My one regret

September 8, 2009

If there is one regret I have from my years as an internal organizational change agent, it’s that I avoided having some of the tough one-on-one conversations that may have yielded large gains.

The reasons for avoidance were usually fear-based:  fear of hurting someone’s feelings, fear of retaliation, fear that it would backfire and result in the opposite of my desired outcome.  Sometimes the reasons were more political:  it’s not my place to talk to certain leaders outside the chain of command or across boundaries.  Political reasons are still based in fear – the fear of stepping out of place by saying the wrong thing to the wrong people.

It was easy to rely on subtle hints (or just plain hope) to get the message across that someone was hijacking the change initiative, or sending mixed signals, or not fully understanding the importance of implementing organizational change to achieve financial objectives.  In some cases, I let others (higher-ups) field the important conversations for me.  Unfortunately, avoidance is rarely an effective route for getting behavior change.

So I was delighted to find a book that gives practical step-by-step advice about how to have these important conversations:  Crucial Conversations, by Kerry Patterson, et al.  This book is so relevant to the role of organizational change agents that I wish I had written it myself.  I’m even considering making it required reading for coaching clients.

According to the book, crucial conversations are those in which:

• Opinions vary – on the surface, you don’t agree.
• Stakes are high – the outcome and the relationship are important.
• Emotions run strong – including the aforementioned fear.

Who do you need to have a crucial conversation with?

If you enjoyed this post you may also like:

• How to deal with a clueless boss
• How to Get Beyond Leadership Buy-in
• Four Ways to Boost Your Organizational Power

Five Enemies of Unity

February 18, 2009

A friend of mine sent out a message on Twitter today, listing the Five Enemies of Unity, which had been discussed in a team meeting.  The source is Dave Ramsey, a talk radio host who also hosts a conference called EntreLeadership. Follow the link to “Free Report” to download a pdf called “Avoiding the Five Enemies of Unity.”

According to Ramsey, the Five Enemies of Unity are:

1. Poor communication
2. Gossip
3. Unresolved disagreements
4. Lack of a shared purpose
5. Sanctioned incompetence

The concept of unity strikes me as more than teamwork.  It’s about being a cohesive group with shared objectives and mutual respect.  Unity is something to strive for as the foundation for organizational change.  Can you imagine the laser focus your organization could have if these five items were eliminated?

Inquiry:  What are the enemies of unity in your organization?

I would love to hear your thoughts.  Please add a comment to this post.

• Don’t miss a thing!

  Subscribe in a Reader	Subscribe via E-mail

• Free Step-by-Step Guide!

  Sign up to receive the Change Starts Here Workbook!

  * Email

  * First Name

  Last Name

  * = Required Field

  View privacy policy.

• Featured Articles

  • Eight Fundamental Ingredients Of A Successful Change Initiative
  • Ten Essential Tools for Change Agents

• Search Archives

  Search for:

• Browse Categories

  Select Category *Featured* Articles Assessments & Surveys Events Inquiries Interviews Miscellaneous Radio Show Templates

• Browse Topics

  accountability alignment assessment book case study challenges change change agent change readiness coaching commitment communication conflict culture definition employee engagement employee survey fear feedback follow ideas incentives influence innovation integrity involvement irreversible change leadership list measurement meetings methodology motivation poll power resilience roles status quo strategy teamwork training transformation turnaround vision workbook
•