Helping Leaders Do The Right Thing

Unfortunately, I’d heard the story before. A new CEO and COO had been hired to replace ineffectual leaders. They inherited a loosely organized and unfocused leadership team, and needed help getting the organization back on track. A vacuum at the top had resulted in disorganization, low morale, backbiting and infighting. Market share was down and people were complaining bitterly. The new team had been hired to “turn things around.” They’d managed to get a new vision and a new strategy in place and streamlined operations. Physical changes in the facility were being made to better serve their clientele. Although much had improved, the old culture was working against them. What were they to do?

While the senior leadership team were all in agreement that something needed to be done internally, they weren’t at all sure how to make that happen. Here are just a few of the suggestions we made to the senior leadership team.

1) Take back responsibility. Start doing the right things for the right reasons; lead by example. This means that you:nna. Demonstrate daily in all your interactions the vision and values you espouse. Words without actions are dead. nnb. Coach your people. Every conversation is an opportunity to reinforce the vision, mission, and values of the organization. Get employees thinking for themselves. nnc. Treat all employees with respect and dignity, without exception.nnd. Reward good performers; hold sub-standard performers responsible for meeting performance standards.nne. Respect confidentiality. Confidentiality breeds trust, the primary ingredient in win/win relationships.nnf. Be honest and direct in your communications. Be transparent; don’t operate with hidden motives.nng. Engage only in win/win relationships. Anything less is a lose/lose deal.nnh. Be fair. Don’t show favoritism or prejudice.nni. Commit to continuous improvement – for yourself and your employees.nnj. Don’t be afraid to make decisions and voice opinions. Silence and non-commitment are not options. You’re being paid for all your experiences.nnk. Under commit and over deliver – organizational credibility begins with individual credibility. nnl. Hold yourself accountable for all areas of responsibility, including financial.nnm. Communicate these same expectations to your entire nmanagement team.

2) Hold department managers accountable for fulfilling on expectations. If expectations are not clear, clarify. If managers don’t possess the skills to fulfill their role, make sure they get education and training. If expectations are clear and managers know how to perform each function, make sure they know that the buck stops with them. If managers are unwilling or incapable of fulfilling their responsibilities, allow them to change jobs or ask them to leave the organization.

3) Department managers need to reward good performance and hold sub-standard performers accountable for doing their share.

4) Department managers need to get their team members involved in sharing ideas, solving problems, identifying areas of concern, and making suggestions for ways to eliminate areas of dissatisfaction and improve overall operations.

5) Department managers need to be held accountable for making budget decisions regarding capital equipment and expenditures rather than leaving it to higher ups.

Cultural transformation isn’t instantaneous; it’s a process. It begins with a shift in the mind-set of leadership and works it’s way into the organization. Change beliefs and you change behavior. Change behavior and you change results. For this to happen, both education and training are needed at every level of the organization.

Commitment to the change is critical. It’s what puts the teeth in vision. With commitment comes momentum. Once an organization gains momentum, people get turned-on by being a part of a winning team. Former fence sitters jump on board; those who refuse to change typically leave the organization. But for those who stay and make the change, a bright new future looms ahead.