Discover 12 Factors That Guarantee Successful Change

Discover 12 Factors That Guarantee Successful Change

change management process change management plan

Change and managing change have and will always be a necessary requirement if an organization is to succeed and successfully grow. However, even with this being a fact, it is often difficult to identify what needs to change and even more importantly how to facilitate the change. Furthermore, it is human nature to resist change, so more importantly, once we have identified what needs to change and how to facilitate the change we also have to determine how to get buy in from those people needed to implement the change.

Change, What Is It Exactly?

The concepts of change and permanence have fascinated philosophers throughout history. They still do. This is the first in a series of articles dealing with change in organizational culture.

The balance between permanence and change has been seriously upset by the ever increasing pace of technological advances, the almost instantaneous transfer of information all over the globe and specific develo pments such as the Internet and World Wide Web. Gone are the days when it took years for a given innovation to filter down to the public and get into general circulation.

In addition to technological developments and frequently as a direct consequence of them, is the volatile nature of the external environment. These environmental factors range from new regulations to major natural or man-made disasters.

CHANGE could be defined as the continuous adaptation to developments in technology and in the external and internal environments of the organization. The pace of innovation and the succession of major environmental events will determine the rate of change. The magnitude of change is measured by the size of the gap between present conditions and future requirements. The feasibility of change is determined by the factors constituting organizational culture. The degree of resistance to the proposed changes, and our ability to overcome the resistance will make the di fference between success and failure.

Organizational culture change naturally occurs in the context of societal, national and now more importantly than ever before global culture. To better understand what is involved in attempting to change the culture of an organization, we need to define 'organizational culture'. There is no single, universally agreed definition, but most researchers will include these twelve factors in one way or another:

Influence of a dominant leaderCompany history and traditionTechnology, products and servicesThe industry and its competitionCustomersCompany expectationsInformation and control systemsLegislation and company environmentProcedures and policiesRewards systems and measurementOrganization and resourcesGoals, values and beliefs

What emerges as a result of the dynamics among these twelve factors is the culture of the organization. Viewed from this perspective, culture change is a daunting task. Indeed, if approached as anything oth er than a task worthy of the greatest consideration and respect, it will end in total failure, and may even do more harm than good to the organization aspiring to change.

"If change is so difficult and risky, why take a chance on it?" This is the logical question arising at this point. The first answer is that we often do not have a choice because change is imposed by circumstances such as an external or internal trauma affecting the organization. The present situation in many third world countries illustrates this point. The second answer is that change in organizational culture does indeed bring benefits when wisely managed. It is also a necessary adaptive strategy for organizational development and vigor.

Some of the benefits of an effective organizational culture are:

Conflict reduction by fostering social cohesion that bonds an organization together.Coordination and control by promoting consistency of outlook which subtly limits the freedom of employees t o express their individuality in inappropriate ways.Reduction of uncertainty by transmitting 'cultural knowledge' to new recruits, thus, reducing the risk of dysfunctional beliefs, values, attitudes and assumptions; motivation by helping employees find their work meaningful and enjoyable, identify their aims and objectives with those of the organization and feel valued and secure.Competitive advantage: when there is a strong culture that promotes consistency, coordination, control and reduces uncertainty, effectiveness and productivity are increased.

How can an organization embarking on a program of change hedge its risks? One way is to understand the issues involved in modeling culture change. We will touch on the key issues this week and follow with a deeper analysis of some typical models in next week's column. There are five central issues involved:
definitions, scale of change, locus of change, nature of change and timescales.

The definition of culture must be agreed upon. For example: "culture represents the deeply held beliefs and values or assumptions shared by the members of the organization."

Scale of change refers to the vital issue of whether the change is to be radical or incremental.

Locus of change identifies the exact location in which change is supposed to occur.

Nature of change distinguishes between cognitive and behavioral changes and the three possible outcomes of a program for change: Cognitive change without a complementary behavioral change; a behavioral change that is not matched by change at the cognitive level; and third, change at both cognitive and behavioral levels, the most permanent type of change.

Timescales acknowledge that change occurs over time and the life-cycle of the change program must be realistically proposed.

Fay Niewiadomski founded ICTN (International Consulting & Training Network) in 1993. ICTN provides complete management services to its clients who are am ong the leading regional and multinational players. Furthermore, she has worked with CEOs, Board Members, Presidents and Ministers of Government and other Leaders to help them meet the challenges of change within their organizations through creative problem solving, management interventions and powerful communication strategies. Prior to founding ICTN, she researched the subject of "Managing Change through Needs-Based Assessment' in large Lebanese Organizations" for her doctoral work at the University of East Anglia in the UK. Additionally, she also held various university positions as a professor at AUB and LAU and as Dean of the Faculty of Humanities at NDU.

For additional information on how to improve performance and increase productivity through people, decrease cost and better ensure growth and sustainability, visit http://www.ictn.com/.

Discover easy and proven techniques that will help you Guarantee Results by improving your leadership skills. CLICK this l ink http://www.ictn.com/english/free-articles.aspx?id=60 and receive your Free copy of Management Problems & Solutions.

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Project Management V Service Management Part 2

Project Management V Service Management Part 2

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Project Management v Service Management

Last week I gave a talk on Project Management v Service Management at the IT Service Management Forum's Conference here in Singapore. It wasn't the best presentation I've done in recent years but the topic was a relevant one.

My most recent project, in the manufacturing sector, lasted 18 months and was not my most challenging from a project perspective. However  it did highlight several areas that I come across on many projects, more vividly, than most.

The interface between Project Management and Service Management as it relates to the IT world, is broken. Yes, I know, we all know it, we've all known it for a long time too. In most cases Project folk like to maintain their unique role as special function and not be seen as art of a "service" organization.

Hey, I was like that too many, many years ago. It's nice to be different from the crowd, have different responsibilities, and to be on a high profile job, like a major project. Well that's all fine but it's not good for the organization investing in the project and it's a very inefficient way to operate. And here's why:

Project Management v Service Management

Without a clear definition of the project deliverables that include the service management needs;

customers requirements may not include support requirements resulting in the project delivering products and services that will not meet service and support needs.
integration of change process between the two organizations is prone to problems and risks if not operated as one. This can and often does lead to clashes and delays as two organizations attempt changes relating to common infrastructure and operations.
strategic business decisions that may influence the support model may not be fed into the project solution.
project outcome may satisfy the initial requirements but be a nightmare for support services to manage and therefore prove a poor long term investment and not deliver to the business strategy 100%.
handover of the project into an operational environment will prove more of a challenge than it needs to be.
lack of "synchronization" between project management and support management will cause delays and increased costs against the project.
Many process and procedures that the project organization need to use or interface with are inefficient for project work or are created specifically for the project and don't interface or leverage the operational procedures that they need to become part of.

If you look at the ITIL model, the approach to the Service Life Cycle almost emulates the Project lifecycle at high level, in Prince 2. This is no accident. In business the strategies are discussed and presented. The design of a solution to deliver that strategy is worked out and then the solution is built. Once the new solution is in place, well, someone has t support it, don't they?

It's no surprise th at the service management organization is key to the delivery of business strategies and in so doing encompasses a high degree of project management in the delivery f those strategies.

The link between project management and service management organizations is more like an intimate bond. So why is it missing in action in so many organizations?

I don't have the answer here. I could speculate, based on many years of project management and service management experience. But I won't, here, and now.

My message is this;

Project scope and requirements must include the service management or support organizations requirements as well as the business needs.
Management process and procedures that support a project should be aligned to operational procedures as much as possible. That means operational procedures need to be flexible and efficient in support project needs as well as operational needs. i.e. Procurement, Resource engagement, Financial reporting, Chan ge Management etc.
Project skills are not easily learned and are sufficiently different from a service management skill set that it pays to get experienced project managers on to major investment projects. However, never lose the opportunity to develop good service staff by attaching them to the project in assisting roles.

Project Management is about people, so is Service Management. Both have similar needs and common threads, both also require training and practice (experience) to become professional delivery agents.

Project Management v Service Management

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Managing YOU

Managing YOU

However, we do bring essential guidance to you on what is myth and what is real in self management based on Nature's Universal Laws and therefore not on trend, fashion, emotion or rhetoric. So, in this post I'm going to create a little summary for you of exactly what Managing You looks like from Nature's Viewpoint.

Now, it's important to remember that Nature's Universal Laws run the universe, every atom, molecule, galaxy and therefore every business, person, community and family lives under the same principles. We can't escape those laws, except in our heads where, literally, anything is possible. (even depression can exist in a human head in the most magnificent world we can imagine)... Our head can be so filled with ideas that make life "gooder" and equally it can be filled with garbage... and as you'll know... garbage in = garbage out.

So, lets sit back and enjoy a short ride down the Innerwealth Managing You Path... an d let Nature Be Your Guide....

1. There is no end.

You are crouched in the starting position, the race is about to start. It's the final of the Olympic 100 meters sprint. You need to get out of the starting blocks 1/1000th of a second faster than your competitors, but if you jump the start, you're disqualified. You can't think that fast so, you let go your mind and enter "The Inner Zone" a space scientists can't put their finger on, psychologists have no idea exists (even deny it) and all religions want to own... it's a deep, powerful sense of you, where nothing exists... this is productivity... a humanly accessible place... 9.2seconds later you cross the line, you cheer, wave your hands, hug those you love. Then, you start coming back, out of "The Inner Zone" and emotions overwhelm you... tears form... exhaustion sets in... you start to shake from the adrenalin that was needed. By the end of the day, and after getting your Gold Medal, you're back into re ality... happy but worried... now, a bit sad... what next?

You see there is no end. That house you want, that perfect job, that weekend retreat you want to buy, that extra pay, they must exist, there must be a next otherwise the human spirit just shrivels and dies. Most obesity comes from the lack of one or many of those wants... depression is caused by loss of wants... We're dreamers us humans... just like every leaf in nature, we have a Purpose, and our wants are all just stepping stones on the path of living it.

Nature destroys anything that doesn't fulfil it's purpose... including us... and yet we get so caught up in the End Game mindset of "when this happens all will be fine"... No No No... all will never be fine... it's not meant to be... we evolve at the border of chaos and order. No chaos? Impossible..

What we can do instead of living under the "End Game" strategy of perpetual disappointment is to do the Manage Me strategy... Innerwealth Thinking... which is to embrace the frustrations and chaos of life, everyday of our life, and therefore reduce their volume. A chaos deferred doesn't go away.. it's called a tsunami and the longer we delay dealing with chaos, challenges, confrontations, discomforts, decisions that aren't pleasant... the larger the crack we'll be dealing with when it does happen. Unlike "hippies" that think deferring challenges makes them evaporate, better to teach our kids to enjoy them in the moment. Ignorance is therefore absolutely NEVER bliss it just defers the Crack and allows it to build.

So, "It Never Ends" means that Manage Me is about realistic expectations about life and work. It must have challenge. You haven't failed if you have challenges. Your relationship isn't sick if it has challenges. Your business isn't in trouble if you have challenge. If your children are giving you challenge, that's love. If your health is up and down, celebrate... because that means you are on purpose, evol ving. If, on the other hand, all is going great, your business is great, your relationship is without challenges and your kids are perfect... someone is BS'ing you. You don't want BS' you want love and love happens at the border of Support and Challenge. If anyone tries to sell you PEACE as the absence of challenge tell them to go fly... Peace is the ability to embrace support and challenge equally. If the sun rises in the west, or the rain comes in summer, learn to accept the challenge and adapt, rather than be disappointed and frustrated that things are not the way you want them, because that doesn't work. Life never stops.. there is no end until the last breath. Embrace challenges as proof you are ALIVE.

2. Manage YOU First

Everyday my Facebook is filled with people talking about save the whales or something like that. I really appreciate their sentiment but often wonder how much of their investment is based on a "cockeyed" view of themselves, their lif e and the world around them? What many people don't recognise is that when they vent their own "twisted" perspectives onto others they do in fact cause a reaction that actually generates Balance... in other words, resistance.

Some people come to work with the best of intentions, good hearted people who think they are doing the right thing but are actually doing the wrong thing. It's hard to explain to someone that "the very ego that drove them to reach their new job, is actually stopping them from doing it."

Managing You starts with the way you sit in a chair, your posture, your breathing and metabolic rate. All of which impact your millions of choices all day. But with this in hand, Managing You quickly spreads to a multitude of other more secretive and therefore less cognitive variables. And, in the most clear way to describe this non cognitive step, it's best called your "consciousness."

Consciousness is human perception. How you see the world. others in it, your interpretations, your future, your hopes and ambitions all depend on your consciousness. And consciousness is never fixed. It's more like one of those colourful slinky springs the kids play with. You might be really smart, and therefore a long way up the slinky spring in your evolution but if you're unthankful, mean, angry and self obsessed, your slinky will be so compressed, you could fit it in your pocket. And that's called human potential wasted.

So, the smartest person, with the most knowledge might have the lowest consciousness and it's consciousness that determines great leadership, great parenting, great decision making. Some of the world's most influential leaders have not been the smartest people, and some of the world's smartest people have done the worst things imaginable. (some tyrants are known to have high IQ). Smart but Dumb.

Manage You... means to express whatever wisdom and smarts you have in the best possible way.. and that means consc iousness. In a business a conscious person stands out. They are not running for stress breaks, not busting to get away for the weekend to retire from the drudgery of work, not carrying emotional and mental baggage home for "work life balance" which is just another name for "dump it on the family." Consciousness comes down to perspective and a healthy perspective doesn't defer balance or stress management, not one minute let alone a week or a year.

The person with the highest consciousness sees the most balance in things. I know this sounds absolutely stupid and simplistic with all the rockets science of psycho-analysis and brain research, it seems a damnation of abomination that balanced thinking could have any right to be put up there as the single greatest determinant of a great and inspired life. However, when a person thinks out of harmony with nature, they're in deep trouble, and the first law of nature is Balance.

Just try these ideas.... "Stress is lopside d perception"... "Expectations block love"... "looking for support without challenge is the mission of the Ego"... "Depression is caused by addiction to elation".... "Inspiration happens at the border of order and chaos".... "Infatuation breeds Resentment (explains relationship troubles), and the list goes on...

Manage You means managing, first and foremost, your thinking. All our thoughts manifest themselves and ultimately drive our behaviour. If you want to generate the most effective outcomes from the time you invest in work, love, parenting and sport, the second step begins with managing your mind. (first is your body). We encourage our clients to learn what's myth, what's emotion, what's real and learn to enjoy all three without mistaking one for the other.

Manage You has a third step.. Your spirit.. And although your spirit can't be managed it can be fed. To feed your spirit you need dreams, visions, wants, hopes, desires, ambitions.. not fake ones, a real bucket list that encapsulates the seven areas of life. This is called TURNING Up. and at Innerwealth we use VIP (Vision, Inspiration, Purpose) process to help this along.

3. Focus on Cause

If you want to change the destiny of a person, yourself or your children, you need to change the stories you tell.

Those stories are not so much the fairytale books, although it might include them but rather, it's the stories you tell about your life, your journey, your past.

Nothing affects the child more than the unlived life of the parent... and the unlived life of the parent can be changed by changing their stories.

Have you heard people say things like this "I went to a meditation class to help me deal with my past" or some hybrid form of that? Well that's fantastic because that person is trying to change something, but what if their "Past" is a story and the only thing that really needs to change, is that story? Then all the meditation under the s un is not going to fix things because the story is the problem.

In corporate training programs people are encouraged to embrace different ideas. But what if their stories, backgrounds, ideas, ideals and personal choices don't change? Can people really go deeper without addressing the cause of their behaviour? Of course not and this is why so little of corporate life really taps human potential.

I am astonished by the incompetence of Corporate Training... it's limited by mandate to seek the approval of the audience and is therefore hamstrung to deal only with what an audience can accept or agree with. No change, just massage.

This is also the case with therapies and yoga classes. We are all free to come and go from our daily routines and we do, as a Western world of free choices take great pride in finding things we like and rejecting things we don't. It's human and natural to do this. The result is a shallowness that automatically limits conversations, inte ractions, friendships and relationships. How can we have intimacy if, when the second comes that our "Radio Active" points get touched we fly into defence or attack?

So much time is wasted focussed on effect of things. Instead, Innerwealth Manage YOU recommends change at the cause level. Find the cause and change it, don't worry so much about fixing the effect. For example: I've got some arthritis in my fingers... I went to the doctor who prescribed creams and pills to reduce the swelling and lessen the pain. But the cause of my arthritic fingers is more likely to be diet related, so, why not do both? Ease the swelling with cream means focus on Effect... Change my diet and supplement my nutrition means fix the cause. One is a cover up, the other attacks the roots.

In our lives we need to retell old stories that have the Pain still in tact, because that "pain" makes for major entertainment. Or the "pleasure" stories that really motivate people. ALl those stories a re half stories, and absolutely entertaining to the ego and emotions. But they are not true stories and can, as a cause, skew our life choices 180 degrees from our real life journey.

One lady in an office was just a nightmare. She was flamboyant and outspoken, entertaining and attractive but she just couldn't recruit others to be a part of whatever she put her hand to. People ran from her even though she spent a fortune on her cosmetic surgeries and clothes from top designer brands, proving she wanted and needed attention desperately, she caused the complete opposite. He boss complained about the problems, the fragmented team, the disconnection she created. He complained about the effect of her work style, never addressing the cause. What do you imagine it was? Remember, in nature, nobody ever does to you more than you do to yourself..

Yes, the rejection she experienced from others, just mirrored her own self hate.. That's cause, that's easy fixed. As long as the effort is swung from fixing the effect to finding and dealing with cause.

Conclusions

There's more to this Managing You than meets the eye, but if we're out of harmony with Nature's Universal laws, playing End Games, Expecting Myths to come true, or focussing of the effect of things rather than the cause, we're likely to be achieving things with much more hard work and mental anguish than necessary. Surely, all our missions are the same in this regard: "we all want to enjoy life" and living with consciousness, vision, and sustainably real perspectives is a great leap toward a very natural and great lifestyle.

Chris Walker http://www.chriswalker.com.au/ is a visionary business consultant and of the world's leading facilitators of Personal/Professional Development. Author, consultant and professional speaker, his considered a leader in the field of human potential and lifestyles for success. His VIP and Mastery Programs have been attended by thousands of ind ividuals around the world seeking tools to live life and manage their careers to their fullest potential. http://www.chriswalker.com.au/

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Risk Assessment Matrix

Risk Assessment Matrix

change management process change management plan

What is a Risk Assessment Matrix?

A risk assessment matrix is, as the name suggests, a matrix, table or for, that allows you to map risks out for analysis. The key parameters you are looking for in a risk are the probability of the risk happening and the impact on the project.

The risk assessment matrix is laid out in such a way as to provide a clear graphic view of each risk in terms of its probable occurrence and impact. Most organisations and project managers will give probability and impact a high/medium/low rating, or a 1,2,3 rating option so that they are easy to colour code for visual impact.

The technique used here to build a risk assessment matrix is common and can be applied to very many instances where you need to be able to "grade" or prioritise a group of risks or other elements in a process.

Why would we need a Risk Assessment Matrix?

Because:

Using a risk assessment matrix is considered industry best practice - you will lose credibility as a project manager if you don't use one.Your boss or client will expect you to use a risk assessment matrixIt's common sense to use a tool like this for managing risk assessment - how else would you do it?All good project methodologies will recommend that you use a risk assessment matrix of one form or otherIt's the right thing to do. Try it.

How do we use a Risk Assessment Matrix?

Using a risk assessment matrix is very easy - it's just a tool like any other spreadsheet or form. The value is in the quality of data that is entered in the first place and the process that surrounds the analysis and use of the data and results from the matrix. Crap-in Crap-out as they say!

A really good Spreadsheet set up as a simple risk assessment matrix provides an invaluable tool for logging, assessing and reporting on risks. Further, the data will enable at least a first cut, from a logical perspective, of the prioritization of each risk based on a combination o f probability weighting and impact weighting.

Confused yet? Don't be, this is the easy part. The hard part comes when you present the analysed data to a steering committee or project board and "people" get involved. If you've been following my other articles, you'll know that the most challenging elements of any project are the people, not the technical aspects of the project, whatever the discipline or industry.

Back to how we use the risk assessment matrix; ok, for each risk that is logged you need to provide an adequate description of the risk. Remember, other people will be consuming this information so assume that you are writing for people that don't have the knowledge and intimate understanding of the project that you do.

I like to target my content at an audience of 5 year old children, or investment bankers (same thing really:-P ) that don't have the first idea about my project world. If I can get a point across clearly to non-technical people then I'm wining already.

You may need more than one column in your risk assessment matrix for this, a description of the risk, a description of the cause or causes and I sometimes include a risk-mitigation column where I can jot down ideas how the risks can be avoided for later discussion. This moves into the realms of what I call risk planning - for another article.

The core of the risk assessment matrix is the information you now add against each risk: what is the impact of the risk on the project or specific key elements of the project, and annotate them if they are not obvious. Then, what is the probability of this risk occurring?

Don't get confused here - there is no magic formula how you decide the risk assessment matrix entries. You are not a prophet. You can't see the future, so the probability factor high, medium or low will be an educated guess on your part. The same goes for the potential impact to a lesser degree.

It will likely be modified by others that will have a different view, more experience, or are just plain bloody minded and want to make their mark. The people factor should never be under-estimated, the root cause of change, risk and failure every time.

Now comes the clever part - in the risk assessment matrix you need to be able to join together the probability rating and the impact rating in such a way that you can summarise the overall "value" of the risk. This is a relative value and is used as a comparison against all your other risks in order to gain an understanding of priorities.

At this point, some organisations all add a monetary value against the risk in order to try and grasp an understanding of the commercial or financial impact the risk carries. Every organisation is different and will have different needs or techniques for valuing risks. Ask, ask, ask. Don't do what I used to do and try and second guess a client only to waste many hours developing a spreadsheet and then find t hey had their own template they wanted me to use.

Examples of Risk Assessment Matrix forms can be found on the internet and a few examples are shown here: http://www.itprojectmanagementsingapore.com/risk-assessment-matrix/. It's easy to build your own in a spreadsheet or grab one of the many templates floating about on line. Alternatively you can contact me and I'll supply you one of my own templates for free.

I hope you got some value out of this article on the project Risk Assessment Matrix. Please do subscribe to our newsletter. Leave your comments and help us improve the content and quality.

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Organizational Change Management - When Leaders Need to Rediscover The Organization's Core Beliefs

Organizational Change Management - When Leaders Need to Rediscover The Organization's Core Beliefs

change management process change management plan

When coaching individuals we always remind people that having good goals - knowing were to go or what to do - and good motivation are not enough to ensure results. Two people may have similarly clear goals and may be equally driven by these, yet the results each achieve could be quite different. The difference has to do with the belief system the two individuals have. Many beliefs have to do with outcome expectancy. If you don't believe your outcome is going to be there when you get through working on your issue, or you don't believe you have what it takes to get the outcome, you're not going to do what it takes to achieve your goal. If you grew up believing you were born unlucky, your actions will prove your belief. If you grew up believing that no matter what happens you always succeed, so you will.

Unfortunately when it comes to organizations, this seems to be sorely missed by organizational leaders and senior managers. The emphasis of all organizational change m anagement and development remains predominantly concentrated on goals and strategy, and to an extent on the question of how do we motivate staff towards these. In my consulting career I have discovered that especially in the social and humanitarian sector, a sector where you would think belief is the driving force behind the organization's existence, sadly there is a preoccupation with the mechanics of goals and strategies. Leaders can get so caught up in planning and managing the process that they don't notice that little tangible results are being achieved. The activity becomes more important than the results.

Nowhere is this more evident than in humanitarian crises. In the Horn of Africa, tens of thousands of people have perished because of lack of timely humanitarian assistance. Yet some couple of months ago, when I was discussing this issue in a meeting attended by number UN agencies and NGOs, some of the senior officials almost defended their lack of early action saying 'we could not have responded until the second season of rains failed' - by which time people were already dying. Now those of you who may not remember, the 2011 drought and famine in the Horn was well predicted almost 9-10 months before it became CNN news. The argument went like, 'we have all done our jobs - made plans, identified supply sources, worked out strategies, and all that - it's the governments which did not do what they had to do'.

I have now seen this many times before - Haiti was another classic case where people continued to rot in inhumane conditions in the camps in Part-au-Prince while the humanitarian agencies sat on over a billion dollars in the first year after the 2010 earthquake, blaming the government for inaction. Have humanitarians somewhere lost the belief that they are here to save lives, not simply to make plans and strategies, make excuses and fulfill the technical requirements in the job descriptions?

Eve n business organizations are reorienting their own purpose to 'customer welfare' (Walmart), 'promoting health' (Johnson & Johnson), 'looking after happiness of park visitors' (job purpose of janitors at Disneyland) and instilling these beliefs about their purpose in their staff, the social and humanitarians need to ask themselves if they are drifting farther and farther away from their raison detre.

More resources on organizational change management are also available at Results Matter Blog: http://resultsmatter.wordpress.com/ Abhijit Bhattacharjee is a strategy and change management expert with over twenty-nine years of senior management and consulting experience in international development and humanitarian organizations. He is also an Executive Coach and small business coach. He is the founder of Results Matter Consulting. For more similar resources, visit the company website: http://www.results-matter.co.uk/Resourceslinks.html.

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Change Management and Transformation

Change Management and Transformation

Transforming management performance requires a structured assessment of the current working conditions to identify the people and processes involved in slowing the growth for a company. After review a plan is devised to transform the underperforming processes to highly productive operations. Managers are then able to lead with greater optimism and confidence.

Companies that go through "change management" are often faced with a distraction in the work place. Employees are not able to accept and embrace the changes in their business environment. Such a change can be brought about by the introduction of a new enterprise application, new management, mergers or a simple shift in the scope of company's business activity. Lack of cohesion in the work place affects the organizational productivity and creates communication gaps. Employees and managers avoid taking a risk and the pace of work gets slower. In such a situation, it is important to coach the managers to train their teams and make them more productive so the company can have a better return on investment (ROI).

Leadership development specialists use a variety of advanced tools to evaluate the work processes and identify the problems that need to be addressed. They ensure the company gets accelerated growth through workshops and other activities where interaction is improved and efforts are made to drive performance to the next level.

The coaching programs focus on goal achievement, improved communication and the theory of risk and reward. Managers and teams are then able to meet business goals in a cost effective manner. Through specially designed activities the communication gaps are removed. Better levels of trust and confidence result in improved cohesion where manager and their teams work towards mutual goals in an effective way. The managers are taught various skills required for effective problem solving and decision making analysis. Management is then better able to resolve problems for employees and motivate them to bring extraordinary results for a company. Problems of underperformance are removed through relationship building between managers and their teams. Incentive programs are suggested in cases where rewards can improve performance levels. While loyalty programs help retain employees with rare skill sets.

Career management experts achieve the desired goals by focusing on the work activity of a company. Meetings and team building sessions help increase inspiration in teams. In the sales and marketing department, employees are better able to focus on the shared company goals. Companies that do creative work benefit from outdoor activities. Employees are able to step out of work politics and have fun in a team-like manner. These activities are created to develop and reinforce a collective vision to enable the team to use collective intelligence in striving to me et organizational goals. The work teams that are taught to get along together and work in a team outside the workplace are better able to meet the challenges of a chaotic world. With redefined visions they work with their creativity and innovation to get a better market share for the company.

Lamika Zuberi is MS in IT, a SEO Consultant and writes SEO copy for various clients.

http://www.seocontentwriters.us/

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Who Needs Employee Engagement Anyway?

Who Needs Employee Engagement Anyway?

change management process change management plan

Employee engagement is one of the terms you hear a lot these days and I've certainly used those words a great deal in the work that I do. Most everyone agrees that if you want to grow a successful business you need employees that are engaged. It's important, though, to ask the question why. Engagement for engagement's sake doesn't drive growth, profits or sustainability but the actions you get from an engaged team of people, do. Here are some of the reasons that engagement matters and why it's worth working towards.

Innovation:

If you don't want to have better products, services, delivery systems or client interactions then engagement doesn't matter. People who aren't engaged show up and focus on what they take from the business- the paycheck. They aren't looking at how we can do things better; they are looking at all the things they wish were easier for them.

Collaboration:

The only thing disengaged people are collaborating about is how to find a new job or a different place to work. People who are looking for new ideas and are interested in building solutions across different functions collaborate because that's how they accomplish those tasks. Disengaged people don't care if they ever accomplish those items.

Accountability:

Accountability is one of the things that I hear leaders frequently wish they had more of in their business. Accountability comes when someone cares enough about the outcome to own the path for getting to it. Disengaged employees think of the outcome as quitting time, not reaching new goals for the business.

Capability:

Engaged employees look for ways to learn more, experience more, try new things and become more capable. Engagement leads directly to individual improvement and that means that our business is better tomorrow and capable of more than it was today.

Flexibility:

Growth is about change. Businesses that build strong teams of engaged people change fas ter, because people are focused on the growth, not the challenges that change brings. Change is not resisted by people who want a better outcome, only by people who look at change as additional work or more trouble.

Support:

People who work in organizations with a high level of engagement find others around them who are willing to help them learn and grow. Individuals focused on the mission of the business are less worried about who gets the credit than they are about the team being successful. If you doubt this, go watch a team of people build houses for an organization like Habitat For Humanity or work for a similar kind of organization where groups of people come together because they are working toward a common goal. They welcome everyone to the team and help each person find out how they can most successfully contribute to the team's efforts.

Engagement matters because it is an essential precursor for these kinds of interactions and outcomes within the organization. If you think you can build a thriving business without any of these critical factors, well, candidly, I've never seen one. If you think there are other things in your business more important than the engagement of the people who work there, well, I can't think of any. Disengaged people create problems and engaged people solve them, it's often as simple as that.

The questions becomes how do you build a culture that engages people and causes them to bring more of their innovation, ideas, creativity, accountability and resilience to the business. The good news is that you can but the first step is making engagement something you care about. Not because the term is getting used more, but because without it, no business will be successful for long.

Randy Hall is the founder and principal of 4th Gear Consulting. He is passionate about developing amazing leaders and thriving, principled organizations. He believes that nothing will have greater impact on o ur economy, our communities, our lives and our kids' lives.

For more than a decade Randy has worked for and with organizations to help them realize more of their potential. His most recent roles in the corporate world were Senior Vice President of Learning and Leadership Development at Bank of America and Global Director of Learning and Development at Pfizer. Prior to moving into leadership development, he spent several years in sales and led his own high performing teams.

You can contact Randy at randy.hall@4thgearconsulting.com or visit him on the web at http://4thgearconsulting.com/ You can also read more of Randy's articles at http://4thgearconsulting.com/blog

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Develop a Vision for You and Your Business

Develop a Vision for You and Your Business

change management process change management plan Did you every wonder if man would have reached the moon if we did not see it?Could an athlete win a race if they could not see or imagine the finish line?Could a mountain climber reach the top of the summit if he/she never actually saw it?What do they all have in common? - A goal, vision, target,an image that inspires and excites them into action.

Children have an amazing ability to dream and make it reality. As we get older, that ability to dream and be creative is diminished. Education and business tells us, "Don't be wrong", "Don't take a chance". If you are not willing to take a chance, you will never be creative; you will never come up with any imaginative ideas.

For this reason it is very important that we spend time dreaming, imagining, thinking about what we want in the future. As a business, where do we want to be in 5 years, 10 years time?

Defining a vision for an organization is essential.

A vision statement is a vivid idealize d description of a desired outcome that inspires, energizes and helps you create a mental picture of your target. Any business with one or more employees should have a vision. If you have more than one employee then it is essential to communicate, share, and agree that vision. Otherwise you might end up being a great mountain climber but climbing a different mountain to your colleagues.

Focus on what you want to achieve, not what you want to avoid. Try this for a second, think about not being fat. What image is in your head? I bet it is an image of you being fat! Think about being thin, what image is in your head? Is it different? The vision has to be what you want to move towards, not away from.

Vision is not just about seeing. The vision of a chef is possibly an aroma or taste. Gandhi's vision was a feeling, one of peace and equality. A musician's vision is that perfect sound. What's important is your ability to describe what you want. What does it look like? W hat does it feel like? What does it sound like? What does it smell, taste like? How do I measure it? How would I know it when I am there? Many businesses say they have a vision because they have the slogan; Best in the eyes of the world, Excellence in Vision; We have you Covered; One with You, Just do it, etc. You need to immerse yourself and the organization into that vision. Get them to stand in their organization 5 years from now and see, feel, hear, sense what success is like. Get them to see what they are doing now, in the future. Get them to understand what is different from today. Get them to experience it. There is a huge difference in looking at a photo of Mount Everest and listening to a mountaineer to has just come back from the summit.

Once you define your dream/vision you must define milestones to get there. A plan is a dream with deadlines. Everything you do must connect to the vision. The strategies you undertake, the activities you do, the people you hi re and work with, the way you behave, what you value, what you say, They all need to be congruent with the vision.

Finbarr Sheehy is a senior Business Leader in the areas of Business Improvement, Business Strategy and Lean Sigma Deployment. Contact Finbarr at http://www.leansigma.ie/ or http://www.businessexcellence.ie/

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Leadership for Recovery: From Surviving to Thriving

Leadership for Recovery: From Surviving to Thriving

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Having grappled with the recession for this long, senior managers and leaders have been focussed on staying afloat, cutting costs and delivering as well as possible under challenging circumstances. In short: surviving.

Now there are some early signs of recovery, however, it's time to focus on recovery and the future. In other words to thrive rather than just survive.

But the challenge is how to do that with less than you had before. As the economy recovers there is even more pressure on organisations to be innovative and competitive while keeping costs down. The role of the leader has never been so important.

People are the key to business success. Research has shown that engaging and enabling employees boosts performance by 15-30%. So, people are your richest source of competitive advantage.

But in today's post-recession environment your remaining employees are also likely to be the "survivors". They are the ones who have worked through the cost c utting measures. The ones who you've already asked to accomplish more with less and who may have seen their friends and colleagues lose their jobs. Now, they're likely to be tired after so much bad news, cynical about the future, distrustful of management, and wary of further changes.

In a nutshell employees are taking a wait and see attitude: everyone still wondering if they will be the next to go and not necessarily in the mood to make the utmost effort.

So what can you do to re-engage these valuable employees who have stuck with you so that you not only respond to the changing economic conditions but capitalise on them?

In this article, I look at five people-centred leadership strategies that senior managers and leaders can use to unlock the potential of their "survivors" and drive forward business performance.

1. Express Appreciation. It's been a tough time. Your people have been working hard and to some degree feel stressed and b urned out. They need to know that their leaders are listening to them, and appreciating their efforts. Tell them what you are impressed with about the way they have coped with the difficulties and those achievements, skills and positive qualities that are strategically important to the organisation's future.

2. Focus on the things that matter most. An uncertain economic climate can help to focus efforts on the activities that really make a difference to the business. There's a real opportunity now to learn from that and to ensure that you don't return to activities and initiatives that don't give value for money. Major changes cannot happen overnight but small actions can make a big difference. Focus on those changes that are likely to deliver the greatest impact and create plans in manageable chunks. Establish milestones so that at regular intervals you and your staff can review progress, celebrate successes and value individual and group efforts.

3. Get people excited about the future. Professional athletes and coaches in all sports know that imagining a positive future is a powerful way to increase the likelihood of achieving a great result. Involve your employees in creating a positive future that captures people's imagination and excites and energises the workforce. Giving employees a powerful vision to believe in will provide the organisation with a source of strength and resilience going forward. When times are tough it reminds everyone why they are doing this and what it will be like when they get there.

4. Involve them in your decision making. In times of difficulty, it can be tempting for leaders to take things into their own hands and begin legislating change for themselves. This can make everyone feel more comfortable temporarily, but it is often a mistake. Especially at a time when they are likely to feel out of control, people want to feel they have some influenc e over their future or at least that their views have been heard. Your people have valuable knowledge and experience to help you in your decision making and they will be much more motivated to help if they have had a say in the way forward.

5. Give ownership and responsibility. At times such as these when there is continual pressure to get more from less, you need all employees to take full ownership and responsibility for themselves and their actions. You need every single employee to be working towards delivering the vision for the organisation and that means you need a coaching culture that unlocks potential throughout the organisation. If you are to access the best thinking in your organisation you need to be genuinely curious and open to seeing things differently. By admitting you don't have all the answers and by asking for your people's thoughts before you share your own, you can empower your people to contribute their best ideas and take owners hip for acting on them.

Finally, remember to look after yourself too. Be conscious of your own learning and make the time to reflect on what's working and what isn't. Look for sources of support. Talk with others in similar positions to learn about the ways they are coping. Above all, keep things in perspective and maintain a sense of humour.

Progressing from "surviving" to "thriving" will take time, effort and commitment but can also be a time of great learning and personal growth if you can stay self-aware and focussed on the future.

Antoinette Oglethorpe is a Leadership Development & Career Management consultant who works with high achieving executives and business leaders to help them develop their careers, drive change and achieve business growth. Find out more at http://www.antoinetteoglethorpe.com/

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Process Audit Approach: Planning of Product Realization

Process Audit Approach: Planning of Product Realization

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 break down 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 p rimary areas should be examined during this portion of the audit, including:

Planning 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 t he control levels of work transfers, acceptable evidence can include identification 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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A Manager Who Calls His People

A Manager Who Calls His People

change management process change management plan

I still remember sometime ago when a new MD of this Taiwanese company called all his managers for an icebreaking session. He has to replace his father's position as the Managing Director for a leading Petrochemical company in Southeast Asia. Coming from consulting background with leading Performance Turn Around firm in United States, it will be an uphill task for him to adapt to the culture set by his father

The father, who has been leading the organization for the last 30 years, believes that expected results are achievable when importance is given to operational matters. As such, managers are given full authority and liberty on how results could be delivered. Each manager competes with others to obtain attention and trust of the father. Even though the business results were tremendously positive, but outcome of frustration shown by managers who failed was unbearable by his entire department's people. There were no unified culture between departments, and a number of managers start to abuse their liberty due to loose management approach used by the previous business owner. The most outstanding manager during his father's time was the Production Manager. He was known for his aggressiveness and capability to put things under control.

Now the son is in-charge!

During the first meeting, after a little introduction about him, he was eager to know the current progress in each department, especially about the workforce. So, he decided to ask managers from 7 departments about their subordinates. All the managers gave mix reactions and answered the question by pointing out some of the common feedback type; above average, good, so-so, not bad and other similar answers.

However, he was shocked with the answer given by the manager, who is the most admired by his father.

"My people are idiots"! Majority of them perform below average and I need to be there all the time to make them work.

This answer was not a surprise for the rest in the meeting because the Production Manager is the most powerful person and respected person by the father.

However, it was a disturbing answer for the son. With the exposure and confidence that the son developed through 15 years of consulting involvement with world renowned organizations, he thanked all managers for their answer and followed up with another question addressed to the Production Manager; "how long have you been managing this department?" Replied the manager; "15 years!"

At this point, an unexpected statement came from the son and it was addressed to the Production Manager:

"If your people are classified as idiots, I can call you "An Idiot" as well.
....Because you're the captain to this group of people."

From that day onwards, the son had successfully transformed this organization in a highly competitive organization through his "well balanced" People and Results driven culture.

The 10 actions steps required by Managers to transform their organization/department into People and Results driven culture:

1.All should believe that the success of an organization is not possible with the involvement of only 1 person.
2.People in the organization should have the ownership and sense of belonging to their job and organization.
3.Managers should develop close relationship with their people by breaking the formal barrier.
4.Managers need to spend time on developing the competency and ability of their people to ensure positive performance at work.
5.Managers suppose to empower their people to take charge of their work and allow them to make appropriate decisions.
6.People should be encouraged to use their creativity to come up with initiates, and making mistake for first time is acceptable.
7.Managers must track the progress of their people's work outcomes on periodical basis.
8.Manager should spend a little time with their people (preferably once a monthly) on 1-to-1 basis to discuss on current issues, work progress, area of improvement required and action plan.
9.Managers should give opportunity and progressively are stern to their people who do not show improvement on work matters.
10. Finally, people like to be appreciation from their superior for work well done. So be generous with words!

These are the 10 tips used successfully by the new Managing Director to ensure a positive change in the quality of their workforce. At the same time, the organization productivity and results improved.

Next time, be careful when a Manager or Superior want to express their anger or frustration by addressing someone as "Idiot".

Steven Raj Kumar is the CEO and Performance Turn Around specialist with XPE Team and Cleverbridge. He can be contacted at dr.stevenraj@gmail.com. For more details about performance intervention solutions and team building, kindly visit http://www.xpeteam.com/, http://www.cleverbridge.my/

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Organizational Change Management: What It Is and What It Entails

Organizational Change Management: What It Is and What It Entails

change management process change management plan

This is a term that has been used or many occasions to refer to certain aspects in an organization's operation methodology. So, what is organizational change management?

To understand one has to first have some little knowledge on how an organization functions. Organizations usually strive to be as productive as possible and make maximum use of their capitals to give out a reasonably large output. To achieve this, organizations or companies usually employ different strategies to meet their goals.

Most of the organizations are usually profit organizations, hence businesses. These are the busiest types of organizations since they always strive to meet the needs of the market and get ahead of the competitors. To execute this perfectly, the organizations have to employ a lot of wise strategical methodologies to achieve their goals.

The strategizing and planning is a dynamic and continuous process. It never stops since organizations always lo ok forward to expanding and growing. Therefore the organizations strategies are constantly reviewed to assess their ability to meet the growing market needs.

The revision of the strategies often requires the implementation of certain changes. Some of the common changes may include hiring new employees, reducing the number of employees, partnering with other organizations etc.

The implementation of any changes cannot be done abruptly. There has to be a systematic introduction and implementation of these changes. This is to ensure a smooth adaptation of the organization to the changes.

For the organization to adapt perfectly, all the elements affected by the change have to be strategized in such a way that they smoothly adjust to the changes. This is what is called organizational change management.

There are different aspects of change in an organization, however small or big they are. And change is inevitable in an organization. This means organization al change management is something that has to be taken seriously within a company or organization.

There are several aspects that are necessary in adjusting to change in an organization. One of these is the funding. An organization has to have all necessary finances to smoothly effect a change and this depends on the exact type of change.

Along with the funding, an organization needs the relevant man power and leadership to smoothly effect the change. This means that all the proposed changes have to fall in line with the organization's employee expertise and number. If the expertise is unavailable or insufficient among the current employees, then new professionals have to be hired.

It is also vital to inform all the affected individuals on the proposed change and train them on how to smoothly adjust to the changes. The training depends on the exact type of change proposed. Some changes may even require some employees to leave work for some further studies w hile minor changes may even involve a few minutes of training.

The facilities within an organization also need to be sufficient to accommodate the change. An organization cannot for example, hire more employees without creating more office space. In addition to the office space, there also has to be enough equipment like desks and computers.

One the most common types of changes are the leadership change. Organizations often introduce new executives to head different departments. The executives in turn introduce new policies that govern the new implementation of certain aspects of the department.

Dr. Doreen McGunagle is fiercely committed to guiding corporate and non-profit leaders who are serious about making corporate culture shifts to boost profits, performance, and growth as world-class service organizations. For more great information visit http://www.globalstrategicmgmt.com/blog

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How Successful Companies Deal With Changes in Management

How Successful Companies Deal With Changes in Management

change management process change management plan

It is the pride and joy of so many third world citizens to say that they are associated with one or other of the many relatively wealthy individuals who head prominent businesses of various kinds in many of these little countries around the world.

It is a fact, so common, that few stop to question the implications of this mind-set. That is not at all unusual; for a mind-set is a little like a box in which one has lived all his/her life. Never having got out of the box, one believes that its confines mark the boundaries of the world. The inside of the box becomes the only reality a person ever knows, if there is no way of getting out and looking at it from a perspective that allows one to see that they were indeed in a box.

Many businesses in these countries are still in the BOX. They believe that going international is only a matter of public relations and publicity. They believe they can change public opinion simply by running an expensive advertising campaig n. They don't know that what people say in the 'whispering campaigns' is the most deadly and powerful in this country. They believe that the glossy magazines and annual reports full of fictitious stories about their modern approach to management will cover them for life. They believe that they will be able to take shareholders' and investors' money and use it without any reckoning or accountability. They count on never being investigated.

The protection they have gained from the wars and/or other political situations - by way of postponing the inevitable is, after all, only a postponement. They will have to display greater transparency in the way they manage their material and human resources. Can they continue to ensure the same level of returns on investment to their shareholders after the investment in the physical infrastructure is over? Can they continue to ensure profitability after the opportunities for making easy money are over? Can they continue to deceive th e world about the reliability and modernization of their management structures and systems with smooth talk and no facts? Yes, the new buildings look like space-age structures, but will they be sufficient to hide the senile management philosophies and the despotic decisions made by one man or woman who is probably the least informed on the issue under consideration?

Let me throw some questions at you:

Would you entrust your money to a person over whom neither you nor anyone else had any control?Would you place the fate of your son or daughter in the hands of someone who is not only less educated, but who thinks but he/she knows everything because he/she made a lot of money by dishonesty or luck?Would you put an individual in charge of the destiny of hundreds of people, without ever asking how that individual could be stopped if he/she made bad decisions?Would you give single individuals so much power that they could do everything in their power to render themselves indispensable?Would you give a manager so much power that even should their judgment become impaired and they begin to make irrational decisions no one would have the ability to stop them?Why does the structure of so many big businesses make the CEO/PDG accountable to no one?What happens when that person dies or is incapacitated? Does the business go down the drain because there are no immediate or well prepared successors?

If these questions seem unnecessary to you, you should make a close examination of a few of the biggest and apparently most successful businesses in these small third world countries. Nine out of ten are run by one person who controls the destiny of hundreds of other persons. The job market is highly static because mobility between one organization and the other is severely limited for a multitude of reasons including the fact that business owners often know each other and do not want to spoil personal friendships by employing someone who has had a fall ing-out with a friend.

Another question to ask is why do so many competent, young professional become so frustrated when they return to their home countries after living abroad that they eventually leave again? Who should we sympathize with? Those who complain that they can't find effective leaders or those who say that most business managers are really looking for obedient followers who will adhere to their archaic management systems? How can businesses in third world countries attract and retain the brightest and the best of their young professionals? The business representatives are very good at painting a rosy picture to those who have not yet experienced local businesses from the inside. However, once these fine young men and women see what the rosy picture hides, they suffer one of the greatest deceptions of their lives and eventually turn their backs on their home country to serve other nations and build foreign businesses because there are no challenging opport unities at home.

How much longer can such a state of affairs prevail before we pay a heavy price for our shortsightedness?

Can it be true that only CEOs or PDGs and Directors over 60 years of age, with management styles inspired by the 'carrot and stick' approach know what they are doing and that they are the ones who are going to lead their country into the next Century?

If economies are to recover, it must be placed on firmer foundations than those on which it rests today. Family-owned businesses which depend on the life or death of one person are just not good enough. Job stability which depends entirely on the capricious whims of just one person and a workforce that is impotent to defend itself are not good enough. Economies that are so vulnerable as to be no more stable than the lives of the people who run them; which have no room for accountability or recourse to justice: these cannot serve the purposes of any country that wishes to survive within a g lobal economy managed by financial resources much greater than single country's entire GDP. Wake up Rip van Winkle!

Fay Niewiadomski founded ICTN (International Consulting & Training Network) in 1993. ICTN provides complete management services to its clients who are among the leading regional and multinational players. Furthermore, she has worked with CEOs, Board Members, Presidents and Ministers of Government and other Leaders to help them meet the challenges of change within their organizations through creative problem solving, management interventions and powerful communication strategies. Prior to founding ICTN, she researched the subject of "Managing Change through Needs-Based Assessment' in large Lebanese Organizations" for her doctoral work at the University of East Anglia in the UK. Additionally, she also held various university positions as a professor at AUB and LAU and as Dean of the Faculty of Humanities at NDU.

For additional information on how to im prove performance and increase productivity through people, decrease cost and better ensure growth and sustainability, visit http://www.ictn.com/.

Discover easy and proven techniques that will help you Guarantee Results by improving your leadership skills. CLICK this link http://www.ictn.com/english/free-articles.aspx?id=49 and receive your Free copy of Management Problems & Solutions.

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Business Not As Usual or "How to Think Out of the Box"

Business Not As Usual or "How to Think Out of the Box"

change management process change management plan

If you're in business you should know that there are 100's of things you need to pay attention to in your business, from operations, through sales, marketing and administration. From my experience I can tell you that all basic business practices are the same and the #1 reason so many businesses fail, beyond the usual of under capitalization is this. They don't take the time to pay attention to all the details in every dept., which can amount to thousands of things to do. So how do you pay attention to everything? You hire the right people and dissect everything. Since I can't address all aspects of your business in this article I'll start with a basic that most businesses people don't get and almost no one talks about, which is this. "How to think out of the box".

So what does this really mean? As they say "you only know what you know" and "you just don't know what you don't know." Since you can't know everything "How do you begin to think differently?"

Let's begin with understanding how we operate and then get to the solutions for you. We have 2 systems that drive us, or that we operate from, which is scientifically proven, and written about in a book called, "Thinking Fast and Slow", by Daniel Kahneman.

Through decades of tests it is proven that our brain has 2 operating systems, or 2 ways of acting. The first is called System 1, this is our FAST automatic or reactive system. It's the fight or flight instinctive part of us. And while system 1 is very beneficial to our survival it doesn't help us think logically. As an example if you were driving down a road and suddenly a deer jumps out from the side of the road, System 1 would have you swerve and slam on the brakes without you giving any conscious thought to it at all. If we used System 2 our reaction would be so slow that we'd probably run right over the deer, no swerving and no braking, until it was way too late. Now when it comes to figuring out complex problems in ma th, science and so forth System 1 is of little help, except when it comes to solving simple problems such as how much is 2 + 2, or any other quick answer that we have learned and memorized. So now you get some idea of the benefit of System 1. Quick, responsive, but it can have us act irrationally.

System 2 is the SLOW, logical part of us. It's the thinking part of our brain that allows us to use what we have learned to solve more complex mathematical computations, or in figuring ways to investigate and prove theories. It's when we can rationally think through a problem, allowing us to make sensible, coherent decisions. Unlike System 1, System 2 can have us work for hours solving a problem, theorizing, and elucidating on the potential outcome. It literally keep us out of trouble by allowing us to deliberately act not letting the reactional, and emotional System 1 take over and do things we wish we had thought through.

So what does this have to do with "Thinking Ou t of the Box"? Well as you can see if we use System 1 it would be difficult to find alternative solutions, because System 1 is so reactive. Unfortunately while we might use System 2 wisely in solving business problems we too often use the reactionary, emotional System 1 when others give us advice or give us solutions we haven't thought of. Why? Because we don't want to be thought of as stupid (Why didn't I think of that?), or wrong, because we always want to be right, don't we. However, if you live in being "Right" all the time you are closed off to learning and therefore you remain in "The Box". It's time to stop the emotion and shut down the EGO and get the help you need to find the success you are seeking.

So here's your solutions:

First, accept another way of thinking, or input, from others. It opens the door to you moving outside the box you are in. Take the time to do some research about your subject or the problem your trying to solve.

Second, talk to someone outside of your business, someone who knows little, or nothing about your business to get a different or unique perspective. Why? Because they don't think like you do. There perceptions aren't based in the knowledge you have and therefore will have a different and perhaps a unique view. Talk to experts in your field and others in your industry to get their perspective. Listen intently and do not discount anything they say because you believe you have, done that, tried that, whatever that is.

Third, write them down, ask more questions, go deeper, and explore, discuss, and dissect their perspective, the possibilities, and the opportunities. So how much time, credence, and credibility do you permit, enough for you to either achieve that "aha" moment, or when you truly believe you have exhausted all possibilities. Then it's okay to begin making some decisions.

Fourth, take all the input fro m your research and from others, that has been dissected and assessed, and make several plans. Plan "A", "B", and "C". Once all plans are in place be sure that you have the time and resources to compete each plan, and have a method to monitor the results of each plan. Try one at a time giving each plan a reasonable amount of time and to measure the outcome of each.

Fifth, make small adjustments as needed to refine the process and/or the message. Be patient and allow the process or program to run as you intended! We all want instant gratification, but stick to the plan, which may take weeks or months. And never radically change the program mid-stream, it's a sure way to waste time, money, and resources. Not everything you do will work as intended, that's why you plan, evaluate, test, evaluate and test again, and then execute the final plan. And know that with all things you must continue the process as the world and your business is fluid and ever chang ing.

In closing remember this: If you fail to plan, you are planning to fail. And most of the time we don't think it through because we are impatient to find success and we let our EGO get in the way. What we are doing is reacting to what we believe we perceive and making a decision before we have completed all the steps. Thinking it through could be as little as a few minutes, or it could be days or weeks, but don't over analyze, and don't try to make it perfect. Perfect is only a perception.

And whoever said "Don't reinvent the wheel" was wrong. Reinventing the wheel is good and necessary, if you don't you'll be stuck in the Stone Age with Fred Flintstone. Innovate, plan, and execute!

Now go ahead and solve those nagging problems and find your success.

Quick 5 Step Recap

Step 1- Accept that You Don't have All of the Answers. Research your Subject or Problem

Step 2- Seek Input from O thers outside and inside your industry. Listen and don't prejudge any ideas

Step 3- Ask questions, explore, discuss, and dissect the ideas until you get that "aha" moment.

Step 4- Make several plans and be sure you have the time and the resources to complete the testing process. Then test and evaluate, and test and evaluate, and test and evaluate - It's ongoing!

Step 5- Make small incremental adjustments, so the plan doesn't radically change. Implement a final plan and then monitor, and change as necessary.

If you fail to plan, you are planning to fail.

Innovate, plan, and execute!

Arthur Tassinello is an author, life coach and a motivational speaker from West Palm Beach, Florida. Arthur can help you break through and reach your goals by working with you one on one as your personal coach and mentor. You can find out more about his coaching services by goi ng to: http://www.thecoffeehousecoach.com/life-coach/ Contact Arthur today so you can start living the life you have always dreamed of living.

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The Final Two Minutes - How to Play Full Out in Your Business

The Final Two Minutes - How to Play Full Out in Your Business

I love watching the final minutes of basketball and football games. There's something amazing about how athletes always play full out until the very end. It doesn't matter whether they are winning or losing - they play until the buzzer rings.

This concept of the "final two minutes" is so important in your business. I see business owners giving up before the metaphorical buzzer all the time and walking away from golden opportunities for huge wins at the last minute.

Here's how you give up. And here's also how to play full out in the final two minutes.

Where You Stop:

You launch your group program and 5 people register. Your goal was 10 people.

You start your program and figure you'll hit 10 the next time you launch it.

Playing Until The Final Two Minutes:

You keep marketing, doing speaking events, meeting people with the goal of finding those other five people. And you keep enrolling people into your program for the first two months. You never give up and you just keep marketing.

Where You Stop:

Your revenue goal for this month was $8,000. You've made $5,000 and there are 7 days left in the month. You figure you can't generate $3,000 in 7 days. So you don't even try.

Playing Until The Final Two Minutes:

You put yourself out there and meet clients. You call everyone on your low hanging fruit list. You stop and have a chat with the universe and your guides and ask them where the money is. You go full steam until the end of the month. Worst case, the leads turn to money next month. Best case, you find a gold mine and hit your goal on the last day of the month. It's just about you not giving up on yourself and playing full out.

Where You Stop:

There are 8 people signed up for your speaking event t hat is seven days away. You decide that there is nothing more that you can do to fill the room. You blame yourself for not marketing more sooner and putting more people in the room.

Playing Until The Final Two Minutes:

You pick up the phone and call everyone that could be at that event. You send tons of personal e-mails. You get creative about partnerships and ways that other people can send people to your event. Know that this kind of creativity and persistence is what fills a room. Everyone who has full rooms today started that way in the beginning.

I could go on and on with examples here, but I think you get the point. Here's what you need to know - it is in the last two minutes that the most growth occurs. It is during that final 2-minute crunch period that you will push past your comfort zone and start to expand. And that expansion is what creates a breakthrough. So hit the court - you've still got two minutes!

For: Women Entrep reneurs

Monica Shah founded Ideal Balance in 2006 to help busy professionals lose all the weight they want and keep it off forever. The IB approach is balanced, holistic and simple to implement for even the busiest people. Her clients are able to find peace and balance in their lives through sustained weight loss and healthy eating. She conducts nutrition and health coaching, live workshops and various events in New York City and San Francisco. Please go to http://www.idealbalanceinc.com/tips to get your free "Managing Overwhelm" kit and weekly tips.

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What Approach Is Needed to Exceed Our Customer's Expectations?

What Approach Is Needed to Exceed Our Customer's Expectations?

change management process change management plan

Customers reward businesses that provide innovative and unique products and services that they need or want. As managers we look for ways to more quickly bring innovation and uniqueness to our businesses, our products and services. We understand that the slow-moving approaches of the past that were based on principles like "if it isn't broke, don't fix it" don't help us in exceeding expectations. However, finding and delivering innovative and unique products must still be weighed with due diligence that considers value and mitigates risk. We know and have seen that due diligence is most effective when we include the diverse wisdom of our stakeholders. As owners and managers, we want our due diligence approaches to actively identify new opportunities and stretch our businesses towards faster improvements or take us in a new direction when a clear advantage is possible.

Our due diligence approaches should be geared to the pressures we face as businesses and should foc us on value, opportunity and uniqueness. We want to quickly identify opportunities to improve and when a new advantage arises possibly take our businesses in a new direction. Our checklists should be current and facilitate a systematic approach that is both predictive and analytical. Our stakeholders must consider important matters or dismiss items that are of little value or risk as a fundamental part of the process. Stakeholders should weigh opportunities in an engaging, simple and straightforward approach that considers the effects of an opportunity or risk to supporting business operations and sustainment. This systematic and engaging approach increases the chance for finding real opportunities to the business and makes the business less vulnerable to unmitigated or unseen threats.

This engaging and systematic due diligence approach requires supporting periodic reviews and program milestones to be most effective. Further, impact measures will focus the business's a ttention on the relative handful of opportunities and risks that matter most. Supporting this business based process with knowledge, experience, leadership, and stakeholder teams are essential to provide authority and control. Further, within the business, one person needs to be responsible for your due diligence or innovation process to keep it simple, engaging, and actively identifying new opportunities, keeping opportunity and risk categories, managing / creating a register, developing consistent assessment methods and then ensuring sufficient participation by the needed program and technical stakeholders. This single and simple approach will forecast, measure and mitigate opportunities and risks across the business.

Keeping it simple only requires that your business gains the advantage of opportunity. Having a predictive and value analytical approach dramatically enables your business to outpace your competition using innovation. Businesses that actively engage the ir teams and challenge their stakeholders will most quickly find and drive towards innovation.

There are plenty of real life examples of how businesses were able to break into new frontiers where they could dominate with few competitors. The steps they took are repeatable and applicable to many markets, new and old. Diversity within your own business and group interaction are key elements to finding new opportunities and then setting a new direction in moving your business there. Rational decision-making regarding risks and rewards, using knowledge, experience and leadership are the foundation for valuable innovation and taking our businesses to uniqueness that is needed in exceeding today's expectations.

Absolute Consulting Solutions is a highly qualified IT professional and PMI PMP certified Project Managers organization. We are highly experienced business analysts and systems engineers experienced in leading programs, projects and system execution. We keep our promise to our clients and have earned their trust for delivering "Maximized Results that Exceed Expectations." We turn our clients' strategic visions into real results while improving services and customer/partner satisfaction. Visit us at http://www.absoluteconsultingsolutions.com/ to read our testimonials. We will help you and your clients grow your program, save time and improve customer loyalty. Our direct phone number is 703.346.5824.

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Employees Fearing Change? Let's Party!

Employees Fearing Change? Let's Party!

change management process change management plan

Very often it is hard for the more experienced members of a department to make a transition from the comfortable habits and success to which they have become accustomed to the new (and self-image threatening) tools and practices of change.

Here is something that worked well for me that may give you some ideas for your situation.

At the time, I was a department manager in a bank's operations division. We were changing from a labor-intensive process to more automation using new technology that came easily to young employees but intimidated the older ones.

The older ones had a level of high production status earned through many years of experience. This enabled them to manually process the documents very quickly in our old, non-tech environment. They were always more productive than the younger ones who simply were not old enough to have accumulated years of experience.

As the new equipment came in and the younger ones began producing documents faster than the most skilled manual-producer could ever do, I saw fear and resistance beginning to build among the veterans. The days of their high production status were coming to a close quickly. Technology and younger employees would soon turn their whole production world - and status - upside down.

In a flash of insight (or dumb luck), I realized that we could not move forward with the new technology and culture while our more senior clerks were clinging tightly to their very successful past. Also, without some kind of recognition of what they had accomplished (i.e., acknowledging, "they were somebody"), their resistance to change could poison the department.

So, what better solution was there than a party?

We had a "New Year's Party" in July - only this was not a calendar new year but a technological new year. My assistant and I dreamed up some superlative awards that we could give to every veteran to make sure each was uniquely recognized.

"Most Loan Documents processed while working shorthanded", "Best mechanic on the sorter machine" (that was being replaced), etc. We gave them a gaudy sash to wear with their title on it ("Best Sorter Mechanic") and a crown made with construction paper and lots of glitter.

Since we were trashing the old equipment anyway (we had long since amortized it), we offered three swings with a hammer for $1.00.The money went to a charity they selected, we had cake and ice cream while taking a lot of pictures of laughing people whacking away at the obsolete equipment.

After all of that fun, I summarized what it was about by saying an era was closing and we wanted to acknowledge the high producers that helped us get through it. We were closing one chapter of our history together and moving together into the next one. The older staff had helped the younger ones learn the old way and become productive.

And now it was time for the younger ones to return the favor by helping the veterans with the new technology. We posted the pictures on the walls, award winners hung their sashes by their desks, and we moved into our brave new world.

We were able to do so easily because we took some time to acknowledge the value and contributions of the older ones and drew a formal close to the previous era. The older ones were satisfied that we properly recognized and appreciated them and then were able to accept the help of the younger ones.

Please remember that everyone AT ANY AGE needs to feel valued. As long as they think you are looking out for them, they will look out for you.

Richard ("Dick") Grimes has used his 30+ years experience in training and operations management for private and public organizations as a foundation for his company, Outsource Training.biz LLC.

Human Resource professionals can earn pre-approved, re-certification training hours by visiting his website, http://www.outsourcetrainingonline.com/. If they send an email to him after taking a course with the word "Ezine" in the subject line, they'll get a $25 REBATE on the course.

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How Email Is A Design Office Problem

How Email Is A Design Office Problem

change management process change management plan

Email is one of the greatest advances in communication. However, email is a potential problem in the design office and effective email management is a priority.

It is this ease of communication that is the difficulty in project management. When we receive "important" information we need to pass it on immediately, so we fill the "to" box with as many addresses as we believe need to receive it. Then we worry that maybe others need to know we have sent it, and others might want to know too, so we fill the "cc" box with more and then we click send!

So say we now have messages to 20 people. To some receivers the information is of no immediate interest, so it gets filed or left in the inbox and forgotten about.

To others it is perhaps of more immediate interest or even importance, but as you copied the entire email, which might itself be formed of a series of replies, they miss the crucial bit of information that was in a reply perhaps 5 emails down. It is eas ily assumed that everyone always reads their email soon after receipt, spots the items of importance, and carries out the necessary actions. We suffer from email overload and to cope with email many read it quickly or leave it to read it later. So, in fact, essential information has not even been read or perhaps only skimmed, but design is proceeding to which it has relevance, resulting in rework when it catches up.

Email has become a monster. It, or rather unnecessary email, eats time that could be better spent. Staff spend a significant amount of time each day trying to stay on top of email and in some cases failing. Time is lost looking for emails later when the "did you get it" conversation happens, followed by other work being set aside to deal with it. A series of contradictory emails can send teams in one direction and then another. A surge of activity at the loss of something else occurs then it is back to the first plan.

How do we solve the problem? You can use 5S:

• Sift - Only send what is necessary, so it is clear what the subject is, and what the action required is. Avoid using "Reply All" and forwarding an entire email chain.

• Sort - Decide who needs the information and send only to them

• Set in Order - Structure the filing of emails to avoid creating a morass of email, particularly in the inbox. Use a priority system for action.

• Standardise - Get everyone to use the same rules

• Sustain - Keep doing it

We must recognise that email is a push medium and that it can cause a wave of tasks or work in progress that is counter to smooth levelled flow in a lean process; especially if it is not structured, prioritized and targeted. Use of systems like Sharepoint or Business Collaborator to organise information "pools" from which teams can extract information when needed is preferable to email.

At the personal level, use 5D to manage your inbox:

Do (the action),Defer (a dd to a to do list),Delete,Delegate, orDrawer (file).

Email is a significant advancement in communication, but it favours quantity over quality. Sending less email, and improving quality of email sent is critical to the efficiency and effectiveness of the design process. Adopting "pull" based systems to distribute information is preferable to the use of email.

Andrew Munro

Munro Consulting

http://www.munro-consultants.co.uk/

Munro Consulting provides value management, lean construction and technical advisory services to the construction industry in the UK.

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