How Do Leaders Deal Effectively With Too Many Initiatives At The Same Time? Part #2

As I pointed out last week, numerous organizations across the country are being swamped by too many initiatives. It is accelerated convergence and senior leaders and especially middle managers are on the verge of burn-out with how to cope with it all.

When dealing with this major problem, we, as leaders, need to have the will and the discipline to make hard choices. This will include having the courage to count and assess current initiatives, establish priorities after candid feedback and finally to put in place a sunset clause to all initiatives so those executing them are required to reapply for funding on a regular basis. 

John Doerr in his book, Measure What Matters: How Google, Bono, and Gates Foundation Rock the World with OKRs (Portfolio, 2018) recommends we ask the following question when setting up a new goal: “How does the new goal stack up against existing ones?” Rose Hollister and Michael D. Watkins in their article, “Too Many Projects: How to deal with initiative overload”(September-October 2018 issue of the Harvard Business Review) recommends we ask the following two questions: “Does it [the new goal] have a positive impact on the business?” “Does it have a positive impact on the culture?” I believe all three of these questions are excellent starting places to prevent initiative overload.

From my experience, we are rushing the goal setting process and not actually spending enough time in in-depth thought and reflection. We are forgetting to explore whether or not the organization has the capability to support new goals and whether or not the employees have a level of individual competency to execute the goal in a successful manner.

Furthermore, Matthias Holweg, Bradley Staats, and David M. Upton in their article, “Making Process Improvements Stick”, in the November-December 2018 Harvard Business Review explain that early results that lead to process improvement can actually lead to back sliding. As they explain, to prevent back sliding, after the initial improvement, there needs to be viable support from senior leaders. “Without it, front line workers believe that the company’s enthusiasm for the effort has wandered, and backsliding ensues.” With strong support, 35% greater improvements happen after a year. However, there needs to be “consistent measuring and monitoring” for continued success.

To help with the aforementioned challenges, Matthias Holweg, Bradley Staats, and David M. Upton recommend three ways to help initiatives achieve sustained improvements over time. First, leaders need to communicate “the program in a clear narrative that aligns with the organization’s purpose.” Second, they need to direct “efforts toward pain points whose easing would clearly benefit employees.” Third, they need to ensure “that senior leaders act as coaches, enabling small wins to increase employees’ motivation and engagement.”

This week, remember that the biggest barriers to change and initiative overload are confusing strategies. So, can you clearly state what are the strategies of your company and why they were chosen? If so, are you and your team on the same page with this level of clarity? Finding common ground and common answers will make a big difference during the coming weeks.

Geery Howe, M.A. Consultant, Executive Coach, Trainer in Leadership, Strategic Planning and Organizational Change Morning Star Associates 319 - 643 - 2257