Leading in Uncharted Territory - Rule #8 - Create Flexible Responsive Organizations

In our exploration of Leading in Uncharted Territory, rule 8 is: Create flexible responsive organizations.   As I think of leading during times of uncertainty one thing that comes to mind is selecting people who will be able to navigate the transitions we will likely face. This means having a selection process that helps to determine a person’s ability to manage change. Ask questions such as: Tell me about a change that happened in your organization in the past.

• What was your role?
• How did you support the success?
• Did you do anything to resist the change implementation What did you learn from the process? How will this knowledge impact your action in the future?
• What would you like to see from the new organizations leaders to be comfortable with change in the future?

For the company, it is also important to make sure the organizational structure has flexibility. What this can mean is:

• Using a contingent work force to navigate fluctuations in work load to minimize risk of hiring and firing;
• Outsource non-core work and leaving the staff building and management to outsource providers allows you to focus on building skills in your core areas.. An example of this includes managing facilities, data centers, web development and many others. This concept seems to be generally accepted in several fields like law and accounting and may be extended to other areas;
• Structure can also support flexibility. An example of this might be a client service team where all employees on the team support one another in meeting the client needs. In some cases this will break down silos and reduce staffing needs. Any structure must be carefully considered and aligned to the organizations specific needs;
• Transparency supports flexibility. The more employees know about the overall business and the environment, the more likely they are to take responsibility for their own growth and success. If we assume people are reasonable, more information will enable them to make better decisions, thus supporting organizational ability to respond to market conditions;
• Identify key behavioral changes that need to happen to support the new organization. Make a competition out of employees developing those skills where they compete with one another for recognition. Behavioral change can be fun and promote organizational success.

A practical example: I was working with a client who was implementing a great deal of change in their organization. We created something that looked like a comedian top 10 behavioral changes. Each week, leaders of the organization reported their success against key performance measures to the leadership team. Making the change became a source of pride. They created not only new behaviors but a system that supported ongoing behavioral change and an enjoyable culture.

A note about the photo - being flexible is a team activity - it is not only the job of the leader. Everyone's contribution is important. While my example talked about leaders, anyone can disrupt process and resistance can come from interesting and unexpected places.

Photocredit by Ash-rly

By Maureen Metcalf at Metcalf & Associates, Inc