10 Keys to implementing sustainable change

by Janice Calnan and Lee Wallace, Calnan Group

Organizations ignore the human factor at their peril. In the great rush to do “more with less” or even “less with less”, the human resource has been taken for granted. Little effort is devoted to actually listening to employees at all levels and engaging them in any change that is needed. Expenditure of money and time on development of the people in an organization, including the leaders, is seen as a “frill”. The result - a workforce that’s compliant yet not engaged, reduced productivity and creativity, ineffective communication and a decline in quality and service to clients and customers. All of this has a negative impact on the bottom line. In the private sector, the bottom line is profitability. In the public sector it’s effective and efficient service.

It is vitally important to note that the neglected human resource includes the leaders. As workplace stress increases, executives and managers push longer, harder and stronger to get work out the door. Managers, employees and senior executives are tired, worried, discouraged, exhausted and even in despair (1). Their distress is often palpable. As stress spreads it’s accompanied by an all too common conversation. “Let’s get this product out the door!” or “Let’s keep things moving!” Commitment dwindles as does inspiration. Loneliness and discouragement increase.

How can organizations get out of this mess and introduce meaningful and sustainable change? In our experience, there are 10 Key Factors that play an important role in doing this.

This paper is about transition in organizations. It’s for the “green light leader” at any level in an organization who wants to improve the organization. In fact it’s about organizational survival. It’s for managers, executives and other leaders who recognize that a different kind of thinking is required to manage current economic challenges.

Janice Calnan spent three years in The Deming Study Group with W. Edwards Deming himself (pioneer in total quality). For 20 plus years she has worked successfully with senior managers and industry leaders who must deal with growth, change and quality issues that if not addressed can paralyze even the most successful organizations.

Lee Wallace is a coach with over 30 years experience helping clients move, with confidence, from where they are to where they want to be.

Here is a “To Do” list that will help you take very positive steps toward implementing meaningful, sustainable change in your organization

  1. Ask for help, from inside and outside your organization.
    Systems cannot see themselves. They tend to do what they have always done. Use external consultants who really understand the dynamics of human change. Since they’re not caught up in “the way we do things here” they bring a different perspective. They’ll encourage and inspire managers, executives and employees to try something new.

    You also need to use employees and leaders from various levels inside the organization who know the culture and can guide the process. Remember to use those irritating people often labeled as “troublemakers” to help you. They are like the canary in the coal mine, warning of greater danger.

  2. Learn how change really happens.
    All change starts in thinking. To change we must change our thinking first. As one courageous individual begins to change, others watch and want to follow. The organization itself changes. When you focus on what works, more things work. The reverse is also true.
  3. Recognize resistance and learn to manage it.
    Resistance accompanies change. It shows up as irritation, complaints, turf wars, poor performance and much more. When managers and other leaders recognize and learn to manage it, resistance falls away. Manage resistance by engaging employees. Employees need to trust that their leaders are not merely dragging them through the latest “fad of the month” without any commitment to make substantive change. If you are genuine in desiring change, employees need to be engaged in the change process and see for themselves the benefits. If change is commanded from on high, with little or no input from your employees, expect resistance that could scuttle the desired change. This resistance is not the result of employee perversity. It is the result of the leader’s failure to involve them in a meaningful way from day one.
  4. Develop relationships throughout your organization.
    Improving relationships along the chain of command greatly increases harmony. It’s the key to progress and profit. As relationships improve, teams begin to work at a capacity greater than the sum of their parts. You may recall the 20 mule team borax story. When individual mules carrying borax out of the desert were replaced with teams of 20 mules carrying one huge amount of borax, they were able to carry out more than the sum of the borax carried by 20 individual mules. This concept applies to teams working in organizations.
  5. Discover and remove artificial barriers that keep people from communicating with each other.
    Unrecognized, unspoken and unchallenged beliefs, such as “I can’t talk with my boss’s boss, yet she has the answers,” inhibit the natural flow of conversation and the growth of change. They keep people from improving situations. When barriers fall away, human interaction, creativity and imagination improve. Problem solving becomes visioning. Teams that can imagine a desired result can also create it. Much more gets done. Profit increases as does the company’s recognition in the marketplace. This is called success.
  6. Pay attention to words! Change how you use them!
    When your intention and your employees perception of it are different, resistance increases. Words such as “but”, “should”, “must”, “ought”, “can’t”, “I’m going to be the devil’s advocate”, and more, are often seen as negative, condescending and critical even if the speaker has no intention of being negative. Words bring people closer or push them apart. This topic deserves another complete paper. The point is very important yet just scratches the surface of communication issues. For now, just notice how you use words and notice how people respond when you use them!
  7. Discover “green light leaders” in your organization and use them.
    A green light leader is curious about new ways of leading, willing to challenge the status quo and invites others into authentic conversations (1). This leader believes that the power of people working together makes a greater difference than when they work side by side yet separate from each other. These people are your “early adopters” who will create small success stories upon which you can build. Support these leaders.
  8. Make the organizational structure permeable.
    The hierarchical structure of most large organizations isolates. It keeps people from speaking with those who can make a difference in the work that must get done. Since the underlying and unspoken emotion is fear, creativity and innovation are threatened. Trying to change the structure, however, is an enormous task. Instead, change the way people are able to communicate and interact within the structure you have. Make it permeable, encouraging the flow of connection and communication among the levels.
  9. Remove your invisible, yet palpable leadership mask.
    Masks protect us from feeling vulnerable. Leaders with masks are stern, have all the answers, give orders, withhold information and discourage feelings. They’re not approachable. As managers and leaders remove their masks and become more real, fear disappears. Communication, honesty and relationships improve. Commitment and human potential increases.
  10. Find Best Practices in your own organization.
    You don’t have to look outside your organization to find “best practices”. Your competition has their own best practices based on their product, their clients and their workforce. What works for another organization may not work for yours. Your people have their own best answers about making improvements, if you are smart enough to ask them. Encourage passion! Invite participation! Ask “What works?” Implement their ideas. Watch productivity soar.
People and their organizations need to see things differently before they can do things differently. When a company is managed with human potential in mind, employees are motivated, trusting, creative, innovative and willing to take risks to improve quality. All of these skills are required as companies are driven to respond faster, cheaper, with fewer resources and higher quality—all to satisfy greater customer demands.

It’s difficult to see things differently if you talk only with people inside your organization. We can help. Call us at 613-721-5900 to open a conversation and examine possibilities.

Janice Calnan of CALNAN GROUP, Ottawa Ontario, Canada, executive coach, author, specialist in organizational change. Her book SHIFT: Secrets of Positive Change for Organizations and Their Leaders obtained through www.janicecalnan.com . Reach Janice at (613) 721-5900 or info@janicecalnan.com .