Bresnahan's Shorts* - March 2005

*Short topics

The Upside of Disorganization

In the 1950s, sociologists regularly spoke of “Organization Man.” We may soon be referring to a new archetype: “Disorganization Man (or Woman).”

That’s one interesting message from a new study by Demos, a London-based non-profit, and Orange, a British telecom firm. The new report, Disorganization, by Paul Miller and Paul Skidmore, examines changes in the culture and operating style of business. It finds that today’s employees strongly desire more balance in their lives and more flexibility in the workplace.

As workers seek more flexibility and creative outlets at work, older hierarchical models of business organization will become increasingly irrelevant and may actually serve as a deterrent to attracting and retaining talented employees. As the authors note, employees want to “define their work rather than have their work define their identity.”

These desires are accompanied by a strong preference to work for smaller organizations with less hierarchy and bureaucracy. While change has been slow, British business leaders seem to be getting the message. Fifty-nine percent of surveyed executives noted that they planned to allow their employees to work more flexibly in the future.

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Managing Change

According to Carol Kinsey Goman, Ph.D., who authored "This Isn't the Company I Joined," there are nine mistakes companies make when managing change. Here they are:

1. Not understanding the importance of people. Organizations don't change, people do — or they don't. If staff doesn't trust leadership, doesn't buy into the vision or the need to change, aren't included in the planning and implementation, it won't happen.
2. Not appreciating that people will react differently to the change. Some people are change-adept and realize the world is full of change. Change energizes them.
3. Treating transformation as an event, rather than a mental, physical and emotional process. Large-scale changes trigger emotional reactions including negativity, denial, tentative acceptance and commitment. To be successful the leadership needs to facilitate these emotions.
4. Being less than candid. The more sugar-coated the truth is the wider the trust gap becomes between management and the workforce. Communicate openly and honestly. Employees are adults who can handle whatever you have to tell them. Be proactive in everything you share and invite them to work on the challenges together.
5. Not setting the stage for change. It is often announced without a reason or rationale given as to what the organization is trying to accomplish and how it fits with the corporate vision, goals and strategy. To be successful, the employees must be prepared with pertinent information about trends and the financial realities.
6. Trying to manage the transformation with the same strategies used for smaller incremental changes. Incremental change is linear and predictable. Transformation is a redefinition of who we are and what we do. It is often unpredictable and past success is not a predictor of the future.
7. Forgetting to negotiate the "contract" between the employer and the employees. People knew what they were losing but were not clear about what to expect in its place. A new relationship is forming based on mutual trust and respect. As expectations are changing the relationship is changing from paternalism to partnership.
8. Believing that change-communication was what employees heard or read from corporate or top management. The communication that impacts behavior is 10% through "traditional" vehicles, 45% from what punishes or rewards in the organization's policies and procedures and 45% management behavior.
9. Understanding human potential. When potential is underestimated, it is wasted. Trust in the intelligence, capability and creativity of your employees. In today's Information Age, no one can afford to waste human capital. Every skill, idea and talent is needed urgently for companies to survive. The potential of the work force is the company's greatest asset.

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Thoughts to Ponder

"The art of communication is the language of leadership." - James Humes

"In the works of Nature, purpose, not accident, is the main thing." - Aristotle

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Back to Basics

"Get out of the house." Thanks to Lyle Stanfield for this quote remembered from his childhood.

When I think of this statement (after a chuckle) I can see much wisdom in its simple words. Often business looks to do many things internally. In years past, the expertise that was needed was hired and became part of the staff. In more recent years, some services have been outsourced. However, there are still some things that a business may hold close to their vest or wish not to spend money on the service. For example, in the last few years studies have shown that the importance of interpersonal skills is a greater necessity. Years ago someone who had a technical competence was often times “tolerated.” Today, those specialists must also be able to work well with others in their group, in the company and with external customers. However, some companies still focus primarily on internal technical training and would not bring someone in to do training on interpersonal skills, such as appreciating different behavior styles, listening and communication skills.

As the saying tells us, it is sometimes important for our development to “go out of the house.” We cannot learn, grow, and become all we can be when we stay within the walls of our house or limit our experiences by staying in an insulated environment.

While not having the money is a usual argument, the question then becomes that such training was not part of the budget. It was never thought about or considered a priority. Over the years, it has been shown that there are significant payoffs to interpersonal or soft-skill training. Often the results are hard to measure and usually there is no data collected prior to the training to measure against. If you could just say, the teams worked better together, conflict was resolved in a constructive way, and absenteeism, tardiness, disciplinary actions were reduced. Surely, that would make the training all worthwhile. I guess to say that, you have to pay attention to the changes.

Nevertheless, remember that having a onetime training event is not going to change behaviors. It will raise awareness. If you are going to change behaviors you need to look for a process, over a period of time, that will cause this to happen. Think about the saying that was quite familiar a number of years ago, “walk your talk.” It is one thing to know what to do and another to actually put it into action. Looking for a process that brings about change is a true sign of commitment.

Give thought to going outside of your house to become a better place – a place where your employees want to be and others want to be there too. Financial rewards will come. Enjoying your day at work will be the greater long-term payoff.

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Client's Corner

A company hired five people for one position in six months. The plea came: "What am I doing wrong? Help!!"

The Bresnahan Group screened candidates, connected the company's needs with the candidate's needs. Now everyone is happy. We helped get the right person on the bus and in the right seat, as Jim Collins, author of Good to Great, would say.

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Responsibility-based Organizations

Learn more about how to achieve your organizational vision and accountability by going to our affiliate website, www.integroleadership.com.

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Speakers

Are you looking for a great speaker for your organization? Contact the Bresnahan Group. Additional speakers can be found at Engaging Speakers and the Naperville Chamber of Commerce.

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More Information

For more information about any of these topics contact us at 505-922-1973 or email BresGroup @ 4u.net.

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