Not too long ago, I was meeting with a mid-level manager about the implementation of a new way to do customer service, i.e. a whole new service delivery model, including a new position plus a new TO to match the new service delivery model. He was deeply frustrated, not with the model, the position or the TO changes. He was frustration with not being heard as to his concerns about the speed of the implementation process and not being included in the process of defining the new KPIs to determine implementation success.
“I hear your frustration,” I responded, “and let’s pause for a moment. I can not change the pathway of how we got here. There are many leadership lessons that you and I can learn from what has taken place.
Now, given we can’t change the past, let’s look at what to do moving forward. First, can you tell me what is the goal or strategy that is driving all of these changes?”
What followed was a journey of understanding the WHY factors, not just focusing on the WHAT, i.e. what had happened. Some days we do not get to choose how things unfold and yet we have to continue to move forward effectively. One key to this process is to make sure we as a leader, no matter what level we are within the company, can create clarity. And in this situation, we also need to connect that clarity, e.g. about the new model and TO changes, back to the overall strategy and goals within the current strategic plan.
When I am dealing with situations of this nature, I think of Herminia Ibarra and her book, Act Like A Leader, Think Like A Leader (Harvard Business Review Press, 2015). In it, she writes: “… the quality of a leader’s idea is not the only thing people consider when making up their minds about whether to engage with a leader. Naive leaders act as if the idea itself is the ultimate selling point. Experienced leaders, on the other hand, understand that the process is just as important, if not more so. How they develop and implement their ideas, and how leaders interact with others in this process, determines whether people become engaged in the leaders’ efforts.”
Ibarra’s formula for success comes down to the following: the idea + the process + you = success in leading change. What we have to remember as leaders is that, as she continues, “… the you part always trumps the idea and is the filter through which people evaluate the process.” In short, it all boils down to the quality of people’s relationships with others before they engage in making change. This depth of clarity about the importance of alignment with overall strategy plus building healthy work relationships is what leaders do every day to empower their organization’s culture.
From my vantage point, when I find an organization and an empowered culture, I really pay attention to the leaders. Those leaders who empower their culture do something that at first seemed inconsequential but upon hours of reflection, I have come to the conclusion that it is critical to their success. They are constantly networking, i.e. friend-raising, but more important they are building networks of people. They are not connecting people with just themselves as much as with other leaders within and outside the company. By constantly connecting people to people, these leaders understand that this network of connections has the potential to become a network of support for empowered action and perspective. Furthermore, sometimes this network will help people operationally focus on their internal responsibilities or their own personal or professional development, but what I notice most of all is how much this network helps people with strategic focus and understanding the bigger picture.
This week I challenge you to continue building your own network and also to helping others to build their networks. The combination of the two would be a force multiplier for all involved.
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