Do you want to change the “lifestyle” or direction of your company? Successful companies have found a need to shift from rudimentary singular beginnings to diversification and the need to reexamine organizational structures and culture. This shift can be accomplished via “Change Agents” who bridges the typical bottlenecks between sales and marketing, marketing and research development, research and development and operations. Typical business leaders use strategies or theories that they are more familiar with or popular at the time. True business change must go through a deep, up and down model on every level with serious examination of institutional structure, mission, and culture.
Organizational change can be first achieved through business review, a complete analysis of “where you are”. Evaluation and new development needs a starting place. If a new “recipe” is offered; understanding change requires the development of a common language and conceptualization of change that is context based. Second, establish leadership and determine if it should be collective in nature as in academia or top-down as in most business modules. Leadership is usually traditional but needs definition as you review the status of your company. As a defined leader, start with the end in mind.
Next, develop a system that allows subordinates to cope and cope effectively. Change can be difficult and leaders should insure that people affected by the change agree with, or at least understand, the need for change, and have a chance to decide how the change will be managed, and if they have a role in implementation, without the responsibility managing it.
Last, develop the “where you want to be” in achievable measurable levels. Announce and celebrate short-term wins consistently, achieve one goal before initiating new ones, and intermittently encourage progress reporting. This is a great way to establish each employee as a change agent, accountable to each goal or “win.” As a company grows and a leader understand his or her employee’s needs, the better one will be able to manage change. Once change is established, implement new protocols and assume your role as a solution finder as opposed to a problem solver. Once you have made the necessary change for your organization or company, you threw the problems away.
Good Luck!
Written By: Russ Dula, Business Development & Customer Nurturing Associate
