Too many change efforts, all at once
All too often, companies fall into the trap of believing they have to change every possible process, business unit or approach in order to grow. The notion that they need to change multiple things, simultaneously is insidious. One great idea, brought up appropriately, leads leadership to think of another, and another, on and on until the organization is caught in a death spiral of too many change initiatives to bring about healthy growth.
The notion that change needs to happen immediately and across multiple fronts is a malady that many companies fall victim to. The result is that the organization is in a constant flurry of change to the extent that it loses stability, its focus on what it’s doing right, and its identity. The message that comes across the line organizations when leadership pushes too many change initiatives at once is obvious – employees are simply not doing a good, period.
Not executed by the right people
Immediately after leadership develops the laundry list of change initiatives, they invariably ask who in the organization will be put in charge of implementing those efforts. Not surprisingly, they assign it to the best and brightest individuals without considering how busy they already are and whether or not they might actually be the best fit to take on the initiative in question. The inveterate go-getter of the company is logically selected and they, of course, accept the assignment dutifully.
Unfortunately, every minute of this employees’ day is already accounted for and, not surprisingly, the initiative stalls.
Too disruptive
Senior leaders that are too far removed from the core capabilities of the teams in place and in charge of running the company, invariably commit to change efforts that are well beyond the organization’s grasp. While it’s completely understandable to develop change efforts that are aimed at achieving stretch goals, it is not feasible to expect the organization to meet initiatives that go too far beyond what it is familiar with, at least not within the short term.
It might very well be possible for the organization to achieve a 10% increase in referral business within 90 days, but it is not likely to be able to become to capture the majority of market share in a market segment it has barely made an effort to compete in – at least not within the same 90 daytime frame.
Not done for the right reasons
Creating change initiatives for the wrong reasons are the cause of stifled growth, resentment, disillusionment, and frustration among line employees. Senior leaders often create initiatives out of ego and doing what the competition is already doing in order to feel better about themselves without considering whether or not the initiative is needed. They often follow their ego more than the pulse of the organization when dreaming up what changes they believe to be “necessary”.
I once helped a client realize that becoming the central satellite command hub in order to compete with their primary competitor, instead of focusing on the development of high-power amplifiers that had garnered success and had put them on the map, would only lead to a waste of time, money and goodwill by their workforce.
Questions to Consider
Are you taking on projects that are incongruent with your company’s core capabilities?
Is there a stream of never-ending change efforts plaguing your organization’s ability to understand what it does well and why that is?
Are these incessant change efforts preventing also preventing your team’s ability at identifying which incremental improvements can be made to positively affect change?
Do the change efforts that you select represent needed change for the company or are they primarily for aesthetics?