Organizational Change Articles

Could the emphasis on What’s in It for Me (WIIFM) be a contributing factor to the huge number of change initiatives that fail to meet their intended outcomes?
 
Does emphasizing WIIFM convince people that there has to be something in it FOR THEM in everything?  Employees, customers, shareholders, etc. look for the benefit to them. But, maybe the benefit will be in their team, family, community, etc.  The notion that every project or initiative has to have an outcome that benefits each person is a recipe for disaster.

WHY?
 
1. People will not be interested in putting effort or making concessions for something that doesn’t benefit them if they’ve been trained to expect something out of each project.  So, if the project you are working on isn’t going to benefit them directly, most people will say “thanks but no thanks”

2. Everyone is looking for the immediate gratification – There are efforts that need to be done that will have long-term benefits but nothing immediately.  Because of the focus on WIIFM patience for longer term successes/benefits is low.

3. People will balk at necessary actions – Sometimes things need to get done because they need to get done and won’t benefit some groups.  But, they will make the company stronger or save it from some calamity (competition, regulation violation, etc.).  But, if you are always focusing on WIIFM then why would someone want to do that?

4. People have a misguided belief that there has to be a WIIFM in everything – It’s not always about you.  In life, we have to make sacrifices and do things that don’t directly benefit us at all.  But they must be done.
 
Of course organizations must take on initiatives that benefit their key stakeholders – employees, customers, shareholders, etc.  But, there are times that for the sake of the business or institutions actions must be taken that don’t have a WIIFM.

GUNS VS. BUTTER

During WWII, Americans rationed everything for the war effort.  It was a concept called “guns or butter”.  Essentially, you could have more guns and stuff on the front line for our troops or we could have ample food, steel, oil, etc. at home BUT YOU COULD NOT HAVE BOTH.
 
The effort that people went through in America (and almost every other country in the world at that time) during that time was for the greater good.  There was not really a WIIFM or at least it was delayed.  But if you look at the wars that have occurred since, Americans have expected guns AND butter.  For the most part, that has not worked well for anyone.  The same is true in organizations.  You can’t always have WIIFM and organizational success.  It can happen.  When it’s possible it should. But, when it’s not, there should be rationale given about:

• The greater good of the organization
• Increase in customers base
• Growth in market share
• Or something else that will benefit the greater good.

(Now, if there is no long term benefit or benefit to the organization AND not WIIFM, than that’s not good either. All those projects/initiatives should be scrapped too)
 
It’s time for us to recognize that projects need to be beneficial but they may not have a “win” for each person impacted and that is okay.  If it’s a win for the organization and the greater good, maybe that is good enough….
 
Anil Saxena is the President of Cube 2.14, an organizational development consulting firm that works with clients to increase both customer and employee engagement while decreasing turnover, improving customer retention, and increasing profitability within organizations.

Saxena is a certified High Impact coach and trainer and a Joint Application Design facilitator. He is also certified by both Rush Systems and IBM as a focus group facilitator. He is an inaugural member of Northwestern University’s Learning and Organizational Change program, and he earned his bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from the Illinois Institute of Technology.

Why do people downplay their contributions? Something about the modern day rat race has turned many employees (and managers) into habitual preservers of the status quo – nobody wants to rock the boat.

The culture has turned from a focus on innovation to little more than survival mode. Restrictive policy, tough job markets, and the less-than-effective middle management have taught much of the workforce (including those in leadership roles) to simply stay in line, follow instructions, and carry on business as usual.

This type of thinking, of course, destroys creative thinking, and prevents progress and fresh ideas in companies of any industry.
 
So what can leaders (and really, every employee) do about it?

The first step is to own your impact.

This means seeing your individual involvement in the task at hand, your department, and your entire company. It means owning up to both your accomplishments and your mistakes, and taking full credit for both.
 
Owning your impact is recognizing the unique contribution you can make to any situation, and understanding that without the bravery to offer up ideas, to propose solutions, or to simply offer constructive feedback on a process or policy, there can never be forward progress.
 
When people lose sight of their own potential for positive influence, they feel impotent – and when policies reward adherence to the rulebook and restrict open mindedness, employees are placed under a huge burden: it takes every ounce of energy to trudge through outdated processes and not speak out against them.

Without a widespread recognition of individual contribution, employees simply become cogs in a machine. Even if they have brilliant ideas, they’ve been trained to squash them – all because it would disrupt the status quo.

So leaders, no matter what industry you might be a part of, own your impact, and encourage everyone you manage to own theirs as well. Recognizing the insight that each member of a team can bring to the table is the first step in generating great new ideas, and ultimately, making changes that improve company productivity and employee engagement/satisfaction.

Empowered employees are happy and productive employees. Impotent and burdened employees are precisely the opposite. Which would you rather have?

Anil Saxena is the President of Cube 2.14, an organizational development consulting firm that works with clients to increase both customer and employee engagement while decreasing turnover, improving customer retention, and increasing profitability within organizations.

Saxena is a certified High Impact coach and trainer and a Joint Application Design facilitator. He is also certified by both Rush Systems and IBM as a focus group facilitator. He is an inaugural member of Northwestern University’s Learning and Organizational Change program, and he earned his bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from the Illinois Institute of Technology.
 

It’s wordy and sounds a lot like an organizational structure that involves an obsessive amount of hand-holding.
 
You hire your employees hoping that they will get the job done fast, efficiently, and without you having to stand over everybody’s shoulder. In many cases, worrying about customer retention and satisfaction is a huge part of any employer’s day.
 
But what about employee retention?  
 
One of the easiest ways to promote productivity and excellent customer service is by creating an organizational culture that is employee-centric. Plain and simple: creating a team of employees that feel appreciated and motivated will propel your business into new and exciting territories.
 
1. ORGANIZATIONAL CULTURE STARTS WITH A TEAM OF ALL-STARS
Employee-centric businesses hire with extreme caution. As the resumes start pouring in, they take time to find someone that is not only qualified, but that seems to exhibit the values of their company, products, etc.
 
Find your team of all-stars.
 
When interviewing a potential employee, consider the following:
• Will this person contribute positively to our work environment?
• Does this person understand the underlying values of our company?
• Will this person be easy to work with and to motivate?

2. DEVELOP COLLABORATION & EMPLOYEE APPRECIATION
Employees want to know that their ideas matter. Does that mean that every potential “what if” will make it to the drawing board? Probably not.
 
But letting employees branch out and work on teams to develop existing ideas could lend a much needed fresh perspective. Your employees should feel comfortable coming to you with suggestions for improvements.
 
When your employees do something extraordinary, make sure to compliment them on the spot. There are plenty of ways to let your team know that they are appreciated. While it may seem most helpful to focus on areas of improvement, taking time out of your day to let people know what they are doing well will inevitably reform even your weakest areas of performance.

3.  KEEP EMPLOYEE MOTIVATION HIGH!
Figure out what motivates your employees.
 
Beyond the obvious bonus, are there ways you can encourage and challenge your workforce? Would coffee on Monday mornings make the beginning of the work week more bearable? Does a certain employee want to try out a different department or educate themselves regarding a different aspect of your business. If it is something you can accommodate, why not give it a try?
 
Obviously, every company will have to find their footing when it comes to creating a healthy and employee-centric organizational culture. Reassesing company values is always a good place to start. When you find a positive and hard-working employee, find ways that will motivate them to stay. Happy employees will create a happy business and happy businesses tend to be successful businesses.
What motivates you to get to work and do an awesome job? What are some ways in which your company could improve its retention?
 
Jeffrey Fermin is Officevibe’s cofounder and is in charge of all marketing efforts and business development for the company. Jeff has the pleasure of engaging with the Officevibe community where he talks, tweets and blogs about company culture and employee engagement. Reach him @JeffFermin

After a very interesting conversation with my wife, I decided to explore the balance between perfection and completion.  She believes that there is such a rush to get things done that there isn’t a focus on right, good or correct.  As usual…it seems like she is on to something.
 
There is a zeitgeist in business today that believes done is good and even a mantra:

“Done is better than perfect“.  But is that so? 
 
Is it really better that products should be pushed out than if they are correct?  No, not really
Although Apple is known for it’s outstanding products, the operating system launch when they replaced Google Maps with iMaps was an unmitigated disaster.  They were met with a huge backlash from users that were upset at the unannounced change.  iMaps was not as useful and had less features.  Some newer Apple customers responded by dropping their Apple products entirely.
 
But there is a dichotomy at play.  Although products and projects need to be correct, do they need to be perfect?  That depends on your definition of perfect.
 
The adjective perfect is defined as:
Make (something) completely free from faults or defects, or as close to such a condition as possible.
 
Perfection is defined as:

To often the notion of perfection is misunderstood.  Managers, leaders, teachers, etc. search for the holy grail of imperfection or flawlessness.  They push for a final product that has:

• The exact right word
• Phrasing that makes people weep
• User interfaces that have customers raise their gaze to the skies and see the face of their god (gods or whatever)
 
Essentially, they push for “Unattainable Flawlessness”. That is not only unrealistic, but a HUGE waste of time.
 
BUT WE NEED TO GET THINGS DONE!

Anyone who’s ever developed a product, worked on a piece of art, slaved over a project for weeks or months with looming deadlines and an audience to impress – anyone who has ever put themselves through this torturous process knows how hard it is to stamp the final seal, to step away from a project and call it “finished.”
 
The need to polish every imperfection and pour over every last detail is hard to resist, but does it really do any good?
 
• Particularly for a company developing new products, holding back a product release because it “isn’t perfect” is just foolish. Here’s why:
 
• It won’t be perfect anyway; there will always be something else to tweak or improve.

“Sometimes it’s best to launch a product before it’s perfect.”
 
AND
 

• Spelling, grammar, punctuation, word choice, etc. should be correct
• Products should work as expected
• Parts should not be missing
• Customer service should be aware of changes and anticipate customer needs
 
There has to be a balance between done and perfect.
• On one hand –
◦ Spending too much time looking for every last flaw is a waste of energy, and delays getting the feedback that really matters. Get it into the customers’ hands, and they’ll find the imperfections for you.
◦ On the other –
▪ Customers have an expectation that the product or service will work as advertised.  Don’t let things go out that don’t function as expected or show the organization in a bad light!
 
BUT THE GOAL SHOULD NEVER BE FLAWLESS.  WHAT DO YOU THINK?

Anil Saxena is the President of Cube 2.14, an organizational development consulting firm that works with clients to increase both customer and employee engagement while decreasing turnover, improving customer retention, and increasing profitability within organizations.

Saxena is a certified High Impact coach and trainer and a Joint Application Design facilitator. He is also certified by both Rush Systems and IBM as a focus group facilitator. He is an inaugural member of Northwestern University’s Learning and Organizational Change program, and he earned his bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from the Illinois Institute of Technology.

Do this, finish that, task, assignment, deadline – that is the life of most people in organizations.  There is lots doing, but not much context. 
 
In other words, most employees know what they’re doing and how they’re supposed to do it, but there’s an undeniable void when it comes to the biggest question of them all: WHY?
 
THE WHY IS CRITICAL!
 
Asking “why” is how we determine intent. But, probably most importantly it is how we derive and attribute meaning to any and all of our actions.
 

• Why a project is so important,
• Why their actions affect the customer,
• Why you’ve chosen one vendor over another,
• Why office policy is in place, etc.,
illuminates their entire position.   It helps to validate their contribution to the company.
 
Giving your employees the why’s gives them context for their actions.  It helps them understand their impact on the organization, the team and even customers.  In the end, it makes everyone more effective.
 
How do you share the whys?

Anil Saxena is the President of Cube 2.14, an organizational development consulting firm that works with clients to increase both customer and employee engagement while decreasing turnover, improving customer retention, and increasing profitability within organizations.

Saxena is a certified High Impact coach and trainer and a Joint Application Design facilitator. He is also certified by both Rush Systems and IBM as a focus group facilitator. He is an inaugural member of Northwestern University’s Learning and Organizational Change program, and he earned his bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from the Illinois Institute of Technology.

When did the term “accountability” take on a negative connotation? When did being “held accountable” become the new vocabulary for placing blame?
 
It seems like this definition has become tainted.  It’s as if accountability is something nobody wants anymore – and who would want to embrace accountability when it’s so often associated with mistakes, negligence, or outright devious behavior?
 

Accountability: The acceptance of responsibility and liability,
 
But, rooting the term in negativity is extremely counterproductive. If accepting responsibility means voluntarily putting your head on the chopping block, why would anyone want to step into a leadership role?

Apathy at work

This raises a very important issue, and offers a logical explanation for workplace complacency, for the desire of many employees to remain in neutral positions. No one wants to be singled out for failure.
 
So now what?
 
IT’S TIME TO TAKE BACK ACCOUNTABILITY!
The reality of accountability is not a mechanism for placing blame, but rather a privilege of influence! If you are “accountable,” it means the ball is in your court – you determine the direction of a project or policy. The outcome is your responsibility, and this is a powerful position to have!
 
Because of the negative connotations people attribute to this kind of accountability, they only see the potential for blame, and not the potential for empowerment. While the possibility of receiving criticism remains, there is also tremendous opportunity for praise and acclaim.
 

1. When giving accountability for an issue, task or project, make sure that there is the requisite authority
2. Make sure that everyone knows when Sally is accountable for the outcome, she is also in charge of who works on the project, where time is allocated, the budget for it, etc.
3. Make sure leaders are available to those with specific accountabilities to coach, counsel and assist in being successful
 
 
Instead of seeing accountability as the route to being blamed for failures, we must see it as the path to being celebrated for success.
If this were the case, perhaps more employees (from entry-level to upper management) would be more enthusiastic about taking on new projects, about volunteering ideas, and about embracing leadership roles.
 
This change must begin with the way we think, as well as the way we speak. We must reclaim the term “accountability” for positive use; only then will the prospect of increased responsibility serve to inspire and empower employees to achieve great things.


Anil Saxena is the President of Cube 2.14, an organizational development consulting firm that works with clients to increase both customer and employee engagement while decreasing turnover, improving customer retention, and increasing profitability within organizations.

Saxena is a certified High Impact coach and trainer and a Joint Application Design facilitator. He is also certified by both Rush Systems and IBM as a focus group facilitator. He is an inaugural member of Northwestern University’s Learning and Organizational Change program, and he earned his bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from the Illinois Institute of Technology.