SPECIAL GUEST BLOG By Harley Murphy, Strategic Change Mentor, Mentors.ie
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Where do we go from here?
Importantly, Jim Collins states that their research indicates that while decline is largely self-inflicted by those who sought to lead, he makes the following single statement on the back-cover of his book:
“Whether you prevail or fail, endure or die, depends more on what you do yourself than on what the world does to you.”
What I have found hugely encouraging is my own personal experience of the resourcefulness and perseverance of many small and medium business leaders who have used their creativeness and optimism to survive and look to grow in this environment. They are living the words quoted above. This capacity was recognized nearly two centuries ago by another famous author:
“I know of no more encouraging fact than the unquestioned ability of a man to elevate his life by conscious endeavour. ” - Henry David Thoreau (1817-1862)
It is not the politicians who will get us out of this mess but the collective leadership of many individuals helping the nation return to the fundamentals of a strong economy and fair society:
- Banks as risk managers and intermediaries, not just profit machines;
- Properties as homes & offices ,not just investment vehicles;
- Individual integrity over status and one-upmanship:
- Value for money over rip-off and short-termism;
- Remuneration based on merit & capability, not special position or power to disrupt;
- Honesty rather than cute-hoorism;
- Living within our means, rather than trying to keep up with the Joneses.
In our change management business we use the metaphor of the ‘burning platform’ to describe a situation where transformational change becomes an inevitable consequence of a dramatic event(s). We can certainly use that metaphor in relation to the banking collapse in Ireland. However, we are always careful not to take this metaphor too far as then decisions can be made out of fear and desperation rather than resilience and creativity.
SPECIAL GUEST BLOG By Harley Murphy, Strategic Change Mentor, Mentors.ie
In an article earlier this year in McKinsey Quarterly, the results of a global survey carried out to find out how companies apply tactics to achieve transformational change, were outlined. They found evidence suggesting:
- the importance of engaging employees collaboratively throughout the company for the transformation journey -
- the importance of building capabilities – particularly leadership capabilities – to maintain long term organizational health.
Throughout the article reference is made to the requirement to identify the underlying mind-sets that would need to change. The survey revealed that 60 percent of the extremely successful companies in achieving their required change, focused their initiatives entirely or mostly on altering mind-sets.The dictionary defines ‘mind-set’ as an attitude, disposition or mood or an intention or inclination.
In his 2006 book, Mind Set!, the well known futurist author John Naisbitt outlined 11 mind-sets that he felt were key for dealing with the future. He described mind-sets as how we receive information. Particularly relevant to the McKinsey survey is Naisbitt’s Mindset #7 is ” Resistance to change falls if benefits are real”. In this chapter he states that ‘ people who like to move on in life usually do not resist change just because they cannot stand change. On the contrary, people usually embrace change when they perceive that it is to their benefit.’ It is important that companies therefore endeavour to understand the reasons why people are resisting change and use it as an opportunity to improve aspects of the change initiative. Too often companies just see resistance as ‘bloody mindedness’ and deal with it accordingly.
In her excellent book, Mindset- The New Psychology of Success, Carol S. Dweck, talks about mindset and leadership in her chapter on business. She describes fixed-mindset leaders, who live in a world where some people are superior and some are inferior. They must repeatedly affirm that they are superior and the company is just a platform for this. They fail to value coaching, mentoring or any employee development programs. In contrast leaders with a growth mindset leaders start with a belief in human potential and development. Instead of using the company as a vehicle for their greatness, they use it as an engine of growth and focus on their own, their employees and the company’s development. She provides specific examples of these two very different types of leaders and how the leaders with a growth mindset build sustainable success.
Coaching and change management is fundamentally about working with and on mind-sets and enabling new perspectives to be gained that will, in turn, facilitate real change to be achieved.
