Organizational Change and Performance Improvement
Organizational Change: Be Proactive
Change happens daily. Most change is subtle, gradual, eroding the foundation of what we have built with blood, sweat, tears, and many sacrifices. We don’t always recognize the changes.
They can be so gradual that before we know it our organizations no longer function efficiently or effectively. We see performance decline. Costs rise and profits decrease. Customers stop buying. One day, seemingly overnight, everything has changed.
There are also big changes. A new technology enters the marketplace and suddenly our technology is old news. Or it could be a change in the global economy, tariffs, suppliers going bankrupt, or any number of external factors.
Knowing that change happens, we can be proactive. It requires a different approach to how we do business. It asks you to look at your organizations and make tough calls. You have to look at your products, services, and technology and make decisions. Your team has to do things differently. How differently? It depends on your objectives and key results.
Objectives and Goals
This is the “What” you will do.
As the saying goes, if you don’t know where you are going anywhere is fine. For businesses, we have to know where we are going. What is the goal your team is going to align to achieve?
Key Results and Performance Metrics
This is “How” you will do it.
What steps and milestones need to occur to get you to your goal? Who has to do what? When?
Establishing milestones, metrics, and timelines enables your organization to assess progress and take corrective action as needed.
Group Dynamics
Group dynamics is about the systems and behaviors that develop within and between groups and their members.
The need to have a role, a place in the group, and to “fit into” the group can significantly impact their success.
Some groups are teams, all teams are groups.
Team Composition
Teams are organized to achieve an objective. The most visible examples of teams come from the world of sports. Sports teams are organized with the objective of winning (games, seasons, championships, etc.).
Each team member has a specific role to play. How well they play that role, achieve the performance objectives of their role, determine in part the succcess of the team.
Originals and Outliers
Groups and teams need to be carefully selected and structured for success. The vulnerability of improperly formed teams can lead to poor decision making, an inability to identify and explore viable options, a silencing of voices that could point out flaws in plans and logic, and other malfunctions.
It is important that groups and teams recruit, retain, and utilize individuals who have diverse perspectives beyond demographic diversity. Successful organizations seek out original voices and outlier opinions.
