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Adopting the beliefs, perspective and behaviors of the tribe is of questionable advantage for an external consultant. Advantage is a carefully chosen word because I think integrating into a clients culture- at the level of member of the tribe- is chosen for a gain different than the one the consultant was hired for (Think revenue and the next engagement). Going native effects two things-
Objectivity and the People side of the change equation.
What is doesn’t do, IMHO, is strengthen the business side of the equation- the one that satisfies objectives and guides the path to the end
Continue reading Going native- the influence of the Chiefs and the Indians
I will let you decide which one is which…
Let’s go with your first instinct (although you could be wrong).
Our CEO takes up space in a room, but in a good way. She/He is strong, determined, has a great memory for the good and bad, is willing to lead the herd even through danger, has stamina and can carry a huge load.
Our change management consultant is agile, industrious, fearless, resourceful, mischievous, able to get to places others cannot, patient, kind, and certainly not afraid of the elephant in the room.
If you are the aforementioned CEO/elephant
Continue reading The CEO and the Change Management Consultant
Four vials, four solutions (the liquid kind not the ones that address root causes) for a quick injection of Change Management. Your four potions are Communications, Training, Project Management and a single dose Change Management medication.
Let’s focus on the single dose.
The diagnosis is that the patient is not real clear as to what it is they actually have. The symptoms are erratic and seem to pop up all over. They are averse to external medicine; they prefer tackling the illness on their own. But, the “pain” and inability to move forward have forced a visit to
Continue reading A quick injection of Change Management
Every stakeholder has changed before. It is possible to dream Dreams sometimes come true Change takes time Time is precious Money is not a motivator for change Change without money is not very motivating Time and place are important for change So is Context So is the big picture So is strategy Nothing happens without people Nothing happens when the people are not interested in participating Change management is about creating the avenue for participation Change flows smoothest horizontally Horizontal change requires a new kind of collaboration You can’t force collaboration And by extension you can’t force change
Continue reading A little Change Management list
Change Management is often a race to stay ahead of the setting sun. By setting sun I mean demise of the initiative itself. I am running out of fingers to count the times I have been involved in or seen the complete stop of major initiatives (most in the 7 figure + range).
Here are a few reasons why this happens-
Change Management is added too late Strategy does not connect well to resources and motivation Strategy is not present, misguided or unrealistic Timeline is unrealistic The people are unrealistic (yes sometimes there is TRUE resistance- see bullet
Continue reading Staying ahead of the setting sun-Change Management timing
Keep in mind my answer to first things for an engagement http://tinyurl.com/279g4yy, the power within the organization http://tinyurl.com/2cgbkpz and the tune to one of my favorite songs by the Scorpions, “Wind of Change”.
Stand anywhere in your organization close your eyes, let this tune run through your head and listen (hold off on the whistling this time)… to your organizations breeze, because it carries change.
Look to the direction of the wind and listen. Because if you truly listen you will be drawn to ask.
…not sure why, but this is an exercise that is not only difficult
Continue reading Listening to the wind of change
 In the world of management, especially change management, consulting, time does not equal money.
Because except at the most junior level change management (and most consulting) is not about actual on paper deliverables- which can be measured and paid for with time to money units. It is about something that is a little harder to measure- people, strategy and results.
An example-
What if your consultant comes in, roams around and talks and connects as part of the end state description data gathering (I am giving you the credit for being the smart leader who brings in a
Continue reading CEO, COO, CIO, CTO and other leaders- Do not let time be a measure
With a little contemplative time the other day I made a list of the things that have happened as a result of my “being there” with clients. These are things we did not contract for, were not expectations and in fact were not expected or anticipated and…and this is important… were strictly value add.
I can think of three times when a meeting I had with a client created languaging that got some important point or perspective across. In one Fortune 50 organization it actually created a model that is now becoming a signature change languaging and process element
Continue reading Some surprise value from Management Consultants
First neutral. Idle, listen to the engine, gather your thoughts.
Use all five gears- six if you have them- at the right time and efficiently.
If you are looking to get the best gas mileage draft the car in front, coast on the hills and move smoothly from gear to gear.
Urgency has its place in Change Management (hint it is not the first step and in fact that is out of order- see how the gears go from one to six). Think of it this way-
First gear gives you traction it is strong powerful, but not
Continue reading Sense of Urgency-the Vision to Work version
 There is a time frame built in to the change management process that I have found carries from client to client, transformation to transformation. This may be due to human nature, the consistency of organizational interaction or something within the change process itself. In a nutshell here is what the timing looks like-
The three month period is the time it takes to have enough information for a genuine dialogue about strategy, vision and end states. It takes this long for us, Vision to Work, Inc. to gather the right amount of information to question, affirm and coalesce
Continue reading Engaging an external Change Management Consultant-Phases and Insights
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