Thursday, September 1, 2016

CHANGE Insight: What’s the Signal of "Change-NOW" with the Sense of Urgency

Change is the journey starting with the RIGHT NOW attitude and a sense of urgency.

Change is inevitable, but change is often difficult, more than two-thirds of change initiatives fail to achieve the expectation. Many organizations do not have well-defined goals for change, or lack of the change readiness to make it happen at the right time with the right people in the right way. And often they fix the symptoms floating on the surface, rather than cure the root cause of the real problems. Because business management lacks the insight of understanding the inner nature of things or the core issues of a situation. Too often people take the easy path, without spending the time to understand what’s going on underneath, and reasoning the cause and effect of problems. Timing is important too - Which signals to tell -It’s the right time for changes with the sense of urgency:


Strategic blind spots: Strategy blind spots are created by the lack of future-driven mindset. With increasing speed of changes, many organizations are inundated with tactical tasks and daily operational duties, but they don’t spend enough time on scrutinizing the long term strategy and identify disastrous blind spots in order to make a smooth business transformation. There is the signal for Change NOW if people, especially management only keeps hands full, but lack prioritization and Time Management skills to brainstorming strategy and drive strategy implementation. Indeed, there are both blind spots in strategy formulation and execution. That also means they probably wouldn't know where is the weakest link in the business and how to invest in new capabilities for their business, even if the organization thought there was any value justification for making the investment. When the blind spots deaccelerate your business transformation, it is the time to change, to clear the path, whether that be the elimination of obstacles, closing the blind spots, or to provide guidance.


The static mindset of management: Change readiness can be determined via a validated instrument, the change profile scanning. Too many organizations are mechanistic with command and control hierarchies. If your organization fits the description, get out fast or initiate change within. It's not the change that needs management. It's management that has to change its paternalistic view and give space to what the professionals they hired for the works. There is a critical mindset that needs to change and that is the mindset of management. It is the Right Timing for changes when there is a static mindset of management, that says "I know best, and because I know best you have to do what I say. It is the mindset of trying to control the things that you cannot control; that is the foundation of these other mindsets. Change that and you change everything! There is another mindset that needs to change. The mindset of the 'blame game' needs to be changed too, where blame always flows downwards, like gravity. Change is always about fixing the real problems, not finger pointing.


Negative Emotions: Companies don't think about change. People in companies do, from different positions. Change inertias are often caused by negative emotions or ineffective performance management. People like to change, but do not want to be changed and there is the difference. It’s the TIME for changes when you see the negative emotions (ONR - Objections, Negativity or Resistance) permeating into the business culture and diminish creativity and drag down productivity. Etc. When not addressed or negated; can fester and permanently poison the culture of the change initiative and thereby lower the likelihood of its successful implementation. Fear of change happens at both personal and organizational level, fear of disruption, the existence of chaos. So the more transparent about a change effort, the less uncertainty, and consequently less fear, there will be about the effort. But that takes planning, decisive leadership, and the intestinal fortitude to be transparent with people when the truth might not be pleasant to deliver. It’s the time to change for overcoming negative emotions and build change as an ongoing capability.


There is the time to sow and time to harvest. Sow more seeds for change and innovation. Pay attentions to get the clear signal for the right TIMING to changes, in order to grasp the opportunity for moving faster, also be cautious about the pitfalls on the way. Don't be procrastinated. Change is the journey starting with the RIGHT NOW attitude and a sense of urgency.

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