Maine Question An organization in which you feel change is needed. The organization may be a current or previous employer, a school organization, military organization, or other group you may be a part of. Be sure you have adequate knowledge of the organization to complete the project. Sub Questions 1."− How high is the urgency regarding these problems or opportunities? − What behavior, not just words, lead you to this conclusion? − What creates or supports this behavior and the underlying feelings? Consider the following possibilities: historical success; systems that poorly measure today’s achievements against external referents; lack of customer contact; symbols that are out of touch with today’s market reality; visible examples of excess, of throwing money around when others are winning and costs are tight; the internally focused attitudes of bosses; lack of widely shared data on performance versus competitors; too much “happy talk” from the management that is out of touch with the real world; low overall performance standards relative to competitors; a kill-the-messenger or low-candor culture; subunit goals that allow a subunit to look good as the ship is sinking. 2. What can you do that is dramatic, attention grabbing, and memorable to attack the problem of insufficient urgency? − Can you show people something that is already there, like an unhappy customer? − Can you create something new that will highlight the problem, as in “Gloves” or “Portrait Gallery”? − Can you do something indirectly— like showing a boss how much his or her subordinates are creating complacency in their subordinates? − If you have never done much of anything like this before, can you find a collaborator who has? − Note: In thinking about these questions, look for cheap and easy opportunities. Remember, you have an organization to run and products or services to be delivered or built today. Be realistic and opportunistic. 3. Watch out!" "Remember also that a good analytical report or presentation of your answer to point 1 could, if given to the right people at the right time, make a difference. But if it is not visually compelling, dramatic, attention grabbing, and memorable, it will probably have very limited impact. A colleague of ours, Harvard psychologist Stephen Kosslyn, suggests an interesting alternative in this case, but one that still uses a showing/feeling method. Why not, he asks, put up new sets of pictures, each with three components: a former CEO in the left lower corner looking to the right, a company building at the time of his tenure directly above the CEO, and atypical customer’s store in that era to the right of both. Most of the space would still be a picture of a store, but now with a CEO looking at it. With this positioning, a slightly different message is implicit. With CEOs looking at stores, the pictures suggest an even stronger customer focus. With evolving buildings, the pictures suggest an adaptation to change. This approach would still have the power of a strong visual surprise, yet it would create less anger from those with an emotional attachment to the former CEOs and the firm’s past. Obviously, one cheap and easy action is far, far from a silver bullet. In some situations, especially where you are still very successful, videotaping, portrait shifting, and much more may be needed. People are successfully taking those actions even as you read this book. Change leaders are bringing in new people from the outside, people who already have a sense of urgency. Done well, the newcomers’ behavior catches attention in a very useful way. Change leaders are finding ways to get their subordinates, colleagues, or bosses to visit other, better firms. The visibly superior practices catch attention. Change leaders are designing yearly management meetings in ways that are a total break from tradition. The fact that senior management at these meetings acts (not just talks) with a sense of urgency catches attention. Change leaders are bringing in valued customers, with surprising messages, to regular management meetings. Done well, urgency goes up, and a transformation is off to a good start."
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