Article of the Month

If you can’t manage change – should you be managing at all?
(And when was the last time you changed your mobile phone or mobile phone package?)

I’m hoping you’re reading this because the title piqued your interest – because, to be honest, if I’d called this “Change Management” or “How to Manage Change”, you’d probably have switched off and got on with the hundred and one other more important things you could be doing right now.

But I’d like you to just give me the 5 minutes of your time reading this article will take you – because as we launch into the new year I passionately believe it’s the organisations who most effectively and appropriately change that will be thriving at the end of 2012. And I also believe if your first line management aren’t mentally and physically fit to manage change then forgive the misquote but: “ Houston, you have a problem.”

So let me start by asking you the question posed in the sub-heading.

When was the last time you changed your mobile phone or phone package?

Well, I’m guessing that, apart from the minority population that marketers affectionately call “the laggards” (you know, those people who only got a flat screen TV or went digital, when their TV broke down!) most of you have changed either your package, phone or both in the last two years.

Unless you live in the ark and you never watch adverts or see them in newspapers etc, you can’t fail to notice that companies are always coming up with something “new” to entice us to part with our money, or to remain with them as customers.

Facts (and a question) about change.

Fact 1: As a customer or client YOU probably EXPECT to see better services or products when you’re in buying mode.

Fact 2: When you are in buying mode, any product or service which doesn’t improve on what you have right now is more likely to be sidelined.

QUESTION: If you were seeing the same old products or services being peddled by a company year in, year out, would you walk away, and find someone offering something better?

ANSWER: Highly likely!

Fact 3: As consumers, we tend to expect the services and products we buy to be an improvement on what we had. We understand companies need to change, and that failure to do so is probably financial suicide.

BUT…..THE PROBLEM IS:

Likely fact 4: As workers in a company or organisation, we resist changes which might help keep the business afloat and ahead of the competition in favour of staying in our comfort zones.

It’s the “not in my back yard” approach to change management!

According to Jerry Haney, author of “Making Culture Pay”, one of the 3 keys to the most successful organisation is their ability to successfully adapt to changing conditions.

How the best organisations perceive change….

I’d take it a step further – and say the outstanding organisations don’t just adapt – they create the changes which others follow. (Think Google, Facebook and Apple.)

I passionately believe the line manager makes the difference between success or failure

But to reach this level of willingness to change requires a special breed of manager. I don’t care how much you preach about the need for change from the top – there are two things which will seriously hinder your chances of success when it comes to making changes in your organisation:

1) If your managers at first line level aren’t confident, competent, inspirational and skilled at bringing people with them, and managing change effectively, then you have a problem.

2) If you don’t build change into your culture, so it’s a continuous, expected process, you’ll lurch from one change to the next – reacting to changes instead of proactively looking for ways to constantly improve and serve your customers better.

Quick case study!
I recently coached a senior board who were facing incredible market pressure to change the way they did things, and the services they promoted. They could clearly see that, unless they did something, then not only were they going to lose out on new business to increasing competition, but existing clients were leaving and would continue to haemorrhage. They were convinced certain ways of working needed to change, as well as improvements in product design, customer service and relationship building.

But they faced tough opposition from some of their senior managers as well as more junior staff about these proposed changes: so much so that working relationships were, in some case so strained there was incredibly high and negative emotional charge within the board and the wider team.

When I started working with them one of the comments the MD said which struck me was: “We just need to be able to get this sorted in the most effective way, so we can get to the end of the tunnel”

My perspective?

There is no end of tunnel! But there IS a light!

And that light is building a culture where your people understand that change is an inevitable and necessary part of growth – not only for the business, but for us as individuals too, if it’s approached with the right mindset. It’s about managers helping their team fear change less, see it as a normal process, and even relish it!

Crazy and impossible?

Ask those who work for Facebook, Apple or Google! Those guys have cultures where people are constantly looking for innovations to products, services and processes, and they build a framework to help support such constant innovation. Their employees are totally “up for it!” They are excited about the prospect of finding new and better ways to do things: they are actively encouraged, in dozens of ways, to do so.

So, what changes might YOU need to implement to stay afloat/ahead in 2012?
And how “fit” and capable are you to make those changes?

The trouble is, all humans are wired to want to remain relatively “stable”, because stepping into any new territory feels scary. (Adrenaline junkies might relish more risk than most, but that doesn’t mean they don’t feel scared – they just have a different mindset about stepping out of their comfort zone).

And when we feel scared – we pull back.

We resist.

We self-sabotage.

And that includes YOU – the manager.

So, as a manager – how do YOU feel about likely changes in your organisation?

Anyone who’s worked with me knows one of my mantras about managing others is: “It starts with you.”
Because if you’re unconvinced about a change, guess what your people will be? If you’re feeling negative – guess what your team will be?

If attitudes are infectious – is yours worth catching?

Research seems to show, and my experience certainly bears this out, no matter how well the senior management communicate about the need for change, it’s their first line managers, those closest to the coal face, who will shape how the team responds to the challenge.

So, how confident, skilled and comfortable do you feel about managing your people through any changes you have planned for 2012? When I coach managers dealing with change I refer to the three areas of focus which can help them and their team cope with the change more effectively and productively.

3 areas of focus when you’re managing change

1. Focus on meeting the emotional needs of your employees
I believe the first area you need to consider when taking people through change (and therefore out of their comfort zone) is the emotional reaction to the change. What opportunities do you give your staff to be able to talk about the changes openly? (And remember, how you feel is also important. You need to reflect on how this might affect or impact on the team or individuals within it)
I talk about this more in an article I wrote back in 2009 which you can access at: Managing Organizational Change Effectively

2. Understand there are types of resistance you are likely to meet and plan your strategy to deal with these
There are some fairly typical reactions to change it is useful for a manager to be aware of. Understanding these types of reactions helps a manger identify which types they are currently facing, and to plan more strategically how they will handle the specific situations they are facing.
(If you want to know more about what these types are and how to deal with them, I’m running the first two monthly webinars of 2012 on the topic “Change without tears”. You’ll find more information about these in the membership area of the site)

3. Build your team’s resilience for the future
This is the longer term, but most important part of your role! This is about developing ways in which you can support and encourage constant innovation and a collective team mindset which is about actually seeking out problems, and searching for innovative solutions.

Then change won’t be such a scary place to be – for anyone.

Want to learn more about change from the comfort of your office?

Change without tears: Two webinars to help you learn some useful strategies to make those changes in 2012

“Want to learn more about how you can manage existing change and build a more resilient team for the future?

I’m holding two webinars (End January and February) called “Change without tears” where I’ll share with you some practical advice about how to develop a more effective strategy for change both for the short and longer term

As a platinum member you will automatically have access to these webinars and the associated resources as part of your membership, or you can access a single webinar for a minimal fee.

Visit: 2012 Webinars to find out more about this innovative way to learn.

What Managers Need To Understand About “Discretionary Effort”, And How To Capture It

Over the last 30 years or so, a number of surveys and reports  examining employee attitudes at work would suggest that less than one in four employees said they were performing to their full potential and capacity.  In one survey, a staggering 44% of the employees actually revealed they only did what was required of them, and held back any extra effort.

Whilst it may be difficult to quantify exactly what this might mean for your team or organisation, there can be little doubt,  if your people are doing only what they have to, to keep the “boss off their back”, then this will be reflecting in the results you get: whether that’s sales, numbers of customer complaints , staff attendance, profit or any other measure by which you determine success.

In an economic climate which threatens the success, and in some cases, the existence, of some businesses, we need managers who not only know they need to engage “all hands to the pump”, but understand how to do that. Read more

Did you watch “Undercover boss?”

I've just  watched the first of the new series of "Undercover Boss" on Channel four. Having watched it last year, this, the first of 7 episodes, was an equally inspiring watch.

David Clark, 60 year old UK CEO of the Best Western brand, goes undercover for 5 days to see what's really happening at grass roots level, and is shocked and humbled in equal measure.

If ever a programme helps to portray the everyday heroes who exist in our businesses, this is it: a talented young chef, struggling with long hours, understaffed, under-resourced and no guidance or encouragement yet still turning out excellent food; a loyal, committed and conscientious head housekeeper, whose quiet, unassuming, yet inspiring leadership kept her team behind her; a cheerful, and brilliant head of restaurant,whose ability to build rapport with customers and staff alike was simply stunning   and a groundsman who, despite recovering from serious illness, worked punishing  hours on minimum wage because of understaffing, yet still remained cheerful, conscientious and committed. Read more

Simple techniques to help managers keep their staff loyalty

A recent report by the CIPD says research is showing that more than 33% of all workers plan to leave their current jobs once the recession is over and the job market picks up. They suggest on average the costs of replacing and training a new recruit are: £6,125 or around $9000,

This rises to £9000 or around $13,250 for senior managers.

Whew! Don’t know about you, but as a practising manager myself, as well as a trainer and coach for other managers, losing even one good member of staff represents not just forking out a considerable sum of money to advertise, recruit and train any new staff, but a considerable amount of time and hassle for me, whilst I try to keep my eyes on the ball in terms of sales and customer satisfaction.

OK, so the recession may have represented an opportunity for you to re-shape the look of your team. Maybe you’ve had the unpleasant job of making some staff redundant, or having to discuss moving them to a different role, which they may, or may not be excited about.

One thing’s for sure: the staff who are left will feel a bit “jittery”.  How they feel may well be dependent on how you’ve managed any cuts, and on your relationship with your staff, but it’s highly likely loyalty is probably the last word on their minds, and their level of engagement may have plummeted, with the inevitable dip in performance too.

So how do you, as a manager, keep your team “on-side”, minimise “jitters”, and save yourself the hassle and high costs of losing talented people? Is it possible to have your top performers recognise they are still in the best place and not be tempted by competitor offers?

Whilst you can’t get it right all the time – I believe you can get it right more of the time. Here are three key actions you can take right now, which will have a massive impact on staff morale, motivation and engagement, and which will reduce the likelihood they will leave you first chance they get.

1. Get your staff talking!
   What do I mean by this? One of the most destructive things for staff motivation and engagement is negative gossip and attitudes. And you can be sure, if you’ve been cutting back lately, if you’ve been changing team structures, if you’ve been making some people redundant, then you’ll have some incredibly fertile ground for negative gossip, negative attitudes and negative behaviours.

   The trouble is, in most cases, it’s done behind your back – in the canteen; over the water-cooler, or in the pub after work.

   Negative talk breeds negative thinking. It’s contagious. It spreads. Even staff who you really value, who are solid performers and who you’d hate to lose, start to feel the negativity and lose some of their “sparkle” for the job.

   You need to channel this energy into something more positive – but how?

   You need to give people an opportunity to talk about their concerns and their opinions about what it’s like to work with you out in the open – but in a way which is non-threatening, and constructive.

   One simple, quick and non-threatening way to do this is through a team survey – but I don’t mean the complicated surveys some organisations embark upon, where it takes months to set up, weeks to get people to fill in, and more months to get the results!

   I mean a “quick and dirty” survey – something you can implement and have results back for within weeks, if not days. Something which just gives you a starting point for a team meeting where you can get people talking. (see below for help choosing a survey)

2. Set up a team meeting to discuss the results of your survey!
   Make it a priority to pull your team together within 2-4 weeks of the survey results coming in. Set aside at least 90 minutes. If you can, see if you can engage a couple of your team to co-facilitate the meeting with you.Have two flip charts at the ready where you’ve captured the top-line results of:
   What we’re doing well                                                      What we’re concerned about

   Then say you know they completed the survey anonymously, but that you genuinely want to understand more about what people feel about their work, so you’d like someone to start the ball rolling. Ask someone to say if they gave a high score and why. Then ask for people to speak out if they gave any low scores and why.

   I guarantee someone will speak up! And once they do, others will follow. Allow time. Reassure your staff this is not about judging; nor about recording any of this formally. This is about understanding that times have been hard recently, and wanting to genuinely look at how we can make things better.
   Keep your language to “we”, not “I”. And be prepared to hear stuff which might be critical of you. (How can you give constructive feedback to others if you won’t take any yourself?)

   Have your co-facilitators capture some of the main points on blank flip charts.

   Tip: Sometimes, once people do start to open up, this could be in danger of becoming a long-winded moaning session! Be clear at the outset you want all the moans out – but you’re allowing a set amount of time – say 20 minutes. Don’t allow people to go on about a specific thing – just encourage them to put the “moan” into one sentence – so you can capture it on the flip chart! This helps keep focus and brevity!

3. 3. Agree an action plan!
   Now for the most important part. Explain the objective is to make things better for people at work.
   Ask them to vote for the issues they feel need addressing first, from the “concerns” flip sheet. Take no more than two “concerns”. Explain if you’re going to make any real progress, it’s no good biting off more than you can chew, and you’ll come back to the other stuff later.

   Then, if you’ve a biggish team, of say 6 or more, split them into groups of between 3 and 5. Give each group a “concern” – and ask them to come up with at least 5 actions which might help reduce this “concern”. Allow at least 30 minutes for this – let them go for a coffee; break out into other areas and have some nice buns/fruit or other “goodies” available to “feed” their imaginations!

   When time’s up, bring them back together, share the ideas and agree at least one or two actions you will take forward.

   Encourage both a team action and individual actions. Have each team member write down one thing they will do differently to help improve that “concern” – and have them share that action with a colleague who will hold  them accountable!

   Finally, thank them for their honesty and their participation – and agree how you will measure improvements, and when you will meet again.  

I promise you, this simple strategy will take up little time but can totally re-energise team morale and employee satisfaction – and will help you build strong working relationships and better staff loyalty.

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For more information to help you with the people side of management,
including how to improve employee motivation and get the best out of your team, take a look at these great resources:

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