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A Clear Message

Does anyone know of an organization that’s not being transformed currently?

From the grocery on the corner through the accountancy office to the Catholic Church, all the businesses are in for some kind of change. If you don’t just want to go with the flow, you try to grab it and control it somehow. First of all,  you give the child a name and compress the desired direction into a brilliant slogan. 

The success of transformations obviously takes more than a slogan so we take a look at other aspects as well in our coming articles. But for now,, let’s stick to its name and slogan as the focus of transformation and the way it comes to resonate throughout the organization.

When I decided to write about this topic the first thing popped into my mind was Li Kun Hi, the recently deceased chairman of Samsung and his famous “Frankfurt declaration”.

The East Asian work mentality, by our standards anyway, may seem fanatical to be frank. The Korean leadership style is not quite known as the exemplary of the democratic, involving school. Therefore, it is unlikely that Li Kun Hi should have done anything more than to give instructions and raise his eyebrow  to make the changes he wanted. So why did he decided to shock the hundreds of senior executives from all over the world in Frankfurt with videos of messy production lines in ’93? Why did he tell them to “change everything except your wife and kids”? And if it wasn’t enough, he boldly added: the plan to achieve top quality is to be implemented even if it resulted in a drop in sales. Why did he dramatize the issue of quality problems in ’95 by setting fire 150,000 mobile phones and faxes he thought were not flawless in front of 2,000 shocked colleagues? 

I think he wanted to send a message and he wanted his message to be heard and remembered for life. They heard it and engraved it. The rest is history. In just 10 years  Samsung has put its rivals behind and now produces one fifth of South Korea’s GDP. 

No doubt Li Kun Hi was a divisive character. Probably none of us would want him for our boss. But we have to admit that he masterfully defined and made powerfully visible the focus of transformation throughout the company. 

Transformation is a two-layer change. One layer is changing the operation. It’s the faster one. The other is capability building, which guarantees slower but more long-lasting results. Each layer has three pillars. The first pillar of the operation change is the focus, and its power/impact can be easily assessed by the following questions:

  • Is the top management articulating a clear cross-area business focus?
  • How many things are they focusing on at a time? Can the priorities be seen clearly?

Li Kun Hi made it clear what the point of change was, which competitors should be put behind and also declared that sales volumes – which we all know are the sacred cows – should be cut if this was necessary to achieve high-quality. What a blasphemy!

The typical counter-example of it is the multi-page priority list that a former CEO of mine had received from his boss along with some additional annual targets. As my CEO had more bosses he could expect some more similar pages. He could decide whether to prioritize and lead or manage goals and tremble. He made up his mind, he chose to focus.

The first pillar of the skill building layer is the unambiguous display of the expected attitude in the organization.

  • Is it clear what kind of attitude we are asking for?
  • Is the message coming through the noise? 
  • How often do we repeat it?
  • How many new routines do we expect from the people to learn? 

150.000 products set on fire is a rather loud message. Li said that everyone should come to work at 7:00 a.m. every day instead of the previous 8:30 a.m. to “absorb the reform half-asleep.” It’s a clear and simple message of the expected attitude even if it certainly didn’t make sense everywhere in the company. It is just one – albeit quite extensive – routine he expected from everyone to improve rapidly: manage quality issues.

In this article we have been dealing with the designation and presentation of the transformation’s direction. This job certainly falls to the top leadership who defines strategy. In the next blog, the middle management will come to centre as we take a look at the operational coordination of changes.

A Clear Message Read More »

Keep your focus! – The routine of visualization

To achieve our goals it is essential to set them properly. The SMART method must be familiar to many people. However once the goal is set it is just as important to visualise them on a daily basis to maintain focus and keep our goals alive. Things of everyday life, chores, responsibilities or other desires can easily distract us from the direction we have set for ourselves and the determination slowly melts away.

I recently read about one of the world’s most successful athletes, Jim Thorpe who was in 1950 officially recognised as the greatest sportsman of the first half of the 20th century.  

Back in the day Thorpe’s Native American ancestry made it quite difficult for him to be treated fairly and make his way as a professional athlete. It was in 1912 when he travelled to the Stockholm Olympic Games as part of the United States national team. As he was sitting by himself in a quiet corner of the ocean-liner engrossed in his thoughts a journalist stepped to him and asked: “What’s up Jim? Are you thinking about your Uncle Sitting Bull?” Thorpe had already learned to handle such situations and calmly replied: “I’m visualising my long jump. It came to 7.21 meters. I believe I can win with that”.

It really shocked me! In 1912 he prepared for the Olympics by visualizing his victory?! Decades before the appearance of sports psychology! How amazing!

Jim’s words instinctively recalled a story about the power of visualization that happened to me two years ago. 

I started up running Spartan Races four years ago in the UK. It’s a kind of cross-country running with a number of crazy obstacles like crawling in the mud under barbed wire, carrying a 50kg stone ball, swimming in an ice-cold lake. In 2019 I wanted to complete the Trifecta, which consists of three races with increasing distance and difficulty accomplished in the same year. I had already finished two of them but the third one – the Spartan Beast – with its 21km length and at least 30 obstacles was way beyond what I felt I was capable of. However I wanted it so badly and I was running out of time.

At that time I took part in a personal efficiency course in London. During one of the sessions the participants had to stand up and speak out loud their well designed goal they wanted to achieve. When it was my turn, I said with a scoop in my throat: “It’s the 5th of October 2019, I had just crossed the finish line in Kazincbarcika, Hungary and completed the Spartan Beast. I’m dead tired but I feel fantastic”. As I put it into words it immediately became a commitment. 

I started the preparation for the challenge. Beyond the systematic running and gym training sessions, I also made it part of my daily routine to vividly visualize the above described image and feeling at least twice a day; in the morning and before bedtime just as I had learned it on the course. I even put my previously gained Spartan Super medal next to my bed as a reminder. I visualized not only the goal achieved but also my way to get there. I saw myself training and preparing for the race with great determination, felt the pain, sweat and the energy. Focusing on the moment of victory helped a lot, because let’s face it, you don’t always feel like running on a cold Sunday morning, going to the gym or pop down to the street gym next to the playground after a tiring workday. 

These mental exercises kept my goal alive and moved me on. Over time, the moment of success became more and more realistic; I felt the cold breeze on my face, the smell of mud and wet leaf-litter, the joy and satisfaction and the pain too. It was all inside of me.

Meanwhile I moved back to Hungary with the family. New country, new job, new school for the kids… all in all there were plenty of distractions. Not to mention that I missed the race registration time, so I had to travel to the venue the day before and jump out of the bed quite early to have a chance to get a registration. 

Standing at the start line on the 5th of October I knew I was going to do it. My thoughts, feelings and body were tuned for one specific purpose. “I..am..Spartaaan!!!” – the fanatical battle-cry of dozens of racers shook the earth and the race started…

Five hours and five minutes later, the feeling of success was beyond words. I defeated the Beast!

I got exhausted many times during the race and I felt like I couldn’t go any longer. It was so grueling that I slipped into a half-conscious trance. Every time my body told me to stop, I saw the familiar vision in my mind, and it moved me on like I was hard wired.

Sometimes we fail to achieve our goals because of not believing hard enough that they are possible. Other times we may just unconsciously let ourselves drift away slowly by allowing other important or less important things to distract us, to steal our time and energy. Once we realize it, we get angry of course, but to be honest: ultimately, we are the only one who can do something about it. Regular visualization helps a lot to keep your focus on target and channels the energies that directs you to your desired goal. 

Companies has been using the term “Vision” for decades to make their long-term goals transparent and vivid but how many people use the power of visualization to succeed? How many more people would be able to achieve their goals if they made it a routine to recall and imagine them every day so to maintain focus and keep their eyes on the prize? I encourage everyone to start practicing visualization (also called “imagination”). It works great!

Maybe Jim Thorpe was the first to use it but since then many professional athletes prepare for their big races and challenges the same way. Why don’t you?

I often wonder how amazing and expressive the Hungarian language is. Words of “Able” (Képes = have an idea/picture) and “Unable” (Képtelen = have no idea/picture) capture the essence. With an idea, a “picture” in mind of what you want you are Able to get it. Without it on the other hand…. Well, you know the rest.

Keep your focus! – The routine of visualization Read More »

“Good morning Mr. Director!”

This is how a friend of mine a junior receptionist greeted all the white-collar staff at an architecture company many years ago.  “If I shoot a bit higher that’s fine,” he said to me with a bewildering smile. That is what popped in my mind at the first place when I noticed that we are tending to call every change a transformation. 

Experienced managers have specific approaches to different changes, thus achieving their goals more effectively and maintaining the motivation of those involved. To make the most of the approach you consciously choose, in the first place it is worth identifying the type of change you are dealing with. Above I am giving you a short and easy-to-understand overview of transactional, transitional and transformative changes. Anyone who fancies can put a different label on them.

Transaction is when we buy the grocery store next to ours so to increase revenue and make it cheaper to purchase in larger amounts and sell them at our shops. Transition is when we do this to have enough vegetables to become a regular supplier of nearby restaurants. Similarly, the introduction of web ordering option in our Pizzeria is the backbone of the digital change (transition). The new channel requires some adjustments of our usual processes including the transactions. Transformation will happen when we start turning our established restaurant into a network of street food stalls.

The three types of change have different results and investment(s) needs.

  • Transactional changes bring up important synergies, typically resulting in cost reductions but also require process development.
  • A transition usually takes you to a new market meaning new products or a new customer base. In addition to process improvements, they also involve business development.
  • Transformations, which include multiple transactional and transitional changes, can end up in a significant market jump. In return, they require to transform the entire system of operations, from appointment patterns to cooperation in specializations to daily group rituals.

The confusion usually comes from the miscommunication of the transformation. The label glued on the change in many cases, is disproportionate. Exaggerating the change causes over-expectations and anxiety. Understating the change on the other hand infuriates those from whom the change requires more adaptation than they expected based on the communication.

Another serious problem is when results do not meet expectations and therefore the management gets disappointed. This often happens when the expected outcome is not in correlation with the investment. To be frank the consultant involved can also become part of the equation by promising the stars just to win the assignment. He may suggest delivering appealing results of best seller management books if he gets the chance to work on the transformation project himself. Unfortunately, on the other hand he sometimes fails to mention that such results do not come without the top management taking on the uncomfortable role to redefine the spheres of influence in the organization or appointment patterns. 

That is why choosing a development partner who can help maintaining leadership credibility by making the expected results and prices of alternatives transparent and supporting you to communicate your chosen path can make a real difference. 

The experienced receptionist already knows how to greet who and even can spot those ones are not to be joked about in the morning.

“Good morning Mr. Director!” Read More »