Do something positive

It is better to light a candle than it is to curse the darkness.
US President John F Kennedy, 1960.

Future Leaders

In his book "New Leaders Wanted" the subtitle "Now Hiring! 12 kinds of people you must find, seduce, hire and create a job for" Dr Leandro Herrero explains exactly what the message of the book is. In essence corporations are changing, their business is changing and their people need to change...and yet time after time these same companies employ people that express the same tired skills and behaviours that perpetuate the status quo. He asks us to consider job advertisements over the last 10 years and to observe any significant changes in what companies are asking for. There are very few. This book serves to provoke our thinking about the people we should be hiring and you can get a free copy courtesy of The Chalfont Project. All they ask is that you forward this offer on to your friends and colleagues, business or personal, who you feel may also like to have the chance to read this thought-provoking book for free. Simply follow the link:

http://www.thechalfontproject.com/ebooks/new-leaders

http://thechangesamurai.blogspot.com/

HOT NEWS

Apple CEO Steve Jobs has written a rare open letter on Apple's website outlining six reasons why the Adobe Systems' Flash video software should not be used for mobile devices.

The bitter end of experience

Sometimes we are challenged or criticized by people who may be peers or are in a position of some authority by the nature of the role they play in our projects and / or corporate life. Situations may arise when we feel unable to respond in order to keep the peace...that things have been taken out of perspective or you have been unfairly treated, scrutinised...feeling a victim of the process. Whatever the case..you feel that you cannot truly say what you feel. You just put up with it. But you are not happy. You feel helpless!

Well...that may be the case, but not all is lost. First of all take a step back and understand that the situation that you face is not necessarily personal. The way we are treated is often down to the way other people treat all people. Not justification..but fact. Its not personal. I remember on one Executive Coaching engagement a client telling me of his bad experience with the Human Resources department and how they failed miserably to acknowledge his internal application for a job. HR didn't advise him that interviews were taking place and did not keep him informed when the successful applicant was appointed to the job. He felt betrayed and helpless. He felt that any complaint he made to HR would be seen as negative and could spoil his chances in any future applications. 


This is a lesson. The lesson is to ensure that your bad experience is remembered when you are dealing with other people. Remember how critical you were of your treatment and make change work for you by endeavouring to treat your people better! 

http://thechangesamurai.blogspot.com/

HOT NEWS

Ready or not, 3D TV is here. Sets from Samsung and Panasonic (PC) are already arriving in U.S. stores, and Sony (SNE), LG, Vizio, and others will join the fray in coming months.

the Change Samurai devote their heart firmly to the way of change

Although it is nothing unusual to say that change samurai must devote themselves to the way of change, it would seem that some people struggle with change. The reason why I say this is that if I ask "What is the fundamental meaning of the way of change?", very few people can answer immediately. This is because they have not formed a clear change conviction in their hearts over a long period of time. From this one can see that they have not firmly committed their hearts to the way of change. There is no greater negligence than this.
http://thechangesamurai.blogspot.com/

HOT NEWS

Microsoft, Nokia, and Motorola are among the companies releasing a new batch of devices that make it easier for users to post comments, photos, and tweets.

RAPID-Change!

Often when talking to a client sponsor they will say that they want change and they want it quickly. Time is money and the faster the implementation the sooner the benefit is achieved. The client could even suggest that the change should be quick in any case if the consulting team are working efficiently.

This may well be true, but there is also a need in some instances for focused  RAPID-Change. This model follows the disciplines and theories of the full change framework, but cuts to the heart of the matter to create a fast path implementation. Projects that will benefit from this rapid approach include:

• In progress projects that have lost direction and /or time
• Projects that are required in a limited timescale with fixed deadlines or urgent situations
• Projects that require energizing
• Projects undergoing crisis or costs issues etc
• Or simply projects that thought that they could get away without change management and half way through realise their mistake!

RAPID-Change! in short

Rise to the challenge.

Accelerate engagement channels.

Promote realistic expectations.

Implement through focused objectives.

Do it - create strategies to make it happen. Focus on the solution not the problem!

In addition follow this manifesto for RAPID-Change! It is the Freiberg BOOM! for blowing the doors off business-as-usual.

1. Be a player...become involved.
2. Be accountable...become part of something.
3. Choose to serve...share the gifts you have.
4. Focus forward...be part of the solution.
5. Build reputation...make your work your signature.
6. Get it done...turn problems into opportunities.
7. Risk more...maximise your capabilities.

http://thechangesamurai.blogspot.com/

HOT NEWS

Once among the world's most popular and fastest-growing social networks, Bebo atrophied under AOL's ownership and could be sold or closed within months

Take people along on the change journey

The October 2009 cover story in MIS magazine profiled Peter Mahler, 'The Architect' of a massive technology overhaul at Coles. In fact his experiences have been turned into a textbook case study by three experts from the University of Melbourne and the London School of Economics. They have written a research paper indicating that the project offers a host of lessons and ideas for other CIO's leading similar transformations. It is a long story that included the transition of divisional IT staff into a centralised function. Although the overall programme was deemed successful, when Wesfarmers took over they instituted a reversal of IT to a more federated structure. Of more interest from a change perspective is that the replenisment system upgrade led to gaps on the shelves at some stores.
The reason being that there were not sufficient staff with the capability of using the new system and Mahler admits that not enough users were brought along on the journey. Desire and Ability are key components of the ADKAR model which is part of the Prosci framework for change and this case study proves yet again that people are the key to maximising project success.
http://thechangesamurai.blogspot.com/


HOT NEWS
Apple CEO Steve Jobs said the company sold more than 450,000 iPads in less than a week .

Organisational Design Quick Tip!

Part of the change managers portfolio can be the organisational redesign of departments as a result of the new processes and systems being introduced. This can be a huge undertaking although the return on investment in doing this right can be significant for large corporations. But what if you need to prove a headcount reduction as part of the benefits the project is delivering and you are working on a smaller project and the budget doesn't stretch to detailed mapping of current and then new processes in order to identify such attributes as volumes, time to complete and costs for each activity. 

Well here is a quick method to validate your FTE (Full Time Equivalent) reduction. Just remember this is a method for indicative value only.

Simply produce a resource matrix with each employee (or role)  in the left hand column.
1. In the right hand columns (Maximum of 5) enter what core activities each person currently performs? Use the 80/20 rule. The 20% of activity that produces 80% of the outputs.
2. Record how long each activity takes to complete? This can be expressed as a percentage of the total work hours in the day. Say David spends 2 hours of every 8 hour work day (10 hours of a 40 hour week) entering data into a system then this takes 25% of his time each day / week.
3. Cross through what will be eliminated as a result of the new system?
4. What will be reduced and record by how much?
5. What new additional activities may be required?
6. Redraw the matrix less the eliminated and reduced tasks plus the new.
7. This will provide a high level view of what FTE is required and the basis for redesigning the department. Align this with the original matrix and the difference will be the gross saving...or benefit / FTE reduction.

http://thechangesamurai.blogspot.com/

HOT NEWS

Apple Inc. is readying a new version of its iPhone software that analysts predict will add support for multitasking and advertising, features that escalate its competition with Google Inc. for mobile users and developers.

Put your foot on the transformation pedal!

Okay.. you want change, you want transformation? Well take your foot off these change brakes, put it on the accelerator and push down hard! Robert Miles who is President of Corporate Transformation Resources based in Charlottesville, Virginia has identified six mistakes that can slow down and ultimately derail an attempt to change. 
Brake #1 Cautious Management Culture
Ensure all executives confront reality and agree on ground rules for working together.
Brake #2 Business As Usual Processes
Don't let business as usual operations get in the way of new processes.
Brake #3 Initiate Gridlock
In other words manage the portfolio of work that funnels into the programme management office.
Brake #4 Recalcitrant executives
Don't let fear be the reason executives undermine the change effort.
Brake #5 Disengaged employees
Positive sponsorship creates a positive message that should / must cascade down through and across the organisation.
Brake #6 Loss of focus
Maintain Awareness, create Desire. Don't move to the flavour of the month. Reinforce the need to change. Don't let excitement wear off!
If team members feel they don't have quite enough time, you probably have the pacing about right.

http://thechangesamurai.blogspot.com/

HOT NEWS
After three years and almost $3 billion, Meydan Racecourse is the new home of the Dubai World Cup.

Are we learning from the past?

In Vol 8 No1, of the Journal of Management Research, Franco Gandolfi explores the lessons that we can learn, if indeed we do learn, from downsizing. In many ways this research is a bit like those obscure results that some even more obscure scientist discovers. Millions of dollars are spent trying to find out why dogs bark and with great applause from their peers the obscure scientist announces its because they are dogs! I guess the point here is that we know that downsizing doesn't always provide the desired results and that the organisational success that was visioned can turn into "profound negative consequences for all constituencies". I didn't really need Franco to spend his time and money on research to confirm that for me. 

The reason being...and this is why I doubt we do learn...is that over 15 years ago the phrase 'Corporate Anorexia' was used to define the strategy (well lets call it a strategy!) of throwing away the baby with the bath water when companies in the mid nineties were retrenching executive after executive and all of their corporate knowledge went with them.

Of course his was just prior to the next fad which was Knowledge Management! Funny.

Anyway lets give Franco a platform. He suggests four main lessons can be taken from this often ill advised corporate re organisation:

1. Prepare well (oh really?)

2. Provide assistance to survivors (sounds like the aftermath of a Tsunami)

3. Have a longer term plan to manage dysfunctional behaviours (what sort of nut house corporations has he worked in?)

4. Count your costs because downsizing can generate costs which are underestimated. (Clever lad this Franco!)

So there you go. Don't say you haven't been warned!

http://thechangesamurai.blogspot.com/

HOT NEWS

Larry Ellison took home more pay than any other U.S. CEO in 2009.

Change-Ability

Knowing that we need to change is one thing, how to do it is another. For some people change is simply a choice of "Yesterday I reacted to everything...from today I will respond professionally"..its that simple..a choice. Yet for others it is a long, long climb to the top of the change hill where the barrier points of change confront us at every level.

Charles Darwin who was born 200 years ago new much about change when he said "It's not the strongest of the species who survive, not the most intelligent, but those who are the most adaptive to change".

Marty Wilson is an author and speaker and he talks about three facts of change that are worthy of note.

1. Life is change. Take a look in the mirror. Consider your first day at school, at work, living with someone, children, mortgages, responsibility, failures, successes and it goes on. Please don't tell me you are not adaptable. The issue is in your choice. Not your ability to change, but the poor choice not to change, when change is the right thing to do.

2. When you chose not to change, you lose the future. I like this one. People get all emotional about not wanting to let go. They want to hold on to what is safe, comfortable...the past. Yet they have no idea how great their future could be and so they lose their future.

3. You can't put change in your diary. There is no right time for change. There will always be barrier points and reasons not to change as life throws stuff at us and the black dog in our heads barks at us not to change because it will be dangerous. Just suck it up and do it.

The Philosopher, Wittgenstein said that "The limits of one's language are the limits of one's world".

http://thechangesamurai.blogspot.com/

HOT NEWS

Private equity is coming back so says Carlyle Group co-founder David Rubenstein. 

Come with the Change

When Chris Howard (International Speaker and Coach) was in South Africa teaching his 'Breakthrough to Success' at CIDA University, he came across a young girl from a remote village who had to overcome a number of difficulties in order to support her whole family. She told Chris "I realised that if I wanted my future to be different, I had to come with the change"!

Something inside this girl matured her thinking beyond her years to trigger the realisation that if her World was going to be better it had to be different and that meant she had to start thinking differently about her situation. The change had to come from within, from her heart and mind.

You don't need to be an underprivileged girl living in South Africa to experience this epiphany or indeed think that you are any different in your thinking process when it comes to embracing change.

Every organisation from the local shop to the global asset rich company will take the change journey through its people. How those people change, one person at a time, will determine the overall success and culture that the organisation desires. The people are the organisation.

The young girl is now a young woman, a graduate of the Branson Business School and working in the financial sector. As would be expected she now contributes to her community in many ways.

If you want to change, start with your Self....come with the change! 

Organisations are complex...

Organisations are complex social systems and that change is nothing which can be managed in a linear way. The need for change has never been bigger but change management as a discipline has never been more challenged.

What we change practitioners usually do is that we select one or a couple of the manyfold change models that we take as a foundation for our consulting work. It might be based on the work of Kotter, or Senge, or Scharmer, or Cooperrider but eventually we all make choices on how to approach our task. Then, when it comes to implementation, we open our toolbox.

The tricky thing is that the choice of the change models, and the toolbox, has an influence on how we build our assumptions about the organizational change issue. We see what we want to see, and we cannot be bias free. If 60-80% of all change projects fail - could that be one of the reasons?

Dr Helmut Volkmann and his colleague Vesa Purokuru have been thinking of how to build a meta model that helps organisations to construct their own change model and select freely the tools that go along. The result of their quest is the Change Journey (http://www.changejourney.org) , and the tool for designing the specific change model is the Change Journey Map.

The Journey Map is the tool for facilitating a team dialogue on how to create a design for the Change Journey, unique for each organisation. The Map which is based on laws of complexity has 23+ places which symbolize different aspects of change that teams and organisations might need to consider during their journey. For example, some organisations might believe that they have to focus on creating sustainable actions first. Others might want to start with creating trust in teams. Others, in turn, might want to revisit their goal of the change. Only people involved in the change process can answer the question "Where to go next?". This simple question reveals the start of the journey. Once the first steps are defined, change leaders can bring in all their tools to master the specific part of the journey. The Change Journey is neutral when it comes to application of other change methodologies and frameworks. The Map which can be reproduced in different sizes according to your needs comes along with a set of cards which offer questions for deeper exploration of the places.

Read more about the Change Journey at http://www.changejourney.org, or watch their slideshow at http://www.slideshare.net/hnauheimer/change-journey-background-and-intro.