Surveys regularly show communication to be the biggest barrier to successful relationships, whether with your spouse, children, friends or colleagues. Yet few people know how to get a handle on this issue. Health and happiness can only be strengthened by getting to the root of the problem – giving people advanced tools to communicate more …
By definition, leaders are change agents. Whether it’s launching a new program, entering a new market, or restructuring an organization, leaders have to navigate complex change. To do this well, it’s useful to think about the fact that change needs to be managed effectively at three different levels: the strategic level, the process level, and …
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How do you deal effectively with nay-sayers? The executive branch manager of a large bank in California raised this question. One branch manager, who manages an office of 40 people, was unable to deal effectively with a couple of nay-sayers in her office. The executive branch manager told me: “Basically, whenever someone challenges her, she …
Recent articles focusing on the “unboss” approach have caught the attention of cutting-edge companies like Zappos. But can the “unboss” movement deliver on its promise of creating high-performing organizations? First, let’s define what we’re talking about. An “unboss” is the antithesis of a traditional manager. The unboss views himself as part of the organization rather …
A consensus decision occurs when a group comes together and makes a decision that everyone agrees on. Consensus is often used to forge a sense of unanimity and goodwill. As a result, we often see teams and groups – even entire organizations – operating on the basis of consensus. But despite its advantages, consensus has …
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Zappos has been in the news recently because of its decision to give bonuses to employees who elect to leave the online retailer. Their rationale? They only want people who are fully on board with their new employee-driven approach to management. Everyone else is free to go –in fact, they encourage it. Regardless of what you …
Continue reading “Creating a Culture of Change”
Leaders constantly juggle keeping different constituencies happy: customers, shareholders, employees, managers, labor leaders, Board members, regulators and public officials, to name a few. It’s understandable that executives occasionally lose focus while they’re trying to juggle the needs of all these groups. However, building a customer-centric organization can improve nearly every aspect of a company’s performance …
As employees become aligned around organizational core values, they can take on more authority and responsibility. As they feel more empowered, morale and productivity increase. It’s a virtuous cycle! This is the second ring in The Six Rings Planning Model. Watch the Video LRI’s consulting is designed to achieve real, meaningful change for our clients.
Every company aspires to – or should aspire to – create a culture where employees are highly invested in the company’s success and run it like they own it. But unless you have the right formula, you can make many missteps and blunders. I’ve spent years helping companies build effective organizational cultures. I’ve found the …
The most successful innovations are typically “demand-pull” in nature, driven by insights into what customers want. The people at the front lines of your business are most likely to have those insights. Many executives make the mistake of asking high-level executives to lead the innovation charge. But fueling local invention will have greater success. Here …
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