Organisational Transformation
The Covid Pandemic is challenging organisations to reinvent themselves. They must make a step change to survive. They need organisational transformation to unleash fun and learning at work so people engage fully.
Change can be enjoyable and effective. Simply having more effective meetings can make a huge difference. Try: -
· Having people sitting in a circle with no desks or barriers
· Giving everyone equal time to speak and be heard, without interruption
· Going last if you are most senior person in the room
You will get more and better thinking, especially if you include many voices perhaps from customers or other stakeholders.
A colleague once asked, “If you were a good idea, where would you hide?”
Developmental ideas (Ideas about how to do things better) can “hide” anywhere. Anyone in an organisation can find them. The simplest way is to ask. This takes humility and courage. It’s perfectly possible, to ask “If you had my job, what would you do differently and why?” You could also ask “If you were looking at our organisation from the outside, what you would say we do well and what could we do better?”
You need effective working relationships, so people feel safe to give and receive feedback. This needs work and skill but there are simple things anyone can do to help.
Try: -
· Listening to understand what people are thinking and what they are feeling
· Being open about and direct about what you think, feel, and need
· Showing your vulnerability by asking for help even if you are a senior leader
None of these ideas are new. They don’t need unusual skills or years of training. Organisational transformation is much simpler and much more difficult. It needs leaders to have open minds and hearts, humility, and courage. It needs them to create space for people to connect and give their best and to trust that this is what they will do.
If you would like to talk about any of this, please get in touch.
(I will share some thoughts about personal and professional development in another blog)
