Introduction
There is so much change happening right now. It feels overwhelming and chaotic. Some people like it, and some people do not. Whichever the case, most people are trying hard to think carefully and thoughtfully about how to respond. As I listen to leaders talk about this time period, I am reminded of the phrase, “herding butterflies,” referencing the work of Richard Pascale, Mark Millemann and Linda Gioja in their fascinating book, Surfing The Edge of Chaos: The Laws of Nature and the New Laws of Business, (Three Rivers Press, 2000).
For me, it just feels like we are moving through the early stages of a mammoth Trough Of Chaos. Now, some will call it a Grand Canyon of Crazy or a Long Valley of the Absurd. I have even heard it called the Pit of Despair and the Valley of Bewilderment. Whichever the metaphor, we must remember that the Trough Of Chaos is normal. And what everyone wants in the midst of it is more predictability. They also want all their plans to actually work. They even want all their goals to be executed in a timely and efficient manner. Yet, we know on one level, even if we don’t want to admit this, that this is a day dream at best, and more likely a nightmare at worse.
So, what do we need to do when we feel like we are herding butterflies in the midst of a tornado?
The Preservation Stage
First, we need to understand the early stages of a trough of chaos. As events unfold, people will react in normal ways to all that is happening. This will take the form of two things happening at the same time, namely denial and lack of orientation. Denial is a defense mechanism that people use to protect themselves from the reality of loss or hardship. When combined with a lack of orientation, namely no idea where the organization is going or where everything else is going, the whole goal of this response is to preserve a past definition of success and the comfort that came with it. In short, by ignoring the signs that the past is over, people are able to retain a sense of control, predictability, and order in their lives at work.
When I was called in to figure why an organization was struggling, I discovered common patterns when an organization had entered a trough of chaos. First, I often observed a level of senior management isolation from front line challenges. I also discovered that the strategic nexus was not part of strategic or operational decision making, and that there was no clear understanding by key leaders in the organization of the trends that were transforming the organization. Next, I found midlevel management lacking a strategic mindset, and a lack of ownership for the current strategic plan. I also found that there were no clear 90 day plans and no understanding of the current strategic priorities. Furthermore, there was no time for creative thought, reflection, or dialogue, because everyone was so busy managing the chaos of the day to day operations. In short, operational compliance and chaos reduction was the only choice people made as they sought to maintain status quo.
Now, many leaders respond to this situation by explaining away the choices others are making. They say that everything is just “temporary.” Then, they choose to amplify the positive and attempt to put a spin on the data they are receiving. They even go so far as to blame external factors for current setbacks or struggles. Few of these leaders accept responsibility. Instead, they choose to ignore the uncomfortable reality that things are not going as well as they had hoped they would be.
However, there are people in leadership positions who do not choose denial or externalization as a response to the aforementioned signs that things have gotten stuck in a trough of chaos. These leaders do not accept chronic inconsistency in performance outcomes. Instead, they choose to engage in strategic reflection and dialogue. They pause and clarify the current reality in order to make thoughtful choices rather than panicked responses to uncomfortable information.
A Focusing Strategy
These thoughtful choices fall into four specific forms of leadership. First, leaders offer direction. This can come in two forms. One, it can be defining the strategic direction and/or intent of the company in the midst of all that is happening. Two, it can be defining what needs to happen operationally on a day to day basis in order to keep everyone focused on what’s most important.
Second, leaders engage in sharing key information. When people are in a trough of chaos, they routine experience a level of cognitive dissonance, because what they believe should be happening and what is actually happening don’t line up. Sometimes this happens because there is some degree of hubris born of past success. If this is the case, more likely the leader has an understanding of the why factor which drives them to think change is the best option given current events. However, everyone else is totally clueless.
Third, along with giving direction and sharing more information, these leaders focus on structure. Again, this can come in two different forms. One form is to focus on the table of organization or the TO and determine whether or not the right people are reporting to the right people in order to make change happen effectively. The other form is to determine if the performance management system, i.e. the translation of strategy into goals, is actually working as designed. From my experience, this is rarely the case.
Fourth, these leaders focus on prioritizing the work that needs to get done. Here, we recognize that some things are important and other things are urgent. The goal is to focus on the things that are both urgent and important, making sure that these priorities are not forgotten in the midst of busy and chaotic work. The sum of these four actions, directing, telling, structuring, and prioritizing, will always result in movement, and if repeated enough over time, all involved will gain a deeper and more holistic understanding of what is talking place and why it needs to take.
To assist in gaining this greater and holistic understanding, leaders need to engage in strategic dialogue around some critical questions. The five questions I often recommended as a consultant came from the following book: Drucker, Peter, Frances Hesselbein, and Joan Snyder Kuhl. Peter Drucker’s Five Most Important Questions: Enduring Wisdom for Today’s Leaders (Wiley, 2015). Theses were the five questions: “What is our mission? Who is our customer? What does the customer value? What are our results? What is our plan?”. Over time, I have found that these five questions generate a solid level of sharing and often new perspectives and insights.
The Deer In The Headlights Zone
The outcome of this work during the trough of chaos is that many people end up in a place I like to call the deer in the headlights zone. Once they realize that change is going to happen, whether they like it or not, and once they realize that they themselves will need to change how they work on a day to day basis, they often display the behaviors related to shock, fear, and a degree of just being baffled by it all. Even though the leader has been telling them all along, they stayed in denial until it finally sunk it. They, in essence, moved from unaware to aware, and to some degree of understanding.
At this point, I refer leaders to the work of the late William Bridges, who noted that change management and transition management are two different things. Change management is focused on outcomes and new beginnings. Transition management, on the other hand, is focused on the internal and emotional process people experience during change.
From Bridges’ perspective, a transition starts with an ending and finishes with a new beginning. Those involved have to let go of their old ways of working, and deal with the related losses that come with this choice. In essence, Bridges recognizes that change is psychological, not just intellectual.
With this framework in mind, Bridges points out that during transitions people need the following four things. First, they need to understand the why behind the changes, i.e. purpose. Second, they need to have a picture of what the other side of the trough of chaos is going to look and feel like when they get there. Third, they need a plan that articulates the step-by step goals of how to get to the picture. Fourth, they need clarity about their role in the process, i.e. their part.
When I have worked with a group, who is struggling in the deer in the headlights zone, having a clear sense of purpose, picture, plan and part makes a profound difference in moving through the challenges before them. I also have encouraged leaders to create 30 day plans that generate micro wins, i.e. signs of making progress toward the desired outcome, and to actively engage in positive reinforcement. The goal is to support all involved, reinforce new behavioral choices, and to show you care about people as they struggle forward.
To be continued on Tuesday.
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