Chaos as a change Agent.

No Way Back

There are times in any change project when we have to decide how to migrate from the status quo to a new way of working.

Most projects try to migrate smoothly, one step at a time, from A to B, but sometimes there is pressure to do things more quickly.

There may be a wolf at the door, and to hesitate will guarantee failure.

This where the idea of catastrophe theory is useful.

It goes something like this.

If we want to change quickly, really change, we have to stop doing the things that we used to do and only do the new thing. However, some people like the old ways so much that they keep going back to them. Even when they have learned to do new things.

To prevent this we need to cut off the route to the old ways and only allow the new ones. With no way back we can only operate in the new ways.

So here is what we need to do when rapid change is needed.

When the team is ready, i.e. it has learned the new ways, we permanently cut off the old ways. For example, close down the old system, throw away the old furniture, lock the doors in the old office, shut down and archive the old website, etc.

If you leave any return route open, people will work hard to find and use it. They will plead the case for audit, for learning from old ways, for recycling useful stuff etc. Resist these where you can, they are the foundations for wholesale reversion to old ways and your opportunity to implement change a second time around may never happen.

Have a great week.

Adam.

About the Author: Adam Blackie is a professional Interim Manager who leads service delivery teams through their change programmes. He works with CEO’s and their Boards in the UK to change the way technology is used by staff and their customers.

Leadership Styles c900 AD

Mas‘ūdī was a geographer / historian from Baghdād, born around 890 AD he died in Egypt in 956 AD.

He travelled extensively, studying the great religions of the world. He observed, recorded and reported his findings in many texts including The Meadows of Gold.

Here is his advice on communication and leadership.

“Having found pearls of every kind and of every shade scattered here and there, gather them into a necklace and make them a precious piece of jewellery, an object of great worth that its purchaser will cherish with great care.”


What are you waiting for? Start gathering pearls.

Adam.

About the Author: Adam Blackie is a professional Interim Manager who leads service delivery teams through their change programmes. He works with CEO’s and their Boards in the UK to change the way technology is used by staff and their customers.

Turning negative thoughts into positive action

I have been an interim manager for more than 10 years and…

I was recently chatting with a potential client about my assignments.

We identified eight projects where ideas, influence, persuasion and a positive outlook were key factors.

Here is the list.

• How to improve the control of c600 projects with a £50m spend?
• What team structure is appropriate to improve ICT service delivery?
• What do we do next after the failure of a £800k ICT project?

• How do we prioritise an uncoordinated series of ICT projects, many of which lack sponsorship or clear resource allocation?
• How to resource and shape an ambitious plan to modernise the way front line services are delivered?
• In a digital world where paper records management is being replaced by digital information assets, how do we decide what to keep?
• What behaviours do we need to change to bring together disparate silo-based teams for collaboration on a corporate wide project?
• How do we identify, analyse and monitor £1.6bn of ICT related spending across the organisation.

It is a pretty diverse list of challenges but I was sure there were some common actions and behaviours. It took a while but here is what I came up with:

• Close in on an idea that can be understood by all.
• Create a compelling story of what could be when the idea is implemented and then promote and socialise the values and deliverables. Don’t over-promise.
• Leadership. Accept the responsibility for making it happen.
• Persuasion. At all levels.
• Negotiate win:win deliverables. Support others and trust that they will support you.

It then occurred to me that we all act this way unconsciously when things are going well.

This is because we tend to be more positive and collaborative when times are good, but more defensive, suspicious and negative when things are not going so well.

I then realised that if we behave as if things are going well it will have a huge influence on our performance, happiness and success. If we want success we cannot allow a single negative thought or action to undermine our ability to achieve it.

Here are three ideas that can help make this happen.

• Separate yourself from negativity by looking at it from the outside. Imagine how others would help you address your issue. This instantly reduces your negativity.
• Use words like “interesting”, “challenging”, “opportunity”. These have an effect on your thinking. The negativity is lessened.
• Focus on the now. What needs to happen in the next day / hour / minute. Once this is done you are one small step further forward. It is impossible to feel negative if you are truly in the present moment.

Have a great week.

Adam


About the Author: Adam Blackie is a professional Interim Manager who leads service delivery teams through their change programmes. He works with CEO’s and their Boards in the UK to change the way technology is used by staff and their customers.

Leadership Styles c415 BC

Herodotus

Herodotus was a Greek, writing from Egypt, almost 2500 years ago.

Here is a summary of his report of three Greeks who were debating the optimum form of government (or leadership) for Persia; i.e. monarchy, oligarchy or democracy.

Otanes, spoke first by rejecting monarchy and proposing democracy. “The typical vices of a monarch are envy and pride; envy because it is a natural human weakness and, pride, because excessive wealth and power lead to the delusion that he is something more than a man…contrast this with the rule of the people; first it has the finest of all names to describe it – equality under law; and, secondly, the people in power do none of the things that monarchs do. …a magistrate is appointed…and is held responsible for his conduct in office and all questions are put up for open debate.”

Then Megabyzus rejected democracy and spoke on behalf of oligarchy. “In so far as Otanes spoke in favour of abolishing monarchy I agree with him; but he is wrong in asking us to transfer political power to the people. The masses are a feckless lot – nowhere will you find more ignorance or irresponsibility or violence. It would be an intolerable thing to escape the murderous caprice of a king, only to be caught by the equally wanton brutality of the rabble. …..let us ourselves choose a certain number of the best men in the country, and give them political power…..the best men will produce the best policy.

The third to speak was Darius. “I support all of Megabyzus’ remarks about the masses but I do not agree with what he said about oligarchy. Take the three forms of government we are considering – democracy, oligarchy and monarchy….and suppose each of them to be the best of its kind; I maintain that the third is greatly preferable to the other two. One ruler….provided he is the best. In an oligarchy…men…compete for distinction..each of them wants to get to the top to see his own proposals carried…quarrels lead to civil wars and then to bloodshed. In a democracy, malpractices…and corrupt dealings in government services lead not to private feuds, but to close personal associations, the men responsible…mutually supporting one another…until someone comes forward as the peoples champion…this wins him the admiration of the mob…and as a result he soon finds himself entrusted with absolute power – all of which is another proof that the best form of government is monarchy”
I will not spoil the story by telling you how it ends. You’ll have to read that for yourself.

I have repeated the story here because it occurs to me that it is 2500 years on we are still debating the merits of leadership styles. Plus ça change, but it made me ask:

• With which of these three do I sympathise?
• Which is dominant in my organisation?

Let me know what you think.

Adam.

About the Author: Adam Blackie is a professional Interim Manager who leads service delivery teams through their change programmes. He works with CEO’s and their Boards in the UK to change the way technology is used by staff and their customers.