SEEK THE OVERLOOKED

"Thinking is the hardest work there is, which is probably the reason why so few engage in it."  --Henry Ford

"Everything should be made as simple as possible, but not simpler."  --Albert Einstein

The outcome was clear: investigate, analyze and document the cause of the disrupted sales volume for the Board of Directors of this historically successful organization.

I began where I generally begin...walking around, listening, observing, open to opportunities to chat. Frankly, my approach causes consternation among middle management, who assume that I will lend my ear and stamp with credence every corporate crank who has an axe to grind against the organization.  The well-meaning human resource folks fret that I'll offend someone, disrupt the precipitous workplace harmony, or stir discord amongst the rank and file.  The employees know I'm on site, whether formally or through the grapevine.

Fear not! While open to all comers, my process is designed to cull and filter the substance from the strange and irrelevant. But initially one knows not what is relevant, as seemingly random and disjointed observations and phrases are often the signposts to the heart of the matter.

Yes, I was prepared that morning for the usual parade of cranks (employees who gripe about every aspect of the organization) and entertainers (employees and managers sent to sell me on the saintly nature of the organization). Every organization has them, much as every organization has an address, so I don't build my research upon the cranks' and entertainers' musings.

The copy machine...the coffee pot...the lunch room...the mail room...now THAT'S where the real dialogue begins to take place. Takes time to build trust. The substantive discussions begin with simple polite openings and simple open-ended questions. A few notes, no names recorded, only generic positions for reference.

• Some of the most reliable employees to begin are in the mail room, the porter and the receptionist--they provide a framework of Who's Who in the organization.
• The valued individual I seek is the "organizational historian", that employee who has been employed there for decades, and is able to provide anecdotal pathways through organizational culture shifts, economic cycles, and senior management turnover.
• My formal scheduled interviews with key senior managers were certainly framed by their knowledge that their Board had engaged me, but my objectivity and good-naturedness served to alleviate most concerns early in our discussions.

Once filtered to remove bias, much insightful data was collected and analyzed. I am cautious to canvas a broad spectrum of the organization before I draw initial conclusions, so as to reduce the myopic tendency to "find exactly what I thought I'd find."  The objective is always to aid the organization toward self-examination and improvement, not to simply write a neat report. As we will explore in subsequent installments, I unearthed some fascinating structural and cultural factors during this research.

TODAY'S QUESTION:  Do YOU have the courage to take YOUR organization down the path of self-examination to remove the impediments to progress and unleash next-generational growth?

THE JOURNEY OF ORGANIZATIONAL SELF-EXAMINATION

"Motivation is everything. You can do the work of two people, but you can't be two people. Instead, you have to inspire the next guy down the line and get him to inspire his people." — Lee Iacocca


“A great leader needs to love and respect people, and he needs to be comfortable with himself and with the world. He also needs to be able to forgive himself and others. In other words, a leader needs grace.”  — Leo Hindery Jr.

 
I was recently reminded of an engagement I undertook several years ago at the behest of a Board of Directors of a successful organization that had then recently begun to experience declining sales volume. Though revenue and capitalization portrayed a public face of continued market dominance, internally the Directors suspected that the rivets would soon loosen, exposing an otherwise weakened hull.
 
The Directors expressed concerns about strengthened competitors in the marketplace; potential customer service weakness; a mismanaged sales force driven only by incentives; suspected failure to adequately update the product offering; and marketing and advertising miscues. After respectfully listening to their description of the situation, taking notes where appropriate, I was asked if I'd accept the task of investigating, analyzing and documenting the cause of the disrupted sales volume?
 
I responded with the one litmus test I apply to all situations no matter whether I'm coaching an individual on a spiritual journey or coaching a commercial enterprise to achieve market dominance: "Will I be afforded unrestrained access and opportunity to go anywhere in the company, speak to anyone in the company, and assimilate my findings no matter how difficult it may be to receive my message?"
 
Understandably this well-bred, well-educated team of business leaders drew back for a moment, even asking me to leave the room for a few minutes while they discussed the matter of my stipulation. But, upon discussing the relative importance of turning the proverbial ship around, and in light of my reputation for tact and even-handedness, I was invited back into the room to proceed with our mutual discussion.
 
I approach every relationship that I'm invited into by my Friends (my clients) as if we've entered Lent. Much as Lent occurs every year, and is much-needed by sinners such as me each and every year, so, too, do organizations of every size and industry require periodic self-examination, lest they become too confident in their own self-directed path to extinction.
 
We will continue to discuss journey on which this particular engagement led me, the Directors, and their organization, for there were many a-ha moments that have provided many learning experiences for them and me henceforth.
 
TODAY'S QUESTION:  Are you committed to the recurring personal, professional and organizational Lenten journey required to reach your, your employees', your stakeholders', and your audience's full potential?