Do You See the Forest or the Trees?

“Based on what you are saying, you obviously can’t see the forest for the trees in front of you. You need to see the bigger picture!”

How many times have you said and/or heard this? I’ve personally lost count.

And yet, many times we get so caught up in the great new idea we formed or heard presented at the last executive seminar we attended, that we actually fail to see how it fits into the big organizational picture; how many others and/or projects and programs it will affect if implemented.

As noted by Kotter and Schlesinger in the Harvard Business Review, one of the most significant challenges for business leaders is the ability to anticipate, recognize, and acknowledge the need for organizational change. Once they accept the need for change, they are then faced the additional challenges of choosing the method and degree of change, while developing a vision to move the company forward that is the most appropriate for their specific circumstances. 

Failing to consider these cornerstones when embarking on a change initiative can only be described as not seeing the forest for the trees. As we all know, the unintended consequences of focusing on the trees instead of the forest can be catastrophic in business. 

Sure, the keynote speaker (aka organizational development expert) at your last executive seminar presented a fantastic option for improving the efficiency of your organization; that’s his job. It’s what he does for a living, and his presentation was simply awesome!

Regardless of how good he made it sound, think about the forest instead of the trees. In other words, will you commit yourself, your organization, and the necessary resources to the work that must be done before dropping it on your employees, or are you just excited about the presentation you saw, and now believe wholeheartedly that it’s the quick and easy answer to all your organizational problems?

Change is inevitable

As Kotter and Schlesinger point out, there are many factors to be considered in the development and choice of manner for a change initiative in order for it to be successful in the long run. 

• How much change is necessary? 
• How will you engage and communicate with your organization so that they can see and support your vision? 
• How do you mitigate the resistance that is inevitable? 
• Can you sell this vision to your company and board even though it can take years to bear fruit? 
• Can you afford the cost? 
• Can you afford not to do it? 
• What will the new structure look like, and how will you manage the effects of the change?

Change is inevitable, and leaders who cannot, or will not, anticipate change and lead the way with a sound, innovative strategic plan and organizational structure its employees and board can get behind will find themselves at a distinct disadvantage. Just ask Ron Johnson how that worked out for him at JCPenney.

Again, looking at the trees only offers a beautiful, peaceful view filled with obstacles. However, looking at the forest rather than the trees, and then painstakingly devising a fully researched, inclusive and developed way through it is the only path to successful implementation.

Before founding her own consulting firm, Dawn Gannon served as a respected management professional in the military, higher education, and healthcare fields for 25 years. As a Lean/Six Sigma Green Belt, Dawn’s commitment and personal mission to improve the lives of others through service to the community focuses on providing administrative and volunteer management, consumer education, public outreach, event planning, relationship-building efforts, and strategic planning. She is the author of the Management in Motion blog, and has written a number of articles for RESOLVE: The National Infertility Association on the topic of childfree living.

What Makes a Leader Great?

All of the great leaders I have ever met or admired from afar have, are, or exhibit the following on a daily basis:

• An open and effective communicator
• Honest
• Integrity
• The respect of others
• Effective management skills

While all of these are necessary for success, what is it about a leader that makes them not good – but great? In their book, The Leadership Challenge, Kouzes & Posner attribute great leadership not to great personality, but simply and ONLY to the behavior of the individual.

Thinking once again about the great leaders that I have come across, they have also exhibited the following behaviors:

1. Having and sharing their unbridled passion for the organization they serve. Having a passion for the work you do every day is vital, not only to the success of the organization, but to yours and that of your team as well. Who wants to give their best for something they could care less about?
2. Articulating a clear vision for success. In a recent post, Intuit’s President and CEO, Brad Smith noted that thinking out loud, and openly sharing your vision for success with the entire organization and seeking feedback opens the door to dissenting opinions, which in turn can lead to fresh, new ideas and innovation. This also encourages others to do their best, and to succeed.
3. Recognizing and celebrating the success of others. Rather than taking the credit themselves, great leaders openly acknowledge and celebrate the success of those who make things happen. There is no better example of what not to do than to compare the end of the NFL championship game interviews of the Bronco’s Payton Manning and the Seahawks’ Richard Sherman. One focused on the team effort, while the other made a spectacle of himself by touting his "greatness."
4. Finally, while there are others I could mention, I’ll conclude this post with my favorite behavior of great leaders: Words are ALWAYS followed by action to support them. After all, if you can’t walk the talk, who will follow?

The answer? No one.

Before founding her own consulting firm, Dawn Gannon served as a respected management professional in the military, higher education, and healthcare fields for 25 years. As a Lean/Six Sigma Green Belt, Dawn’s commitment and personal mission to improve the lives of others through service to the community focuses on providing administrative and volunteer management, consumer education, public outreach, event planning, relationship-building efforts, and strategic planning. She is the author of the Management in Motion blog, and has written a number of articles for RESOLVE: The National Infertility Association on the topic of childfree living.

How Bridgegate Shines a Light on the Power of Organizational Culture

She lied; and now she’s out of a job.

When the contents of emails between New Jersey Governor Chris Christie’s Assistant Chief of Staff and a highly-placed Port Authority of New York and New Jersey were exposed last week, heads quickly rolled.

Now Christie is embroiled in a scandal about political payback that threatens his supposed interest in running for President in 2016, and the success of any of the initiatives he plans to lay out on Tuesday for his second term as Governor.

Regardless of your political leanings, I’m sure that at least once in your life you have found yourself asking the very same question Christie has been asking for almost a week now: “How did this happen?”

There are several other related questions that are just as important to ask as well, such as:

• What is it about the culture of my organization allows people to believe that this behavior is acceptable?
• What changes can I make that clearly state and show that unethical behavior, disregard for others, political payback and dishonesty is unacceptable?
• Is it even possible to remove politics from any organization?

While I can’t answer the first two questions without a thorough analysis of his organization, the answer to the third is unfortunately a resounding NO.

Politics, like change, is a fact of life and business. Author Gareth Morgan notes that everyone has specific interests in their personal and professional lives, and works with/uses others to promote those issues and achieve their goals.

Perhaps the answer to the third question is in the first. In his remarks on the scandal last week Christie defended the culture of his administration multiple times, pointing out that he believes he has an open, collaborative culture where transparency, trust and honesty are cornerstones.

Perhaps; perhaps not.

As Christie pointed out, for the moment “BridgeGate” appears to be an anomaly. However, corporate culture starts at the top, and is fed to the rest of the organization through the actions (or inaction) of leadership.

For example, Dominic Barton, Global Managing Director for McKinsey & Company is fighting a similar battle for the culture and reputation of that well-respected consulting company. In his effort to rebuild the business community’s trust in the company, Barton sought and has obtained the support of its board and the rest of the leadership team. Without that support, his efforts are doomed.

In short, everyone plays politics in every phase of their life, and change is inevitable. However, without strong leadership, any changes in culture or organizational behavior achieved in the short-term will not survive in the long-term.

I wish both Christie and Barton luck in their efforts.

Before founding her own consulting firm, Dawn Gannon served as a respected management professional in the military, higher education, and healthcare fields for 25 years. As a Lean/Six Sigma Green Belt, Dawn’s commitment and personal mission to improve the lives of others through service to the community focuses on providing administrative and volunteer management, consumer education, public outreach, event planning, relationship-building efforts, and strategic planning. She is also a published author on the topic of childfree living.

If Money Was No Object...

CONGRATULATIONS!! You just won the lottery!!

Wooo hoooo!!!

Now that money is no object for you, what will your organization look like? What will your new wealth allow it to do? What new goals will you set for yourself, and your business?

Most of us are not lucky enough to win a multi-million dollar lottery, and I am sure that your budget and priorities are already set for the year. If not, you better get a move on, my friend!

However, with the New Year comes a wealth of possibilities to choose from; different roads to take to meet your goals. So, why not look at them all from the perspective of “money is no object”?

Don’t get me wrong; I’m not suggesting you SPEND money like you have more than you need. What I am suggesting, however, is that you LOOK at your priorities, plans and programs from a different perspective. 

Start at the end, rather than the beginning of the process, and work your way back to see how you can get there, and what you will need to do so.

For instance, what would the outreach program you are developing look like if money was no object? How does it function, how many staff are needed to ensure its success, what other resources are necessary, and what partnerships outside your organization have formed as a result? What else do you see that might be relevant?

Be sure to stay within the original parameters of the program. Don’t expand them just because you are looking at it as if you have significant available funding.

Now, take one step back from completion or launch of the program. What do you have right now – within current budget constraints – that will allow you to get there? What do you need to get there that is within your reach today? Do you have, or can you build, a relationship with another organization to provide what you need? Who does it touch? How can they contribute?

Now, take another step back from completion and run the exercise again; ask the same questions and any others that come to mind that will help you see the possibilities, even and especially when money is a huge factor. Based on the original competed or launched program, what new resources or items have been identified, and how can you get them?

Continue taking steps back, one at a time until you reach the initial planning stage. What didn’t you think of when you first began planning? How does that affect your planning now?

Getting back to the notion that money is no object, for most of us this is just not reality. We live and work in a world where every penny counts – literally. 

However, understanding our priorities, plans and programs from a fully-funded perspective helps ensure that we design them well, allows us to adequately plan for the future and find creative ways to meet our goals, regardless of whether or not funding is an issue.

On behalf of Dawn Gannon Consulting, Happy New Year! May this be the year that for you, money is no object.

Before founding her own consulting firm, Dawn Gannon served as a respected management professional in the military, higher education, and healthcare fields for 25 years. As a Lean/Six Sigma Green Belt, Dawn’s commitment and personal mission to improve the lives of others through service to the community focuses on providing administrative and volunteer management, consumer education, public outreach, event planning, relationship-building efforts, and strategic planning. She is also a published author on the topic of childfree living.