Change or Die
Change or Die
It is a common business axiom – change or die. As a small or mid-sized business owner or a manager, there will be times you will need to make changes in your organization but may not be sure how to go about it.
Change is hard to implement and even harder to sustain. Think about all of the people who have trouble sticking to a diet or quitting smoking or keeping up with an exercise program, let alone just starting. If changing yourself is hard, how can you change an entire business, organization, process or department?
As a Certified Business Coach, one of the biggest challenges my clients face is this issue of change. Did you know there are eight reasons why organizations fail to change from a lack of urgency to underestimating the power of vision to failing to create short-term wins? The eight reasons are:
1. Lack of a sense of urgency
2. Failing to create a sufficiently powerful guiding coalition
3. Underestimating the power of vision
4. Not communicating the vision
5. Allowing obstacles to block the new vision
6. Failing to create short-term wins
7. Declaring victory too soon
8. Neglecting to anchor changes firmly into the corporate culture
Take the third reason, for example, underestimating the power of vision. A clear vision helps direct, align and inspire actions on the part of large numbers of people. Lack of vision, on the other hand, leads to lots of debate and confusion. Think about the organizations you have worked for or know. When everyone understands the vision, work gets done, employees are energized, and processes get put into place. Without a guiding vision, employees lose passion, urgency and focus. And, it is just as critical to communicate your vision – reason number four – instead of keeping your vision in your head, communicate it to your employees, vendors and clients – often.
How can a business leader do it all – create and communicate a vision, get the work done and make a profit? Business coaches help business leaders step back and create the processes necessary to communicate and sustain their vision for their organizations by focusing on sales, marketing, systems and team building. One strategy I use is to facilitate a team alignment day. I often start out with a number of traditional and non-traditional teambuilding exercises. Then, I introduce a game called “Leverage: The Game of Business,” in which employees learn the five key areas to impacting the bottom line. By playing the game, each employee learns how he or she plays a pivotal role in making the business work and impacting its cash flow. By the end of the day, the team is aligned with the business owner’s goals as well as the team and the business manager being aligned as people. When everyone is on the same page, change can take place and things happen more efficiently and effectively.
A recent article in Fortune Magazine, entitled, Executive Coaching – With Returns a CFO Could Love, stated, "Asked for a conservative estimate of the monetary payoff from the coaching they got, these managers described an average return of more than $100,000, or about six times what the coaching had cost their companies."
My goal as a business coach is to help business owners step back and think about new and innovative ways to achieve profitability and business growth … and to do it in a way that provides a good return on investment of a business manager’s time and money. The ability to change, while remaining focused, is an integral part of this philosophy.
Change or Die - To learn more about this author, visit David Levine's Website.
Like this article? Share it with your friends
To Change Your Organization, Hire a Business Coach
It is a common business axiom – change or die. As a small or mid-sized business owner or a manager, there will be times you will need to make changes in your organization but may not be sure how to go about it.
Change is hard to implement and even harder to sustain. Think about all of the people who have trouble sticking to a diet or quitting smoking or keeping up with an exercise program, let alone just starting. If changing yourself is hard, how can you change an entire business, organization, process or department?
As a Certified Business Coach, one of the biggest challenges my clients face is this issue of change. Did you know there are eight reasons why organizations fail to change from a lack of urgency to underestimating the power of vision to failing to create short-term wins? The eight reasons are:
1. Lack of a sense of urgency
2. Failing to create a sufficiently powerful guiding coalition
3. Underestimating the power of vision
4. Not communicating the vision
5. Allowing obstacles to block the new vision
6. Failing to create short-term wins
7. Declaring victory too soon
8. Neglecting to anchor changes firmly into the corporate culture
Take the third reason, for example, underestimating the power of vision. A clear vision helps direct, align and inspire actions on the part of large numbers of people. Lack of vision, on the other hand, leads to lots of debate and confusion. Think about the organizations you have worked for or know. When everyone understands the vision, work gets done, employees are energized, and processes get put into place. Without a guiding vision, employees lose passion, urgency and focus. And, it is just as critical to communicate your vision – reason number four – instead of keeping your vision in your head, communicate it to your employees, vendors and clients – often.
How can a business leader do it all – create and communicate a vision, get the work done and make a profit? Business coaches help business leaders step back and create the processes necessary to communicate and sustain their vision for their organizations by focusing on sales, marketing, systems and team building. One strategy I use is to facilitate a team alignment day. I often start out with a number of traditional and non-traditional teambuilding exercises. Then, I introduce a game called “Leverage: The Game of Business,” in which employees learn the five key areas to impacting the bottom line. By playing the game, each employee learns how he or she plays a pivotal role in making the business work and impacting its cash flow. By the end of the day, the team is aligned with the business owner’s goals as well as the team and the business manager being aligned as people. When everyone is on the same page, change can take place and things happen more efficiently and effectively.
A recent article in Fortune Magazine, entitled, Executive Coaching – With Returns a CFO Could Love, stated, "Asked for a conservative estimate of the monetary payoff from the coaching they got, these managers described an average return of more than $100,000, or about six times what the coaching had cost their companies."
My goal as a business coach is to help business owners step back and think about new and innovative ways to achieve profitability and business growth … and to do it in a way that provides a good return on investment of a business manager’s time and money. The ability to change, while remaining focused, is an integral part of this philosophy.
Change or Die - To learn more about this author, visit David Levine's Website.
Like this article? Share it with your friends
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If you give the date the article was written and who wrote it, the website would be easier to cite in research papers.
Thanks for the info. Makes good sense.
Commented on Change or Die. |
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Leanne Hoagland-SmithAre your sales where you want them to be? Will you be one of the few who achieves sales or business success or one of the many who have failed to change? Are you tired of being told you are like everyone else? Then you may find my first book on sales of interest. Be the Red Jacket in the Sea of Gray Suits, The Keys to Unlocking Sales available at Amazon or at http://www.processspecialist.com/red-jacket.htm. This book is a reflection of my no-nonsense approach to improving sales to overall business results. If you are truly committed to making sustainable changes, then I can help you secure a positive return on your investment because I focus on executable solutions not telling you the problems you already know you have. From training to corporate (group) coaching to executive one on one coaching, my approach is to assess, create awareness, build a goal driven action plan and then execute. The bottom line question is "Not do you or your employees know it, but do you or they want to do it?" Please call for a free strategy session at 219.759.5601. - Visit Leanne Hoagland-Smith's Website |
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Anne BarrAnne Barr has over 26 years experience in sales and marketing, six years as a franchisee. She has assisted over 367 business owners and purchasers to achieve their goals in career change, transition and exit strategy. She holds the designation of Certified Franchise Executive from the International Franchise Association, Certified Business Intermediary from the International Business Brokers Association and Board Certified Broker from the Texas Association of Business Brokers. Anne is active in professional organizations, networking groups and volunteers for non-profit entities. As owner/operator of four successful businesses, Anne has proven people skills and enjoys helping clients find the right "fit" in business ownership. Visit www.FranchiseOpportunitySpecialist.com for more information about me and my company. - Visit Anne Barr's Website |
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To learn more about the Evan Elite Author Program please contact us. | |||
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 David Levine (Visit David's Website) About the author: David s. Levine, Certified Action International Business Coach, holds both a BS and MBA, and is a seasoned executive with more than 25 years of business experience in the retail, high-tech, business-to-consumer, and business-to-business arenas. His extensive experience in marketing and sales, finance, process analysis, and systemization uniquely positions him to mentor business owners looking to become more successful. David is also an adjunct professor at Rutgers University.
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