Hello, readers! Welcome back to the Educated Leadership blog for another week of learning about Organizational Change.
This week we watched a TED2009™ talk by Seth Godin (2009) about the new world of tribes and reviewed a presentation created by Dr. Daryl Watkins (2011) on 50 of the best reasons for a company or department not to change their status quo. Both presentations provided plenty of material on the topic of change and some of the big issues that will hamper efforts to do so.
Dr. Watkins’ presentation (2011) compiled 50 of the most often heard reasons why making a change is a bad idea. Statements included, “It’s not my job,” “We’ve tried it before,” “It can’t be done,” and one of my favorites, “The competition won’t like it.” I am sorry to say that I have heard those comments and the 46 other statements at some point in my career. I am also guilty of having used some of these statements in my past. As I have gained in age and experience, I have attempted to refrain from using any of the statements because they are basically excuses.
As a senior manager, I cringe at hearing any of the statements in a business environment. I qualify that statement with a locale because I know that versions of all 50 reasons not to change are in the reference handbook most teenagers receive upon reaching their 13th birthday. As part of asserting their independence, they are going to provide multiple reasons why something cannot be done. In a business environment, attitudes exemplified by the statements are great ways to stifle progress and success.
When I hear colleagues or employees make comments like, “The sales team says it can’t be done,” or “It won’t work in a large company,” I think back to a quote by Andy Grove, CEO of Intel, “Ask why, and ask it again five more times, until all of the artifice is stripped away and you end up with an intellectually honest answer.” (Brown, 2011, p. 118) This technique drives at finding the root cause of why the proposed change would be bad or impossible. The questions are an initial diagnostic tool and can serve as a way to illuminate the start of the path to change. There are a plethora of other diagnostic tools and techniques that can be applied to follow-up on the reasons for resistance to change. Surveys, observations, and interviews can all be brought to bear on the issue of change and provide Organizational Development (OD) practitioners with data and information. Overcoming the resistance that serves as the genesis for the 50 statements is where OD practitioners earn their keep.
In my experience, the greatest antidotes to change resistance are the articulation of a vision of the future and providing those impacted by change the information they need to see the benefits they will receive by participating in the change. The change efforts I have seen fail provided no way for the participants to see one or both of those ingredients of change. People are not going to, and shouldn’t be asked to, change just for the sake of change. They need to know it is going to lead somewhere. They need to know it is going to benefit them in some way. Leading change and overcoming the resistance typified by the 50 statements is why we are taking an Organizational Change class. The issues are complicated and intertwined with multitudes of intricacies. Educated leaders will examine the reason for the resistance from multiple perspectives and provide the vision to move ahead. I have utilized these techniques with success in my career. I also know I have much more to learn about. I have seen people I admire as leaders struggle, as have I. This is not easy work. It is rewarding work.
Seth Godin TED Talk™ from 2009 focused on the idea that the internet has allowed the human race to find subgroups, or tribes, to which they would have not previously had exposure. He proposes that this ability to find groups to belong to has created tribes that can each be lead. Godin postulated that each tribe needs a leader and permission is not required to take that role. In fact, Godin believes that these tribes are waiting for someone to point the way for their future (Ted Talk, 2009, 15:44). Another foundational point Godin made was that the leaders of these new tribes have an ability to provide the narrative that illustrates the vision for the tribe. His premise reminded me of another TED Talk™ by Nancy Duarte (2011) that discussed the format of speeches that have changed the world. It’s not just the story that needs to be told, it’s how the story is told. I applied Nancy’s techniques to a speech I gave last year to my organization and I was very pleased by the feedback I received. In fact, the impact of the talk I gave is still providing impact for my team because they all see the vision of our future.
Mr. Godin’s premise that change can be driven by tribes is one I can ascribe to, but change management is not as simple as just finding a group and providing them a vision or narrative. I would recommend watching his talk because it provides yet another perspective on the ways leaders can impact the groups they are privileged to be direct.
My takeaways from this week’s lesson are that communicating a vision is absolutely vital and that most groups are looking for that vision. My life experiences bolster that premise as I have been involved with many groups that are meandering through each day and have little idea what the future will look like for them. I have seen what great things can happen when a leader steps in and provides direction.
There have been a couple of cases where I had to step up and lead when the direction was non-existent from my managers. It was not an easy task, politically or physically. However, the resulting positive outcomes in team performance, overall satisfaction, and personal growth made the stress and strain all worthwhile. You, too, may need to step up and take the reins sometime. Keep studying and keep testing yourself. I wish I knew then what I know now and I will continue to work on my personal growth. The responsibility of leading people is enormous and cannot be taken lightly. You can do it.
See you next week!
Brown, D. R. (2011). An Experiential Approach to Organizational Development. Upper Saddle River, NJ, Prentice-Hall.
Duarte, N. (2011). You Have the Power to Change the World - Nancy Duarte talks at TED, YouTube.
Talks, T. (2009). The tribes we lead - Seth Godin.
Watkins, D. D. (2011). 50 Reasons Not to Change, Prezi.
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