Albert Einstein once said that the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over yet expecting different results. Organizational Transformation breaks through that insanity. It’s not about working harder—I remember working with several clients during the economic challenges of recent years, and helping them realize that working harder can only “fix” problems when not working hard caused the problems in the first place.
And who was going to admit they weren’t already working hard?
Transforming an organization is not simply improving results, no matter how significant. Organizational Transformation is about being a different organization, not just a better one. It’s change on steroids… that “step-change” that leapfrogs an organization into an entirely different—and better—place.
Organizations wanting to adapt, change, or transform cannot force such change through simple technical modifications like reorganization, reengineering, or the like. You certainly cannot “save” your way there, nor create a budget or forecasting model that will do it. No, you can’t “spreadsheet” into transforming an organization.
This isn’t a quantitative exercise. If it were, I’d develop a do-all Excel spreadsheet for “Transforming Your Organization.” You would simply plug in your numbers, hit “calculate,” and out would come your winning formula for successfully transforming your organization. I would charge a bazillion dollars, have a private island in Tahiti, and wouldn’t invite any of you to come visit.
Don’t we wish…
To fundamentally transform an organization, you must first embrace a new way of leadership performance to better understand and address challenges and interpret business movements.
How does that happen? In my view, Organizational Transformation needs three elements to succeed:
A clear direction, with equally clear expectations and specific goals. If you don’t know—or can’t clearly articulate—where you’re going, don’t expect to see a throng behind you;
An engaged workforce; we’ll need massive quantities of discretionary effort, and the ability to discern positive directions without incessant oversight. That only comes from a workforce willing to do the right thing for the organization, with or without your immediate presence;
Changed leadership. To change a culture—we must start with leaders. That’s just the reality. Leaders capable of moving the proverbial needle closer to transformation must first transform themselves, focusing less on operational leadership and more on focusing on flexibility, collaboration, and “collective” leadership.
There’s nothing inherently simple about Organizational Transformation, but neither is it beyond the reach of any organization. It takes vision, fortitude, and resolve. In other words, you’ve got to want it—really want it—to get it. Start there, move forward.
Analog… “Analog…” Analog… it sounds so, well, old.
Leadership, in its most successful, meaningful form, is not about size, scope, or reach. It’s about relationships. Trusting relationships. Our followers trust those they hold out as leaders when:
That leader demonstrates appropriate competency for their position,
The leader demonstrates integrity (does what she says she’ll do), and
The leader convinces them they have some level of empathy; that they care as much about the subordinate as they do themselves.
Leadership is entirely personal. It’s about people. It’s all about trust! (more…)
One of your best employees (by whatever performance measure you use) needs an extra day of bereavement leave for the death of a grandparent who raised her near single-handedly. This employee has been with you 6+ years, with no attendance issues, no unreasonable demands, and you can’t even remember the last time she asked you for something. (more…)
Mistakes. Nobody likes ‘em, everybody makes ‘em. Yet it still sends a quiver up the spines of leaders everywhere, hearing “you made a mistake.” Our minds start racing, searching for pieces of memory that could reveal where we may have stretched a bit, or perhaps were a bit unsure in the decision we made.
“Crap! Now what…?”
We investigate our mistake, searching minute details in hopes of ensuring we never make that mistake again. Or any mistake, frankly. Many of us spend numerous waking hours fretting over the possibility (and reality) of making one mistake or another, incorrectly believing that error-free efforts are the minimum threshold of success for leadership.
How’s that working for you? I’ve got some suggestions that may help you be more successful — and less frustrated — in your leadership decision-making. First, a newsflash: you will make mistakes. Get over it. Mistakes are not inherently bad; our reactions to mistakes are much more telling than the mistake itself.
So, here we go… The 3 Principles for Avoiding Death through Mistakes: (more…)
Ok, this is a bit of a reach for a Leadership blog, but not really. Tipping — gratuities for service employees — has reached entitlement status, not much different than many current, regular employees.
This is interesting to me, as my wife and I are active consumers. We eat out frequently, do the Starbucks thing, and utilize service providers all the time in our daily lives — as do many of you.
Tips are extra – something on top of a bill for receiving something, literally, “extra.” I’ll tip 20-30% for outstanding service in a nice restaurant, particularly one that we frequent regularly. The level of service provided, then, is truly top-notch.
I’ll even tip 15% for mediocre restaurant service. If the server is neither abusive nor neglectful, I assume they are simply poorly trained, and will mention something to the manager – but still leave a respectable 15% tip. Let them be abusive or (in my mind) purposefully disrespectful, and fuhggetaboutit. I’ll leave the big “0” when necessary to make a point. No more scaling down from 15% or so.
We tip regular service providers, such as stylists, delivery people, etc., usually around 10%, depending on level of service and extenuating circumstances. Tips are both a reward for current service, and a notice of future tips for FUTURE service, so we use them judiciously.
But, and here’s the crux of this post, those tip jars in all the coffee joints and related places… are you kidding me??? I’m going to get out of my car, walk into the shop, wait in line, order and pay, then wait in line for my $4.25 triple-venti-nonfat-no-whip-mocha, and then put money in a tip jar??
What the hell for??
When pigs fly…
They recently opened a new Starbucks in my small hometown of Spring, Texas. The drive-in window – YES, THE DRIVE-IN WINDOW – has a tip jar on the little ledge that sticks out.
After giving my order, I tapped on the glass. The nice young lady slid open the window, and I said, “Excuse me, it seems you’re out of mints,” while gesturing toward that ridiculous tip jar.
IN THE DRIVE-IN LANE OF STARBUCKS!
And we wonder if this “entitlement” thing is real??
I was just doing some thinking on a plane ride recently (not much else to do). Often, we are our own worst enemy, sabotaging our efforts with our own behavior. Though added resources (people, money, etc.) seem to be an answer to many of our challenges, the reality is that Leadership, first and foremost, is what will cause us to succeed or fail. (more…)
