Today’s guest is Amir Ghannad, Director, Atlanta Plant and North America Lean Manufacturing/Workplace Excellence at Sunny Delight Beverages Co., who shares the story of how he and his team transformed the performance of the company’s Atlanta Plant.

In 2006, the Sunny Delight Plant in Atlanta was overwhelmed by an increased level of complexity and a clear lack of trust and confidence in leadership.  Results and morale were at an all time low.  The plant leadership team set out to transform the site into “The Showcase of Excellence and Cradle of Prosperity”.  Within two years, significant progress was made and the plant went from being the worst performing Sunny D plant to delivering and sustaining company and industry benchmark results.  Through a stepwise approach, the plant managed to restore trust, improve employee morale and ownership, and deliver benchmark results, thereby transforming the plant from a “liability” to the “go to” site. Tune in to hear how they did it!

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To be an effective change agent, you must have some power within your organization. In general, power is the energy to make something happen. In the context of an organization, your personal power directly impacts your ability to influence change. Without it, you’re just spinning your wheels.

Having power provides benefits that help you implement change. For example, the more power you have, the more freedom you are given to take action without permission. Power enables you to make decisions, especially those that affect other people. Since people tend to pay more attention to those who have power, with it you can be more effective at modeling behavior and having your message and ideas heard.

So then, where does power come from? In an organization, your ability to make things happen depends on others’ willingness to let you. They choose – consciously or not – to pay attention to you, to allow you to influence them, to accept your decisions, and to move in the direction you suggest. Power is not, then, something you can create independently for yourself. Power is given to you by other people.

It may seem pointless to try to increase your personal power if you have to rely on other people to give it to you. Fortunately, there are sources of power you can draw upon that are within your control. As you grow in these four areas, you will be given more power in your organization.

Authority

When we think of who has power in organizations, we automatically think of those whose positions give them authority. Based on tradition, management titles – officers, vice presidents, directors, managers, supervisors – indicate a hierarchy so we know who has more or less power than we do. Titles are shortcuts to communicating status. They tell us who is in charge of something, and who is the boss.

But, authority is more than just a title. Having authority means you are responsible and accountable for achieving something, with the freedom to accomplish it. Authority comes with resources (even if it’s your own time) and the ability to decide how they will be used. Authority can be delegated by others who already have some. In fact, when you are truly given authority, we say you are “empowered.”

Knowledge, Skills and Expertise

You have probably heard the saying, “Knowledge is power.” There are a number of ways in which this statement is true in organizations. When you have knowledge, people seek you out for your opinion. They listen to you, and often defer to you as the expert. Applying your knowledge and skills also helps you succeed, which increases your chances of gaining authority. And, sharing your expertise elicits feelings of respect and reciprocity in your relationships.

For your knowledge to translate to power, it must be relevant to the success of the organization, and you need to know at least as much as the people around you, and probably more. As a change agent, you should be knowledgeable about the change you are delivering, and you must also be the subject matter expert about change itself.

Relationships

You also gain power in organizations through your relationships. You have greater power from the people you frequently interact with, due in part to proximity – you are around certain people more, so you have more opportunities to influence them. More importantly, your closest relationships benefit from greater trust. The more people trust you, the more power they are willing to give you.

Your span of power within your organization depends on who you know. Your relationships with those who have authority increase your own power, because they can now use their power on your behalf. Your relationships with the people who are going through the change are important, since people are influenced by people they like. As you expand your network of relationships, your power will grow, not just because there are more people to give you power, but also because there are more sources of knowledge and authority for you to draw upon when you need them.

Confidence and Courage

While power is ultimately something that is given to you by other people, you are the one who chooses to use the power you have been given. Yes, you already have power in the form of your existing authority, knowledge, and relationships – and you can earn more by exercising what you have and using it effectively. You need the confidence to know that you have power, and the courage to use it.

Your personal power does not exist unless you use it. Acknowledge the power that you have. Be willing to do and say what needs to be done and said. If you need something, then ask for it. No one else can use your personal power for you. If you don’t use it, it is a wasted resource.

I have been working with a coaching client on starting up a new initiative to get a broader on-going project back on track. Together, we came up with the key communication points to introduce the new initiative to a group of high-level managers. The basic elements make a good template for how to tell the story of a renewed change effort.

The recent history, how we got to this point.

Where we are now.

How far we still have to go.

Acknowledge the pain, frustration you are feeling with the initiative right now.

What we have accomplished together so far.

Thank you for your help and support in achieving that.

Why it’s important to keep going.

The vision of success.

A link to what is important to you.

A connection to what is going on in the larger organization.

Introduction of the new plan.

What we still need to do to get there.

Who will be involved.

What is expected of you.

What’s the immediate next step.

What elements would you add to engage a group of managers into a renewed change effort?

When you implement change in organizations, a key factor you must consider is control.  What parts of the change must be controlled (by you), and which parts can be more guided or left up to those going through the change?

You can’t have it both ways.  There is a Control Continuum, and for each element of the change, you can only be in one place on the Continuum at a time.

On one end of the Continuum, there is Compliance.  At the other end is Engagement.

Compliance <——————–> Engagement

Compliance means you are giving people the answer and then holding them accountable for doing what you expect – you are in control (at least you act like you are!).

Engagement means you are inviting people’s input and participation – they are in control.

Practically speaking, the Continuum looks more like this:

Telling <—————————> Asking

Compliance = Telling.  Engagement = Asking.

And what is it that you are telling or asking?

• Why – The purpose of the change, the vision and sense of urgency
• What – The objectives, goals and desired outcomes of the change
• How – The solution, or the path to get to the what and the why
• Who – The people who are affected, or those that will be involved
• When – The timing of the change, the duration
• Where – I might as well include all the question starters!

It is possible to tell the answer to some questions and ask for answers on the others.  For example, you can tell the Why and the What and ask for the How. You can also engage some individuals or groups while expecting compliance from others.

Humans crave control. Deciding for ourselves feeds our need for autonomy and increases our commitment. Being out of control contributes to feelings of uncertainty and inferiority. That’s true for the people going through your change, and it’s also true for you and me.

I’m not going to prescribe where on the Control Continuum you should be. I think it depends on you, the organization, and your change initiative. As you think about the change you are implementing, consider who is answering the questions for each element. Is it you, or is it the people going through the change? The answer will tell you whether you are leaning toward compliance or engagement on the Control Continuum. Then you can decide whether that is where you should be for that element of the change.

Successful organizational change depends on leaders – managers and bosses who have direct authority with people going through the change – to support and execute change in their span of influence. Effective leaders acknowledge that their support is crucial to success and commit to doing their part. The following are some of the roles leaders may play as they drive change in your organization.

The Sponsor

Leaders act as advocates for the change at their level in the organization. They are representatives who keep the change in front of their peers, the “higher-ups.” A Sponsor is the person who won’t let the change initiative die from lack of attention, and is willing to use their political capital to make the change happen. The Sponsor is the champion.

The Role Model

Leaders of change must be willing to go first. They demonstrate the behaviors and attitudes that are expected of everyone else. Employees watch leaders for consistency between words and actions to see if they should believe the change is really going to happen. The Role Model is self-aware and deliberate.

The Decision-Maker

As managers, leaders usually control resources such as people, budgets, and equipment, and thus have the authority to make decisions that affect the initiative. They have the ability to say “yes” or “no” to the project moving forward within the span of their control. During change, leaders must leverage their decision-making authority and choose the options that will support the initiative. The Decision-Maker is decisive and sets priorities that support change.

The Voice

Leaders are the face and the voice of change. They communicate often to share information, keep people updated and offer encouragement. When employees hear multiple messages in the organization, the one they listen to the most is their immediate boss. Leaders balance interpreting the change message to be relevant for their reports while still matching the overall message. The Voice is transparent and consistent.

The Motivator

Leaders provide the motivation to change. They create a sense of urgency and importance about the change, and show commitment and passion about getting things done. They offer recognition to those who are participating and doing well. Leaders realize that change can be difficult, and understand the need for people to be motivated to step out of their comfort zone. The Motivator is energetic and empathetic.

The Enforcer

With their authority, leaders hold people in the organization accountable for the change. They uphold agreements and make sure others do the same. They don’t let people get away with not changing, and work to understand the underlying reasons so they can remove obstacles. Leaders follow through on delivering consequences when people don’t do their part. The Enforcer is exacting and fair.

Effective leaders recognize that change cannot happen unless they fulfill the roles that only those in authority can. Enlist their support and clarify the roles you need them to fill in their areas and in different situations. Help leaders in your organization see the importance of the unique part they play in change.

If you like this post, you might also like Seven Roles of a Change Agent.