November 2008 Deep Insights

Creating change is the secret to managing change.

Organizations facing crisis often allow momentum to slowly dissipate into a wait and see process. They choose to hang on to a failing plan (that may have taken months to produce) rather than change course or walk away. To these organizations, to walk away or change would be akin to failure, while staying the course is seen as determination. At this stage crisis looms and the organization is immobilized; everyone is simply hanging on. In fact, just the opposite is what activates adrenalin, stirs imagination and mobilizes people to take action. Leaders raise the bar for current performance by searching for markets that have been ignored. Leaders challenge how monies are spent by seeking more from less. Leaders evaluate personnel and leave those with little potential or value behind. Leaders prepare the organization for success by creating an environment where crisis is an opportunity. They push through the fear of failure, knowing change is the soul of hope.

The journey to creating and managing change begins with a series of questions about an organization’s reality. What is the state of affairs within our ecosystem? How will others influence our action? Are there partnerships that should be broken? Made? Adjusted? Continued? Who is our customer? How can we meet WHO’s needs? Do we have the skills to deliver an experience to WHO that exceeds their expectations? Are our physical assets capable of producing the desired results? Will our personnel adapt to WHO’s needs? Do they have the mental tenacity to adapt? Are they the future of our organization? These questions must be answered in an inclusive environment that permits individuals, groups and partners to embrace reality as it is today and to form a vision of what tomorrow can be, leading the organization’s change. Strategy is then developed in collaborative surroundings generating buy in and momentum for execution. Collective action will protect ecosystem members and lead to a shared value increase.

Creating change is determined by the resolve to constantly observe ones ecosystem dynamics.