Issue link: http://digital.corporatepress.com/i/284031
36 | march/april 2014 | Facilities Manager enabling leadership Leadership Approaches to Change Does your organization need a shot of innovation or motivation? By Joe Whitefield T he off-season is always an important time for many sports teams and seasonally oriented organizations. It involves assessing the performance of the previous season, setting or resetting goals for the upcoming season, and taking the necessary steps to renew or increase your chances of success in business or on the field. The off-season is the time for implementing change. The same process ap- plies for facility managers and their organizations. One big difference is there doesn't seem to be a truly defined off-season on the calendar to dedicate to this process. Implementing change without the benefits of time puts a real premium on leadership. GUIDING CHANGE Organizational leadership is nothing if it is not about guiding change. Con- tinuing on the same path at the same speed producing the same results over long periods of time does not particu- larly require much leadership. These organizations run themselves. A handful of accountants and some experienced supervisors usually suffice. Of course, no organization truly runs itself—and none that I know are immune to change these days. Externally, there are waves of changing customer expecta- tions and market forces. These present numerous challenges with regard to viable business plans and the economics of responding with competitive products or services. Internally, the work environ- ment is constantly evolving, with shifting personnel issues coupled with technology issues that are some combination of help- ful, hurtful, distracting, and/or confusing (the undesirable pairing of Murphy's Law and Moore's Law). Change is everywhere. The need to be responsive and improve is evident. The need for effective leadership essential. Sir Winston Churchill, a great leader himself, once said, "To improve is to change; to be perfect is to change often." With that in mind, let's look at a couple of considerations to help today's organizational leaders deal with change. TO BE PERFECT IS TO CHANGE OFTEN Once the effectiveness of a par- ticular product or service has been evaluated and found wanting, a shrewd leader should first ascertain the nature of the problem(s) and establish a path to improvement. There are two important questions to be asked at the beginning. First, are we doing the right things? Second, are we doing things right? The answers to these questions will serve as the basis for establishing the improve- ment path and any resulting activities. "Right things" questions are like directional questions. Are we heading the right way or are we lost? Directional questions challenge an organizational vi- sions, strategies, and executable plans— the big ones and the small ones. If you get the wrong answers to the question of right things, the appropriate response will undoubtedly involve some form of innovation. Innovation is a new and better ap- proach, philosophy, strategy, plan, or process. Leadership recognizes the shortcomings of the old and replaces it with something new and different—by different, I mean better. This is the point where things get really interesting. It is difficult to assess the effectiveness of the innovations and the quality of leadership when execution falters. That leads us to TO IMPROVE IS TO CHANGE; TO BE PERFECT IS TO CHANGE OFTEN. Winston Churchill