Leaders tend to be take-charge, action-oriented people. Once they are persuaded that change is necessary, leaders want to hit the ground running. They often forget how much time, experience, research, and data it took to persuade them that change was needed; they are often impatient with those who seem slow to respond to the sense of urgency they now feel. These tendencies are exacerbated if the leader is new to the organization and has been brought in specifically to introduce change. Such leaders may feel their effectiveness, reputation, and even their tenure as a leader depends on quick action.
Change literature is replete with the stories of failed change initiatives that either never got off the ground, stalled, or failed to produce the desired results despite brilliant and expensive visions and strategies. In fact, studies done to date indicate most change initiatives fail (Peter Senge, The Dance of Change). Our experience is that leaders of successful change initiatives take the time to lay the critical groundwork for change. Slowing down initially to lay the critical groundwork often means the difference between a quick start which fails to take root and spread throughout the organization and a change initiative that is owned, sustained, and successfully implemented at all levels of the organization.
What if the very survival of the organization is at stake? Isn't speed of action critical? We think leaders facing a crisis which requires a rapid response should be guided by the answer the astronaut gave the 5th grader who asked, “What would you do if you were up in space and an alarm went off that said you had only 10 seconds of oxygen left?” The astronaut thought for a moment and then replied, “I'd think for nine seconds and then act.” It is precisely when a lot is at stake and the risks are high that slowing down to lay the groundwork is critical.
We are not talking about a process that takes months or even years. An organization can effectively lay the critical groundwork and incorporate a framework for addressing these challenging paradoxes in a five-day workshop for change leaders within the organization. A Change Leadership Team representative of every segment and level of the organization can be developed. The team would have two main functions – to lead and facilitate change within the organization and to cascade their learning and experiences throughout the organization.Next - Paradox 2