cope with and we all know that change can be a stressful experience.

So if you were able to make change something to look forward to and even enjoyable, imagine how smoothly and effectively change could be implemented.

Change should be a transparent process

Involve employees in the change process from beginning to end. Employees should feel that they are participants and that their input is valued and important. If people feel that they are being listened to and supported, the more likely it is that they will embrace the change and support it.

Identify those employees who are most likely to embrace the change

Bring together a group of those employees whom you know to be generally innovative and open to change and who will most obviously benefit from the proposed change. Ensure that these employees are actively involved in whatever committees or change management processes take place. In this way you will achieve a positive influence infiltrating every arena of your business operation.

Spotlight the benefits

Shout from the rooftops about the benefits! Be clear and specific on what the benefits are and exactly how these benefits will advantage employees in their daily work.

Keep a persistent focus on the benefits. All your change communications should constantly reiterate the benefits. You can't oversell the benefits when it comes to change.

Don't hide the downside

With any change comes the likelihood that some employees may be disadvantaged with the change. Be totally transparent about the change. Mitigate against any disadvantages by focusing on th e benefits.

At the same time, identify any individuals who may be specifically disadvantaged and give them special attention. Do what you can to ensure they understand that the change is for the good of the majority and will bring many advantages to the organisation. Be creative in how you can get these individuals to support the change. If these people feel that their concerns are understood and that their contribution to the organisation is valued, you have a much better chance that they will accept the change even despite any individual negative impact.

Stay connected

Talk to as many employees as you can individually or at least in groups. Listen to their concerns and address these concerns as best you can. Sometimes you may discover that employees will propose solutions to change process problems that you had not considered. Make sure you allay any fears that are displayed.

Be passionate and enthusiastic

If your approach to the change process is positive and passionate then this enthusiastic influence will filter through to all your employees.

Don't be afraid of having fun with the change process. It should ideally be fun and exciting and not something to be afraid of.

Be innovative with implementing team activities and other initiatives to support the change process. Encourage the sharing of a sense of humour. People having fun in the workplace will guarantee mitigation against fear and stress. Arrange a treasure hunt or a fun run around the office. Whatever it takes - do it!

Remember that your employees are your most important asset.

For more information on innovative business Technical Writing, Training Materials Development, Resume Writing, Job Interview and Management Coaching, or Change Management Consulting, contact Romana Stratton, wordsmith and principal of Extreme Business, at http://www.extremebusiness.com.au/. Romana will be happy to pro vide a free half hour consultation to discuss how Extreme Business can help your business grow and achieve set goals!

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A Lesson in Change Management From Tony Robbins

A Lesson in Change Management From Tony Robbins

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I deal with change management on an ongoing basis and what never fails to amaze me is the inertia of some senior managers in front of severe problems the company is facing.

Even if the shares are plummeting, the press is slaughtering them for poor performance and the shareholders voice their concerns those senior managers seem to be paralysed.

I remember working with a client, a FTSE100 that was facing the brink of collapse, and observing with sense of dismay the senior management not showing any sign of reaction and the employees (whose length of service was on an average 20/25 years) spending their time complaining about the lack of bonuses. This was a company that just a few months earlier was awarding bonuses event to poor performers!

A few weeks ago I read a very interesting book called "Awaken The Giant Within" by Tony Robbins. It is not strictly a business book, but I found that plenty of the concepts elaborated by Robbins on personal change can b e applied to organisational change.

I am particularly fascinated by Robbins' view that in order to make change happen we have to look at the concept of pleasure and pain. Unless an individual experiences a massive amount of pain (that means reaches the pain threshold) that makes the him/her realise that they have to change and the change has to happen now, there would not be enough motivation to follow through.

Let's imagine someone who is overweight. S/he may think to go on a diet and starts what is usually called yo-yo dieting (starts, then stops, than starts again and then stops). Unless this individual reaches his/her pain threshold they will not have any motivation to change and to reach their ideal weight. Only if they get to the point where they feel consistently tired, their mobility is severely diminished, they feel lethargic all the time and depressed, develop diabetes and other illnesses their mind may go "enough is enough, I have to change now".

The pain has to come from the inside. Have you ever been in that position where your internal voice says "that's it. I have to change, now!"? If the change is only external (for example an increase of the price of food) change will not happen and most of all it will not last.

The level of pain the person is experiencing must be of such level that the fear of change, the fear of the unknown is minimised compared to the pleasure the person will experience. In the example of the individual overweight the immense pleasure could be being more energetic, depression disappearing, being able to move without restrictions and general well being.

A strong motivation for change in itself is not enough. The individual may decided that enough is enough, but after a few days going back to the old routine. Why doesn't change last? Because the person has not identified a powerful alternative, something that gave them the feeling they had sought by over eating. In other words the y have not identified the immense pleasure. Only if the level of pleasure is much more urgent and intense than the level of pain and only if the individual intensely believes that the pleasure that s/he will gain is much higher than the pain of his/her current situation the change will occur and be long lasting.

The theory elaborated by Tony Robbins is mirrored by John Kotter. In his bestselling book "Leading Change" Kotter highlights that one of the elements that lead to successful change is creating a sense of urgency. In my experience the reality of most companies in trouble reflects a sense of low priority. Unless the threat is really urgent and imminent, most of the executives are totally not reactive. And, going back to Robbins' theory, this is because their level of pain has not reached the threshold level (they still have a job, they spend most of their time doing what they have been doing for the past 20 years in the same company) and because they have not ide ntified a more powerful alternative.

What can a change manager do (in collaboration with authoritative decision makers in the company)? Create a sense of urgency: make the senior executives reach their pain threshold, making them face the reality and seriousness of the situation. And show them what the consequences will be for them: redundancy, loss of status, demotion, etc. The pain must be real and there must be a sense of urgency.

They have to feel the breath on their neck. It does not mean that you would have to create a sense of terror, this would be counterproductive.

You would have to make managers accountable for their destiny. In fact I would like to add to Kotter and Robbin's views that the pain must be personal. Unless the senior executive is going to experience a significant loss that affects him/her directly there may not be enough motivation to embrace change and maintain the momentum.

Isabella Brusati, LLB (Hons), LLM, FCIPD
Managing Director

Isabella Brusati Consulting
UK/International Employment Law and Human Resources
http://www.isabellabrusati.com/

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Coaching Change-Management

Coaching Change-Management

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If you have a coach or are a coach, it's likely that you are interested in initiating change somehow, someway. You see an opportunity in yourself or in someone else, and you want to make a difference. Now, if you're the one that's hoping to change, well then, for the most part, you're in control. Alternatively, if you're simply involved in someone else's process, your role is dependent on 5 things.

Their purpose for changing, and the priority they put on the process.Their interest in using you as a resource, and their level of respect for you.Their willingness to do the hard work that's inevitable & essential.Your ability to influence.Your patience for the process and the other person.

It's critical to consider these 5 factors because if you're helping someone else, you must recognize that it's not all about the other person (putting too much pressure on him/her) and it's not all about you (taking too much pride in yourself). At the same time, you must will ingly accept the fact that some people do not want your help. It's not your job to convince them to change.

If someone invites you into his/her process toward change, you inherently inherit responsibility. Be accountable to it, without abusing it. In order to do this well, try utilizing the ABCDE framework to lay the right coach-client foundation.

ASK QUESTIONS. If someone approaches you and asks you to be her coach - don't just accept the offer. Ask questions to better understand her purpose, goal and vision for contacting you. All too often, we take things at face value, and down the road, we realize we weren't the right solution.

BELIEVE. I think it's absolutely fundamental to only accept coaching clients that we believe have potential. Now, I'm not suggesting that only high performers deserve your time! No, instead I'm saying that if you don't believe in the client, you are doing him a huge disservice by acc epting his offer. We all know that little feels worse than being surrounded by someone who doesn't see and believe in our potential! Don't bog down the client with your disbelief.

CONTRACT. Once you decide you want to help the client work toward change, document this mutual decision. A contract doesn't need to be exhaustive to be valuable; it simply needs to put the relationship in writing, so that you both remain accountable to the process. Decide between the two of you what this should look like.

DIALOGUE. A dialogue is not a one-way conversation, it's a two-part process where new content is created. Set aside time where the two of you can connect and collaborate over conversation. Bonding before the official coaching process begins is fundamental to building a relationship. Good relationships harvest good rewards.

EXPECTATIONS. As their coach, it's your job to extract their expectations because most peop le aren't experts at explicitly stating what they hope to do, receive and become. If you don't understand their expectations from the start, you will have a hard time delivering valuable coaching strategies.

ABCDE is a good way to begin the coaching process.

Looking for more insights about coaching? Check out more from Doug at his blog at http://wcwpartners.com/our-blog/.

Doug C. Watsabaugh, senior partner at WCW Partners, understands how to meet your unique performance challenges. With more than 20 years of experience, WCW Partners is a performance-improvement company that helps businesses revitalize their results and achieve record-breaking performance.

If you are looking to excel in sales, service or leadership, let Doug develop the capability in you! http://wcwpartners.com/.

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Tips for Executives: What Do Employees Want To Hear In Your Keynote Speech?

Tips for Executives: What Do Employees Want To Hear In Your Keynote Speech?

For most executives, January is the time of year when your people expect to hear from you. You may be speaking at a national sales meeting, a leadership conference, a strategic planning retreat, or even a virtual conference call to kick off the year. Whatever the venue, you are going to be front and center. So imagine you are giving the keynote speech to your employees. Your keynote is an opportunity to set forth the theme and key issues for the coming year.

What are you going to say?

As you think about your keynote, the first and most critical task is to consider your audience. "Know your audience" is one of the cardinal rules of public speaking. I'd like to offer one critical assumption about your audience that will guide my suggestions.

My big assumption is that your audience - from your direct reports to junior associates - is compris ed of highly talented, competent, and motivated individuals. AND they have multiple career options and mobility. Some of them are restless. Over the holiday season, they've been taking stock, reflecting on their future, and seriously considering making a move this year.

Before we move on, let's make sure you buy into that assumption about your audience. If you agree, then read on, because the stakes are high. These are people who you need to be on board and fully engaged in order to succeed as a company and personally. (If you don't agree, then you have an even bigger problem. Your work is cut out for you to get those types of people into your company and into the room in the first place.)

Now back to your speech. What does your audience - of highly talented, competent, motivated, and mobile individuals want to hear from YOU?

1. Connect with me on a personal level. Yes, I know you are talking about business, but remember that I need to trus t you to follow you. So tell me a personal story. Share about your personal reflections over the holidays. Talk about challenges that you've faced and overcome in your leadership journey. Be vulnerable and human.

2. Create context and connect to purpose. What's changing in the marketplace? What do these changes mean for our company? How do your core purpose and values endure in the midst of change?

3. Share how you are thinking about the business. What thought process is guiding your decisions?

Check out this article about Sam Palmisano and the four questions he uses to guide strategy at IBM. Sharing your thought process not only increases trust and transparency, it also teaches your people how to think strategically.

4. Give me a candid, yet optimistic assessment about the business and our future. Talk honestly about our challenges and how we will address them, yet make sure that you focus on opportu nities. Demonstrate how our company is positioned for success in the marketplace.

5. Define success for 2012 and lay out the three MUST-DO actions for the year. If you cannot simplify your strategy into three key initiatives or themes, you risk it becoming too complicated and diffuse for us, your people, to remember and to operationalize.

6. Connect the dots. Show that you understand my world as an employee - my hopes and dreams, my challenges, and my day to day realities.

7. Challenge me. Show me that you are stepping up as a leader and challenge me to do the same. Make me want to rise to the occasion. Describe very specific actions that you are taking and challenge me to think about my own actions.

8. Finally, bring me into the conversation. Provide a venue before, during, and after the meeting to engage in conversation with you.

Ultimately, if I'm sitting in the audience, I w ill be asking myself - did my confidence in this company just go up? Or down? Is my commitment to this company stronger? Or shakier? Am I clear on what you are asking me to do as I leave the room, or am I confused?

Your keynote to employees is a huge opportunity with high stakes. Make sure to connect with what is really on the minds of your audience.

Think of the best - or worst - keynote you've ever heard from a leader in a company?  What made it great or terrible?  What were you really hoping to hear?  Leave your comments below.

Ron Wilder of http://www.alignedaction.com/ helps business leaders at all levels to develop the business acumen needed to identify and capitalize on opportunities, create and execute winning business models, and take action to build successful, sustainable businesses and fulfilling lives. Download the first two chapters of his book, Aligned Action: The Key to CEO Effectiveness, free, here: http://www.alignedaction.com/book1.

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