Creating Greater Corporate Focus on Change Initiatives
We’ve noticed a disturbing trend over the past decade or so: Companies that bounce from initiative to initiative hoping to improve some aspect of their operation. They latch on to the latest fad and have barely implemented it when they start investigating the next big idea. The original program never has a chance to take root and the company can’t measure what benefits were derived. Over time, employees just tune out and the only ones who get on board are those implementing the latest initiative. So when the initiative that can make a significant difference finally comes along employees are too jaded and burnt out to care.
This condition seems to be getting worse because companies are under such short-term pressure that anything that is going to take longer than a quarter or half year for results isn’t given a chance. Add to this that most companies never fully rebuilt their teams since the financial crisis so not enough resources are dedicated to the new program to generate results.
So here are some ideas to help companies create greater focus in their change efforts:
Give it time – We know this flies in the face of the short-term thinking that dominates business these days. But we have never implemented any program in a few months that achieved long-term results. Why? Because any meaningful change usually entails operational and culture changes that don’t happen overnight. By saying upfront that this initiative is going to take a year or two to make a significant impact, realistic expectations are set. Sure, there will be short-term gains (hopefully enough to pay for the program) but it should not be the expectation.
Dedicate the necessary resources – Beyond the resource of time, any initiative will take people (either internal or external or some combination of the two) to make it happen. This costs money. Thinking it can be shoestringed has caused more damage and frustration than we care to think about. So in addition to time, map out what human and financial resources are needed to implement the initiative correctly.
Start small – Some of the best, long-term initiatives we’ve worked on have started small-- in a division or one plant. Sometimes corporate-wide initiatives are too big and collapse under their own weight. But being able to start small allows a dedicated team to focus on proper implementation and measure results without a ton of bureaucracy and corporate meddling
Think critically about the newest fad – This is a pet peeve of ours. When you peel back many new fads, they seem a lot like something that has been around a while. We call this “old wine in new bottles”. Make sure it isn’t something that’s already been tried or already in use before buying into the newest thing on the shelf.
Measure results – It is very important to measure results from the new initiative. Otherwise, it is easy for naysayers to claim it was a failure and move onto the next initiative. It’s pretty hard to throw out a project that is generating results.
These all seem like simple ideas, but we’re constantly amazed how quickly companies move from one idea to the next without really considering the ramifications. By creating focus around a key initiative or two companies can generate results for years to come.