How do effective leaders execute a plan when the future is so wildly unpredictable? - part #1

When it comes to executing a plan in wildly unpredictable times, we need to remember that executing a plan comes with a commitment to risk and a commitment to relationships. As John Paul Lederach in his book, The Moral Imagination: The Art and Soul of Building Peace (Oxford University Press, 2005) writes “Commitment to relationship always entails risk. Sitting in the messy ambiguity of complexity while refusing to frame it in dualistic terms requires risk…. Risk is mystery. It requires a journey. Risk means we take a step toward and into the unknown…. It is the journey of the great explorers for it choose, like the images in the maps of old, to live at the edge of known cartography. Risk means stepping into a place where you are not sure what will come or what will happen.”

Robert H. Miles in his article, “Accelerating Corporate Transformations (Don’t Lose Your Nerve!) Six mistakes that can derail your company’s attempts to change” (Harvard Business Review, January - February 2010) writes that there often is a loss of focus during the execution of a plan. Here are three common mistakes:

- PostLaunch Blues: It can be tough for a leader to switch from playing a visionary role to serving as “ballast and keel,” but that is just what is needed after a strong launch, because a real transformation is about execution. The top leader has to make sure managers at all levels receive and relay a consistent message about the need to drive the key transformation initiatives in the agreed-upon manner. One way to signal your shift into execution mode is to start weekly staff meetings with a review of progress on transformation initiatives, calling attention to people and plans that have drifted out of alignment and noting early lessons that need to be quickly shared.

- Midcourse Overconfidence: The next major slump typically comes after two quarterly check-points have passed…. The business model will need refining, and you will need to tweak initiatives based on lessons from early execution. Miles encourages leaders to hold quarterly checkpoint meetings and   immediately following each of them with mini-cascades, and interventions that take place throughout the company.

- Presumed Perpetual Motion: As the first performance year comes to a close, many executives will succumb to the presumption of perpetual motion. This is the idea that things will continue to progress as the company sticks with the year-one game plan. Miles recommends you do “launch redux” to boldly kick off the second year of execution.

There is a lot more in this very good article, but right now I am seeing the above problems in multiple organizations and at multiple levels.

Another recent insight for me about executing a plan during wildly unpredictable times is the recognition that successful organizational change takes place in small visible moments rather than as large sustained processes or actions. We get so busy as leaders that we do not really “see” organizational change. We do not see the series of small visible moments people are making. As Kotter reminds in his seminal research, missing “short term wins” does not create large sustained processes or action.

As leaders, we need to remember that the process of organizational change is more than just building teams or work place communities of like minded people. We need to think, plan and execute in such a manner so we deal with who needs to change and how to get them engaged in the process. Lederach notes that “… framing the process as one that must create like-minded communities produces a narrow view of change wherein little thought or work is given to the broader nature of who and what will need to change and how they will be engaged in such a process.” If the focus is on building and maintaining like-minded people and teams, we limit the scope of what we can achieve because we perpetuate a dualistic perspective of people, i.e. good vs. bad, us vs. them, or you are either with us or against us.

While I agree that building teams and community are important in organizational change, I also think about how to engage others who will need to change. Their resistance to change initially could offer important insights and perspective. In essence, we need to understand that their resistance is a form of feedback.

This week, when you see small visible moments of change, visit with those involved and ask them the following three questions: Who are we? Where are we going? How will we get there? By doing this, we create clarity and commitment rather than just a “get ‘er done mentality”.

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

How do leaders maintain successful teams? - part #2

One of the things I have learned from meeting with leaders of successful teams is that they role model and empower healthy behaviors. Jeffery D. Ford and Laurie W. Ford in their very good article called “Decoding Resistance to Change” (Harvard Business Review, April 2009) write that “People expect history to repeat itself - and they resist going through it all over again.” Leaders who overcome resistance focus on understanding why people are showing resistance or lack of clarity. They do not suppress dialogue but instead encourage it. They also assume they and the team will spend time in the trough of chaos and plan accordingly. They get that it is normal for things to get messy. Therefore, they role model healthy personal choices and behaviors when it does.

Second, these same leader continually try to improve their capacity to coach others. They understand, as Patrick Lencioni points out in his book,  The Advantage: Why Organizational Health Trumps Everything Else in Business (Jossey-Bass, 2012), that behavioral problems almost always precede quantitative results. They also recognize that behavioral problems “occur long before any decrease in measurable results is apparent.”

What we as leaders need to remember is that once a person “experiences good coaching, one becomes a better coach.” Peter Cappelli and Anna Travis say this is very important in their article called “HR Goes Agile” in the March-April 2018 issue of the Harvard Business Review.

Richard Hackman in his book, Leading Teams: Setting The Stage For Great Performances (Harvard Business School Press, 2002) explains that coaches focus on the following three areas: the amount of effort members of the team apply to the work, the appropriateness of the performance strategies to carry out the work, and the knowledge and skill they apply to the work. Therefore, coaching can be motivational, consultative, or educational.

But as I reflect on his writing I am reminded of what Marshall Goldsmith wrote in his book, What Got You Here Won’t Get You There: How Successful People Become Even More Successful (Hyperion, 2007). Goldsmith challenges us to “stop trying to coach people who shouldn’t be coached.” As he notes, “stop trying to change people who don’t think they have a problem” and “stop trying to change people who are pursuing the wrong strategy for the organization.” He continues by pointing out that we should “stop trying to change people who should not be in their job” and “stop trying to help people who think everyone else is the problem.” I think we must embrace his perspective and harken back to Jim Collin’s early work where he said “who before what”. From my experience, the best coaches know who should be coached and who will not change no matter how much we try and coach them. Instead, we need to coach these individuals out of the organization rather than try to coach them into the organization.

Along this same line of thought, the big thing about hiring people to join a team is to remember Patrick Lencioni’s book, The Ideal Team Player (Jossey-Bass, 2016), about the three virtues of a team player. Lencioni says that the best team players are humble, hungry and people smart. While I agree with Lencioni and have seen this in my own experiences as a consultant and executive coach, I think there is a missing element.

Last May, I read a quote by Pastor A.R. Bernard that stopped me in my tracks: “Without character, talent will only take you so far.” Upon much reflection, I realized that we, as leaders, need to talk more about character and focus more on character rather than just talent development. We need to discuss the importance of integrity, compassion, and courage during our coaching and our team meetings. We need to talk about what is commitment, faithfulness, and truthfulness. As Abraham Lincoln wrote, “Reputation is the shadow. Character is the tree.” 

This week, reflect on the following questions: Who are the people of “character” that I have known in my life? What separates them from others? How do they engage with people in group settings that is unique? How do they role model? It is time that we follow in their foot steps.

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

How Do Leaders Consolidate Initial Improvements And Continue To Produce More Change? Part #2

Last week, we looked at the personal level of work related to this question. This week, I want to look at the organizational level.

First, leaders start making change happen by increasing the level of urgency rather than panic in the organization. However, after the first short term win, they often resort to solving immediate problems. They undersell the urgency factor and as a result people believe “We’ve won” and thus “We’re done.”

To change this situation, leaders must keep showing people why continued urgency is needed. We need to celebrate the short term wins and connect current successes to past decisions that were based on the proposed strategic direction and current strategic plan. Nevertheless, we need to continue to point out why on-going improvements are needed.

Second, we must have the courage and fortitude to confront embedded bureaucratic and political behaviors. This will not be easy and may require all of us to review the book, Crucial Conversations. We know that by doing this level of work we will encounter situations where opinions will vary, stakes will be high and emotions will run strong and deep. Still, we do not have the luxury of avoiding these challenges. Strategic blindness and context blindness are real.

When engaging in this kind of work remember to follow the late Stephen Covey’s advice: “Seek first to understand, second to be understood.” This involves making it safe to share and always monitoring your own behavior. Some days we get so busy solving problems that we do not realize that our behavior is constantly sending a message. 

Finally, do not forget that resistance is a form of feedback. The goal is to be open to feedback. There may be important information within it that will help you and the organization as a whole.

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

Four Difficult Truths

There are days when it is uncomfortable to teach people about organizational change and uncomfortable to be their executive coach or consultant. This happens because I have to share with them information that I know they will not like or want to hear. Still, learning this information can make a profound difference in the way they lead people through the world of organizational change.

First, changing peoples’ minds always takes longer than expected.

Recently, I was visiting with a local friend who was in the later stages of remodeling their house. As she showed me around, we entered a small bathroom that had been completely remodeled. She said to me, “This room is so small you can not even change your mind in it.”  I burst out laughing as it was one of the best comments I had heard in ages.

The challenge for many leaders is to recognize that people going through the world of organizational change often have a very limited perspective of what is happening within the organization and within the environment around the organization. This is not their fault. They are focused on doing their job and doing it well. They zoom in on key details and get them done.  

Meanwhile, many leaders zoom out and look holistically at the organization. They see the proverbial big picture and comprehend the technical and adaptive challenges before the whole organization. As a result of this level of understanding and perspective, they initiate change.

And then this level of organizational change is passed on to others who are doing the day to day work of the organization. These individuals who actually have to do the work of changing systems, culture, etc., often do not buy-in to these proposed changes and often do not get it all done. The result is that the leaders are frustrated and the employees are frustrated.  As a consultant and executive coach, I have to point out that changing people’s mind is not an overnight experience. It takes considerable time, communication and listening. It also takes an understanding of the second difficult truth.

Second, most companies are organized to protect status quo.

While many executives will argue with this point and explain to me that they have developed systems for continuos quality improvement and innovation, I often have to re-explain that culture eats strategy for lunch and quality improvement for dinner.  Few people are wired to radically change their lives every day. Most thoroughly enjoy routine. We are, for the most part, creatures of habit. 

Accepting this fact is difficult but helpful when leading people through the world of organizational change. It explains why John Kotter was right so many years ago when he wrote in the Harvard Business Review that creating a sense of urgency that doing nothing is more dangerous than doing something helps people move outside their comfort zone. 

The challenge is that many leaders under communicate this level of urgency. I am constantly coaching executives this winter into spring that they need to deploy the shampoo method of communication, namely “wash, rinse, and repeat.” By having a core message that they stick to for at least 90 days, they will finally break through the status quo mentality and be heard.

Third, most companies initiate long term change with short term leadership.

It is exhausting to observe how many organizations do the above. They want change and they want it now. As a result, they often throw young leaders to the proverbial wolves of organizational change, hoping they will be successful.  It is time we recognize that just filling a slot on the TO does not constitute being a person who has the capacity to lead others through change. We need leaders with the mindset and the skill set to do the long term work. 

Remembering that successful organizational change takes on average 5-7 years, we need to prepare young leaders to become long term leaders and we need to provide them with regular and in-depth coaching which helps them process all that is happening. If we do this, then we have the chance to create effective conditions for successful long term change.

Fourth, most companies want significant change with little to no resistance and conflict.

While this may happen in fiction books and in academic case studies, the reality is that most people do not like change. Instead of embracing change, they focus on what they have to give up. Furthermore, they often feel alone and self-conscious during change. Therefore, they resist change. But what leaders need to know is that they are actually resisting the pain over which they can not control that comes with change. What successful leaders do is reframe resistance and conflict related to change as a form of feedback which contains valuable information.

Being a leader who wants to improve performance within their organization is a great thing. Understanding the above four difficult truths may not be easy but it will be helpful. The key is to work with them rather than against them.

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

Change And Resistance

Like peanut butter and jelly, or mac and cheese, change and resistance often go hand in hand. For many young leaders, encountering resistance is very difficult. Some freak out and others loose perspective. What they don’t know is that many older and more experienced leaders have the same reaction.

In the beginning, we all need to realize three important truths about resistance. First, people do not actually resist change. What they resist is the loss of control and confidence. They also are reacting to is the pain that will come with change

Second, when discussing change, we should expect resistance. As Jeffery D. Ford and Laurie W. Ford in their article called ““Decoding Resistance to Change,” Harvard Business Review, April 2009, note, “Resistance is, in fact, a form of feedback, often provided by people who know more about day-to-day operations than you do.... Dismissing the feedback deprives you of potentially valuable information, costs you goodwill, and jeopardizes important relationships.” Remember it is just feedback.

Third, don’t take resistance personally. Someone in your position on the organizational chart has to communicate the change. If it is you, learn to let people challenge your ideas and perspective. Support people and respect their perspective. Remember as I pointed out last week on this blog, “they don’t know what they don’t know.” Frequently people resist change because no has pointed out that not changing is more dangerous than changing.

Over time and with good support, all of us can learn to handle change and resistance. It just takes some willingness to listen and be respectful.

Geery Howe, M.A.Consultant, Executive Coach, Trainer inLeadership, Strategic Planning and Organizational ChangeMorning Star Associates319 - 643 - 2257

Thoughts on Resistance

Every month, a number of different people ask me the same question: “How do you overcome resistance from direct reports?” Over time, my answers have gotten shorter and shorter.

First, resistance is a form of feedback. Listen carefully to what they are saying. Their perceptions and feelings may not be correct in your eyes or from your perspective, but it is what they are experiencing. Learn from this information.

Second, boast their awareness about the context for change. Most people focus on the changes and the losses that will come with it. Most leaders under communicate the problems that are causing the organization to change. By selling the problems (think William Bridges and his book, Managing Transitions: Making the Most of Change, Da Capo Press, 2003), we need to present a compelling picture of the risks of not changing or of not meeting expectations, i.e. shareholders, etc.

Third, while clearly restating the purpose for change, we also need to define the levels of control and initiative those involved can exert. Too often resistance comes from not being involved in solving the aforementioned problems. As I always point out, no participation = no engagement.

Fourth, define the goals and the priorities. Make sure they are SMART goals and not just random flip chart paper goals.

Resistance happens. It is normal. Do not be afraid to lead them through this stage of organizational change.

But a least privately, someone each month asks a follow-up question to the subject of dealing with resistance from direct reports. “What do I do if my boss is the problem? What if they are resistant to change?”

Every year since 1998, we have been discussing this question in the From Vision to Action Leadership Training, http://www.chartyourpath.com/VTA-Leadership-Training.html. It is a common problem and right now quite a few people are experiencing it.

First, understand what kind of change cycle you are going through at this time period. Is it evolution or revolution? Radical or incremental? Often, those who are the boss frame up the changes differently than those who are doing daily operations. Understand their perception, not just your own.

Second, sit down with your boss and dialogue about performance expectations. Try and figure out what your boss is trying to accomplish and what are their goals. From experience, these may be different. Often, they are trying to lower the chaos around them to a manageable level while still focusing on their goals.

Third, clarify your role in the organization and the changes that are taking place. Many times your perception of your role and your boss’s perception may be completely different. Get clear about this sooner than later.

Finally, clarify your level of control. Most of the time when encountering a boss who is resistant to change, the problem is that you think you have lots of control and they do not want you to have that much control.

After discussing this subject for over 13 years, here are some of the best answers from a diversity of leaders and managers who have dealt with this issue:

- Speak truth to power. Know what you are talking about with facts and figures.

- Ask yourself “why did they pick your boss for the job?”. This information will help you maintain perspective.

- Face your fear.

- Do not give away your ability to choose.

- Deal with your addictions.

For those of you who want to explore this subject in greater detail and from a bigger picture perspective, here is a recently published article by Margaret Wheatley called “Leadership in the Age of Complexity: From Hero to Host.” http://www.margaretwheatley.com/articles/Leadership-in-Age-of-Complexity.pdf While the article is not completely focused on resistance, it does offer some excellent insights into why leaders struggle in the world of change and organizational transformation. Years ago, we read her book, Finding Our Way: Leadership for an Uncertain Time, Berrett-Koehler, 2005, for a Spring From Vision to Action Executive Roundtable. It was excellent and so is this article. Happy reading!

Geery Howe, M.A.Consultant, Executive Coach, Trainer inLeadership, Strategic Planning and Organizational ChangeMorning Star Associates319 - 643 - 2257

Dealing With Resistance: The Constant Struggle - part #2

THEME: Fall 2009 From Vision to Action Executive Roundtable Report

FOCUS: Dealing With Resistance: The Constant Struggle - part #2

Monday morning: December 7, 2009

Dear friends,

Some days, we forget that resistance comes in code.

Last week, I referenced the work of Jeffery D. Ford and Laurie W. Ford, in their article, “Decoding Resistance to Change”, Harvard Business Review, April 2009. As they wrote, “Resistance is, in fact, a form of feedback, often provided by people who know more about day-to-day operations than you do.”

When this feedback is delivered, many leaders do not understand it and get lost. To help them decipher this feedback, I often encourage leaders to read the following article about the work of Peter Senge called “Learning For A Change” in the May 1999 issue of Fast Company magazine. Here is the web address of this article: < http://www.fastcompany.com/magazine/24/senge.html >.

For example, when a leader receives the following feedback, “our customers don’t want it”, “our competitors aren’t doing it”, or “why turn things upside down if our performance is good enough”, morelikely the followers are strugging with how the initial changes were presented and do not understand the context and urgency for change.

If a leaders hears “We don’t have time for this stuff!” or “We have no help!”, they need to realize people need control over their schedules in order to give the new ideas and systems the time and effort they deserve. They also need regular support, coaching and resources to learn the new way.

Finally, leaders may encounter a group of people who say “This stuff isn’t working!” or “We keep reinventing the wheel.” Clearly, a great deal of resistance comes when early results do not meet the expectations and traditional measurements that a group is used to working with and delivering to senior leaders. Furthermore, some groups will struggle if past changes are never integrated into sustainable change.

In the end, resistance Is reduced through timely and accurate information, involvement, and intervention. The goal of every change initiative is to mobilize talent and imagination which can not only challenge the status quo but deliver better results.

This week, read the aforementioned article with your team plus practice deciphering the code.

Have a great week,

Geery

Geery Howe, M.A.
Consultant, Executive Coach, Trainer in
Leadership, Strategic Planning and Organizational Change

Morning Star Associates
319 - 643 - 2257

Dealing With Resistance: The Constant Struggle - part #1

THEME: Fall 2009 From Vision to Action Executive Roundtable Report

FOCUS: Dealing With Resistance: The Constant Struggle - part #1

Monday morning: November 30, 2009

Dear friends,

Last week, I shared the following quote by Robert E. Quinn: “Excellence is a form of deviance. If you perform beyond the norms, you disrupt all the existing control systems. Those systems will then alter and begin to work to routinize your efforts. That is, the systems will adjust to try to make you normal.”

Right now, many people in many different organizations are feeling the pressure to be “normal.” Exploring new ideas and new ways of working outside the box are not always welcome during tumultuous times. People seek order and predictability when they are in a continued period of instability.

When we push change or excellence, we, at times, encounter resistance. Realizing that people do not resist change as much as loss of control, we come to understand that what people are resisting is the loss of identity, values and self-worth that comes when orderly and predictable systems and patterns of work are changed.

There are days when we as leaders get so wrapped up in our work that we forget that change is a process, not an event. Gene E. Hall and Shirley M. Hord in their book, Implementing Change: Patterns, Principles, and Potholes, Allyn & Bacon, 2005, note that there are significant differences between the development and the implementation of change. An organization does not change until the individuals within it change. Therefore, facilitating change needs to be a team effort.

Every week, I meet leaders and organizations that are not prepared for resistance. As I mentioned before, people don’t resist change. They resist the loss of control and/or identity, and the pain that comes with this loss. But too many times, when encountering resistance, we as leaders focus on attitude when in reality those we are working with may need new knowledge, skills, and support .

Recently, Kevin Cashman in his book, Leadership From The Inside Out: Becoming a Leader for Life, Berrett-Koehler, 2008, reported that the Saratoga Institute did research on poor interpersonal skills. After interviewing 19,700 exiting employees and their bosses, they discovered that 85% of bosses said that former employees left for more compensation and opportunity. On the other hand, 80% of the exiting employees said they left because of poor relationship, poor development and poor coaching from the boss. It is important that we as leaders recognize that resistance starts with the health of the relationship between a leader and a follower. Unhealthy relationships increase the potential for resistance.

Therefore, I encourage leaders to expect resistance. As Jeffery D. Ford and Laurie W. Ford, in their article, “Decoding Resistance to Change”, Harvard Business Review, April 2009, point out, “Resistance is, in fact, a form of feedback, often provided by people who know more about day-to-day operations than you do.” As they continue, “Dismissing the feedback deprives you of potentially valuable information, costs you goodwill, and jeopardizes important relationships.”

This week, I encourage you to discuss the subject of resistance and loss, plus practice receiving feedback.

Have a marvelous week,

Geery

Geery Howe, M.A.
Consultant, Executive Coach, Trainer in
Leadership, Strategic Planning and Organizational Change

Morning Star Associates
319 - 643 - 2257