Many years ago, James Champy, a leading authority on management and business reengineering wrote, “The results are in: Reengineering works -- up to a point. The obstacle is management. The only way we're going to deliver on the full promise of reengineering is to start reengineering management -- by reengineering ourselves.” This is a profound insight that many people have missed in their rush to get things done. To create an authentic change within an organizations, you must always begin with yourself.
A long time ago, I learned this lesson during a morning retreat with a hospital, senior management group. We were one hour into a three-hour session when I finally admitted to myself that we weren't getting anywhere. I knew that my message was on target, but I was not making the connection with the group that I was seeking, so I suggested a break.
While walking outside, I shared my concern and thoughts for regrouping with the HR Director who responded by saying, “Okay, but whatever you do, don't upset the Director of Nursing.” I could see that she was quite serious. And, yet, I was stunned by this obvious lack of trust and regard for her colleague.
When we returned to the room, I proceeded to ask the group three questions:
- Why did you take these jobs?
- Why are you staying?
- What do you need from this group of people so you can cope with the chaos that accompanies change, and move forward into the next level of action that's needed?
The room was quiet until the Director of Nursing spoke. “I know what you call me behind my back,” she said, “but you do not know why I took this job.”
“When I was a child, I had viral pneumonia. In the 40’s and 50’s, they didn't have all of the wonder drugs that we have now. I had a fever that spiked to 107, and my mother bathed me with alcohol for days around the clock trying to break my fever. Finally, she knew she had done all she could, and I was taken to the hospital.
That night outside my room, I overheard the doctor tell my mom that there was no more that he could do for me. My mother was exhausted from being up with me all those nights, and went home to try to get some sleep. She had three other children and a husband to care for, too.
Shortly after she left, a young nurse walked into my room and stood next to the bed. She told me, ‘I heard what the doctor said and I don't believe it. If you and I work together tonight, we will break your fever by dawn.’ There was fire in her eyes; she believed she could do it. That night I slept in the bathtub covered in ice. When the sun broke the horizon, my fever was 99.2! I was saved.
Many people think that I am stubborn and difficult. The reality is that I do not give up. I do not compromise my principles. I do not give in to the status quo. I fight for what I believe is important, because somewhere in our hospital today there is a nurse working with a patient who needs that level of support. Somewhere there is a nurse who knows that her Director of Nursing will not succumb to mediocrity, or talk the talk without walking the walk. Somewhere there is a nurse in this hospital working with a sick little girl or boy who feels helpless and lost. And that nurse will make all the difference like that nurse did for me all those years ago. That nurse needs me to be committed and hard working. Our partnership will make the difference.”
There wasn't a dry eye in the room when we heard her story and learned the core reason for commitment and passion. This was a woman who was not afraid of those three questions. This was a woman who was clear about her vision and her mission in life, and who had answered the call to leadership. And, perhaps most importantly, this was a woman who, through risking this self-disclosure, could finally be understood by others.
So, when planning for change, I recommend leaders start the process by honestly answering these three questions. We must first understand what drives us, our passion and purpose. This then can become the line of continuity through the changes that need to take place in us and within the organization.
We also need to have the courage to share our answers to these three questions with our team and listen carefully to their answers. When we choose to inner clarity, and come into full alignment with our principles and our actions, we create a ripple effect throughout our lives, our families, our work places, and our community.
© Geery Howe 2024
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