Tag: change

Change

  By
Kelley Reynolds from Aegis Learning

By Kelley Reynolds

We are right here, right now.  This is it. 

June 2020 was never going to look like June 2019.  Or June 2018.  Or 2010. Never.  Change was going to occur.  We are not able stop change any more than we can stop time.

Yes, the last several months shifted the change gear into overdrive.  I understand, you suffered losses.  To some extent, all of us have.  The loss may have been income, employment, time, joy or loved ones.  Some of us lost much more than others. The fact remains, this is where we are.

Sitting around blaming this politician for reacting slowly or that politician for overreacting simply keeps us stuck somewhere between denial and anger.  These are just distractions and what does any of that matter now? Pontificating and denigrating may make you feel powerful.  However, lingering here is wasting more time, playing the victim, and giving away your power.  When instead you could be doing. 

Denial and anger are stages of grieving. You need to mourn your losses.  Grieve while living. Now is the time for action; not lamenting and lambasting.

Leaders are not powerless victims.  We are people of action.

The next stage of grief is acceptance.  You get there through effort and initiative.  The future was not going to look like what you thought it was going to, but it was not going to anyway.  The future may now appear messy and the ride bumpy and painful.  You have no choice but to buckle up, hold on and keep going.  Move forward and even take advantage of the changes. Life was always going to happen. The road was going to have dips and bumps and potholes, but man, check out the view!

As leaders, whether that is your title or informal position within your organization or role in your family, it is time for you to implement your plan.  If you do not have one, the time to create one is now.  People, your team, your family are looking to you, as a role model, as a beacon of hope.  They are looking to you to lead them through the uncertainty and build confidence for tomorrow.

It is a new day.  It is not going to be business as usual.  You do not have to do things like you always did. That is the beauty of it. You get to reinvent or renovate and innovate.

This may challenge you like never before.  You may have to dig deeper.  That is okay.  Dig deep. Stressors can also have positive effects. You will find what you need. It is within you.  Use your good leadership skills to enhance your confidence. Remind yourself of previous problems you overcame. Envision your successes. Surround yourself with people who are realistic and positive. Change the dialog.  Ask different questions. Where is the opportunity? Where can I create one? What do I do well? How do I move forward? Who can help navigate? What will the future look like?

You will lead your team during and through this difficulty.  You will get through this.  Because that is the only option you have!  Now, let’s get to it.

Kelley Reynolds from Aegis Learning

Kelley’s optimistic outlook on life guides her belief that change is possible!

Her easy going instruction style mixed with a dry wit make her an entertaining educator. She has instructed professionals throughout the nation as well as internationally. Kelley has earned a Master of Business Administration and possesses a bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice, both from University of Nevada, Las Vegas.

The Yin and Yang of Organizational Performance

  By , ,

Develop a Balance Between People and Process for Success

Leadership, Customers, Strategy, Knowledge Management, Workforce and Operations are the primary components of an organizational management system (The Baldridge Performance Framework). The approach, deployment and integration of these components vary greatly from business to business. Take a moment and think about what these components look like in your organization, and how (or if) they work together.

In Chinese philosophy, Yin and Yang describes how seemingly opposite forces may actually be complementary, interconnected, and interdependent. The components of the Yin and Yang represent perfect balance. If we apply the Yin and Yang approach to our management system, the components will be divided into two primary categories: People and Processes.

Processes (Yin)
• Strategy
• Knowledge Management
• Operations

People (Yang)
• Leadership
• Workforce
• Customers

But are both “sides” of the management system considered equally? As a Lean Six Sigma Black Belt, I was taught that processes should be the focus because they comprise around 80-85% of organizational problems. But if you don’t hire and train people correctly…or you don’t have the right leadership in place to guide those people…or if don’t know what makes your customers are happy, all your focus on process is for naught and the “balance” of your organization will be off. And, conversely, if you are only focusing on people and not integrating and improving your processes, the organization will not have structure and controls and, therefore, never be able to achieve its goals and objectives.

Many business cultures and leaders choose one side or the other of the Yin and Yang to focus on. They are either “touchy-feely” and focused on the “people” aspects, or they are extremely policy and procedure driven and focus on the “process” aspects. Some folks are more comfortable with structure and others are more comfortable with what I like to call “the feels”.

The Yin and Yang of Organizational Performance helps us visualize and remember that people and processes are interconnected and, therefore, both “sides” should be a priority. It’s a “50/50”, balanced proposition that will help improves organizational performance. Only when leaders focus on ALL six components of the system (Leadership, Customers, Strategy, Knowledge Management, Workforce and Operations) can they truly begin to improve. And the better these systems function and integrate with one another, the more high-performing an organization will become.

Polly Walker is a talented facilitator, coach and expert in process improvement.  As the chief innovation officer for Aegis Learning, Polly produces many of the new ideas and creative solutions for workplace learning programs and their delivery.

Ms. Walker has two master’s degrees and has worked with some of the biggest client projects for Aegis Learning.  She is also our Townie and constantly optimistic.

Sparking a Culture of Change and Innovation

  By , ,

Four Almost Easy Tips to Spark a Culture of Change and Innovation

Innovation.

What does it mean to you and what does it mean to your customers, your team members and your business? Contrary to popular belief, innovation isn’t coming up with a brand new idea never before seen on the planet. Simply put, innovation is the process of translating an idea or best practice into a solution that either fulfills a business need or solves a specific problem. It can even include identifying and utilizing a best practice from another organization and “molding” it into your business environment. Yes, you heard right. Basically, “borrowing” ideas from other organizations is a form of innovation.

So if it is so important to our companies and our customers, why are leaders so bad at cultivating innovation in their organizations? In 2008, McKinsey & Company conducted a survey of 600 global executives and found that 64 percent of senior executives are generally disappointed in their ability to stimulate innovation. 64 percent. Think about all the missed opportunities!

The good news is that leaders can (and should) help create an environment that sparks innovation and change in their organization. Here are 4 almost-easy tips to help drive innovation:

1. Foster Trust and Build Culture: Communicate. Communicate. Communicate. Encourage folks to speak up and give their suggestions. Ask questions and create innovative environments. No negative repercussions if the idea isn’t the greatest thing since sliced bread.

2. Tap customers: Customers know what they want. Ask them. Focus groups and surveys are great ways to get actionable ideas and feedback.

3. Create an Idea Program: Implement a formal avenue that provides an avenue for team members to submit suggestions and circumvent “normal” channels. Give everyone an opportunity to participate, and respond to ALL suggestions (even the ones that aren’t moving forward). Recognize implemented ideas.

4. Implement Innovation Workgroups: Identify and mobilize innovative, engaged team members to attack specific problems and provide solutions through brainstorming and process improvement. Frame the opportunity or challenge as finite as possible to get them started. Give them a structured timeline and team lead, and watch them go!

Innovation is more than just a buzzword. It is thinking creatively and taking action to improve your business. As a leader, you can help drive innovation and spark a culture of change that will positively impact your customers, your team members and your organization. It is almost easy.

Polly Walker is a talented facilitator, coach and expert in process improvement.  As the chief innovation officer for Aegis Learning, Polly produces many of the new ideas and creative solutions for workplace learning programs and their delivery.

Ms. Walker has two master’s degrees and has worked with some of the biggest client projects for Aegis Learning.  She is also our Townie and constantly optimistic.

Leading Others Through Change

  By ,

Pitfalls to Avoid

Tim Schneider, Coach, Speaker, Author and Trainer from Aegis Learning

By Tim Schneider

Just because you are comfortable and supportive of a change does not mean your job is done. You have to lead others through that change.

A couple of common pitfalls to avoid in leadership include assuming that everyone else is as comfortable with change as you are and that you cannot have any impact on the cycle of change. The truth is that you have great influence over how the cycle of change impacts your organization and no two people will react to change in the same manner. Your role as effective leader compels you to guide your team through the change event with the minimum loss of results and with maximum effectiveness.

Your role in leading others through change has an interesting little rub point. Just suppose for a moment that you do not agree with or support the change and cannot reconcile even the slightest elements of it. That does not let you off the hook in guiding your team through the change. Whether you support it or not, you must be a willing and enthusiastic leader during changing times. This is your responsibility to your team and your organization.

There are three primary ingredients needed to helping others and an organization as a whole deal with change. The first and a very critical element is input. The best time to seek input on change is before change occurs but that is not always possible because of business needs or issues outside of the control of the organization. Input from those affected is the biggest cure to the depth of the mourning phase in the change cycle.

In the most simple terms, it is allowing team members and other stakeholders to define key elements of the needed change. It is soliciting opinions about how to accomplish the desired outcomes and looking for the unintended consequences that were previously discussed. The effective leader lays out what the desired outcome is and then allows team members to provide input on how to accomplish those objectives.

This is not allowing the inmates to run the prison but rather an attempt to achieve full buy-in and support for a change initiative. Just because you are seeking input does not imply you are running your company or department as a democracy. You are still free and empowered to enact the direction or change that you choose. People are far more likely to embrace change when they have input and feel as if they were part of the decision making and direction.

This cannot be overstated. Input equals buy-in. It cannot be bought. It cannot be achieved in a slide show. Buy-in only occurs with input.

The second key ingredient of leading others in change is communication. Input reduces or eliminates the depth of mourning in the change cycle and communication will reduce the amount of time the mourning and embracing parts of the cycle last.

As a person in a leadership position, you have heard things like “no one likes surprises” or “I wish someone would have told me this was coming.” Those statements and those like it are cries for information. Information that can only be delivered through frequent communication.

In order to guide team members through a change event, communication prior to the event occurring is critical. Your team needs time to process the changes, see how it impacts them and find the positive outcomes. Through your personal communication, you will provide them with the answers and give reassurances that the changes are needed and the impacts will be minimized. Without the communication, they will fill in the blanks for themselves and you risk them focusing only on risk based or failure based outcomes.

The standard rule of thumb for change based communication is to over-communicate. If you meet with your team twice a month, double that in a changing environment to focus on those changes and provide redundant information. Send out weekly or even daily status updates that talk about the change and how it is going. Be more open than ever to answer questions and address concerns.

The most surefire way to raise anxiety about change and lengthen the time of coping and embracing is to effect the change behind closed doors. Changes need to occur with transparency and in full view.

The final element of leading others through change is developing cultural tolerances and conditioning about change. Without the consultant speak, that is putting your team or the entire organization on notice that you and your team will be nimble and in a constant state of evolution.

Easily said but a little bit harder to actually pull off. There are several techniques to utilize including reminding team members about the previous changes that they have encountered, worked through and embraced. Another technique is not to focus on the history of the company or department and focus more on the future or vision and the need to change to in order to achieve that future view.

Change tolerance can also be achieved in a daily operational manner. If you routinely change and modify work flows and assignments (i.e. rotating jobs and schedules), dealing with larger scale organizational change is easier. Condition nimbleness by rotating assignments, hours and even where a person sits. That also helps with reducing the comfort to complacency equation.

The final reminder about leading others in change is about you. Remember that the example that you set in change management is extremely important and the team you lead will take a big clue about how to deal with change from how you deal with change.

Tim Schneider

Tim Schneider is the founder, CEO and lead facilitator for Aegis Learning.  

Avoiding Change for Change’s Sake

  By ,

Hope for the Best

Tim Schneider, Coach, Speaker, Author and Trainer from Aegis Learning

By Tim Schneider

New is not automatically better. New is just new.

Trying and testing new methods is absolutely positive and effective leaders must constantly force the issue of challenging the status quo. That does not mean that the leader is blindly committed to new methods.

Some organizations have embraced an innovation only to find that the desired outcome has not been realized. The efficiency and improvement were no where to be found and the ease of implementation has been an oxymoron. In fact, during and after the change, things became much worse but unfortunately, no leader had the courage to raise a stop sign and cease the insanity.

An important part of innovation is to insure that the new method, process or product actually delivers the desired result set. The effective leader must monitor and test all of the assumptions associated with the innovation effort to insure that it is on track. If the results slip, the effective leader must be honest in their assessment and in some cases, stop the innovation.

One sure way to disengage team members and breed a jaded response to change is to narrowly assume that all that is new must be better.

Tim Schneider

Tim Schneider is the founder, CEO and lead facilitator for Aegis Learning.  

Change Resistance

  By ,

Underlying Factors of Change Resistance

Tim Schneider, Coach, Speaker, Author and Trainer from Aegis Learning

By Tim Schneider

To fully understand change we must examine why people are resistant to change and there are many reasons and underlying factors.

In a working environment, change is resisted because it will lead to a loss of power. A person is currently performing at a high level and has achieved expertise in their area. With a change to a process or function, they will no longer have that level of expert power and they fear that their personal performance will no longer be recognized at a high level. Visualize someone typing along at 85 words per minute on their IBM Selectric typewriter and how they feel that their performance and expertise will be threatened by the introduction of the personal computer and word processing software.

Another primary cause of change resistance is found in a basic human dynamic. Humans need to have levels of stability in their lives. Attachment, connection and some predictability. For many people that stability is found at home or in connections outside of work. They have stable relationships with friends, relatives and community members. They have lived in the same place for a good chunk of time. There is predictability outside of work.

Other people do not have that stability at home and thusly seek it at work. Imagine someone who’s life is chaotic outside of work. No stability in relationships or predictability in routine or interactions. They come to work to seek the stability and attachment that is not there in their personal lives. These people will tend to be a little more resistant, if not down right hostile, towards change. This is another example of how important it is for a leader to know and understand their team members to lead effectively, especially in a changing environment.

Among the most common factors in change resistance is also a personal dynamic related to human behavior. I am married. I love my wife but there is an aging factor that occurs in relationships with individuals and organizations that is related. Early in our relationship, I opened all the doors, bought flowers for no reason, purchased mushy Hallmark cards and beat a path to be helpful around the house. Twenty five years later I still love my wife but my diligence on some of those early behavior has waned.

What occurs in interpersonal relationships, like with me and my wife, is comfort develops after performance is stabilized. Far more dangerous is that complacency follows comfort in most instances. In organizations, a person develops comfort in their job, performance and methods. Complacency and an auto-response type approach frequency follow. Another day, another dollar. Going through the motions. Punching the clock.

Any element of change rocks that complacency. It forces people off of the treadmill and requires them to think instead of auto-process. It makes the complacent uncomfortable.

Fear of the unknown is also a common factor in change resistance. When the future is defined and clear, with a known path towards it, there is little fear. When the future or even just tomorrow is unknown, clouded or veiled, the little darkroom of fear begins to process potential outcomes. Those outcomes, for a variety of reasons, is most often negative consequences associated with the change. That is where the “oh my gosh, I am going to loose my job” and “things will never be good or the same” type of comments originate.

The final change resistance factor is rather odd because it does not occur universally but it does occur with high frequency. Some people resist change because they fail to recognize any positive outcome from the change event or the changed process. They focus only on the loss of the current and not on any benefit derived from changing and evolving. My mother hates computers. Not for any particular reason but she hates them and everything about them. She will not touch them and experiments to help her embrace email and on-line banking have failed miserably. She see no benefit and only bad. Her identity will be stolen, viruses will infect, it costs too much, it wont work correctly.

Some of my mother’s octogenarian peers have discovered the joys of social networking, the efficiency of email and the fun of creating photo albums on the computer. Not my mom, all she sees is the negative outcome.

 

Tim Schneider

Tim Schneider is the founder, CEO and lead facilitator for Aegis Learning.