Big ideas for big changes
In english, there's the phrase “The only person who likes change is a baby with a wet diaper."
Who doesn't know it - you want to improve something, only to see that the result is ultimately much worse than the starting position. You would have been much better off leaving everything as it was. One is often suspicious of words like "improvement", "transformation", "streamlining" or the like. And rightly so, there is no question that the world has seen more failed attempts at change than successful ones.
A perfect recipe for change is like the mystical Holy Grail. Many have looked for it, nobody has seen it and many would like to believe that it has been found. Even if an organization manages to successfully reinvent itself, it doesn't mean that the exact steps will lead to the same results next time.
The saying goes that the only constant is change. Does this mean that we're inevitably destined for failure and have to confront a new reality every day, or can we only achieve success through sheer luck?
There are certain areas that need to be focused on, certain measures that need to be taken, and certain things that need to be avoided in order to have better chances of successfully transforming an organization. This article aims to highlight some of these points that need to be considered in such an undertaking. But the topic is too broad and complex to be fully illuminated in the form of a blog article. The goal here is to give a nudge to pursue these ideas further for oneself.
Communication
It is very important in this day and age to communicate, communicate and communicate again. This is not to say that you always want to push your own ideas and opinions. People want to understand what you are planning and why you want to change something. It is different from an election, where often things are promised that can't be kept anyway. Many people forget this until the next election and such promises are then made again. When people see that you don't deliver what you preach, they quickly realize that there is no point in working for an employer with so little integrity. People also want to see not only our commitment, but also why anything should be changed at all and what the benefits are for everyone involved.
The key is to translate the call to change into a feeling of meaningfulness. Any abstract numbers and arguments about "better ROI, PE, EBITDA" or other KPIs are unlikely to move people's hearts. Of course, on an intellectual level, everyone is likely to understand the listed numbers and business goals, but they will still be meaningless to them as people. The best possible outcome is that all employees will follow the new guidelines, but no more than that.
All-hands meetings are not bad, but don't rely on them exclusively. Many people don't like this "public" setting and don't act 100% authentic, you might miss out on important feedback this way. You need to support all-hands meetings with more informal sessions in smaller groups - including perhaps even one-on-one conversations.
It is also important to be aware that you cannot usually convince every single person completely. So don't bother trying to get everyone on board. Acknowledge and take into account all feedback, even if it is critical. Ignoring feedback not only increases the risk of missing something obvious, but also sends a clear signal that you already know everything better and are leading from the top down.
Please be aware that not everyone will immediately understand your new ideas after you present them. Make sure to do some follow-up work to ensure that even those in the back row are on the same page.
Find your support
Find people who are willing to champion the new idea and work for it. However, these people should not all be in higher positions in the organizational structure, as this would undermine their credibility. People might think that "The Powers That Be" are simply carrying out changes for their own private gain. You're lucky if you have someone who shares your vision and has a good rapport with all sorts of people—at the top levels and also those who do the "real work" in the company. It saves a lot of headaches if you get people's buy-in before making changes. Make an effort to find everyone who is likely to accept the change and help them see the need for it before it becomes official company-wide.
Welcome, costs!
People will falter when they start to realize the costs and see how much they will have to sacrifice to change. Maybe you even doubt your own vision when it comes down to it. Costs - not just financial costs - are an unavoidable evil when change is needed. This will be difficult for some people and they will fight it. It's like running a marathon, even the most motivated will eventually start to sweat and breathe heavily after a few miles. At this point, it is your job to keep people going once they realize how difficult it is to continue and how much work lies ahead of them - you must encourage, recognize, reward, share the pain, celebrate successes, and help them stay focused.
