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Making the Transition

Guest post by: Geoff Flemming

Article Overview: Consistency in any organisation is vital to ensure results. Leadership, structure, systems and consistent delivery create growth. But as organisational growth occurs and it outgrows its present structure and systems, then these need to change. A lack of change will cause instability and growth will stall.

Making the Transition

As humans the one thing that we just most often don'tdo well is deal with change - we just don't like to do thingsdifferently thanwhat we are used to. Change is never easy. Apart from a small band of entrepreneurs(entrepreneuraholics who thrive on variety and change) that I have known and worked with, we like to sit on the bus or train in the same seat, visit the same shops andare motivated by sameness.

If you look at the last10 years the number of peopleworking in successful careers who were suddenly displaced because of mergers and takeovers,the stress caused by sudden lack of security and the need to find new employmentcan be significant.

If change was easy then this would never be a problem. Howeveras we know this is not the case.

The challenge of dealing with change

Soone the hardest things for us to doin business is the one thing that will cause the most benefit in time.

The challenges of lack of change can include:

• Current owners who are not leaders or do not have the skill set to lead
• Changes in business and team dynamics with Partnership splits
• Instability due to insufficient structure / systems to cater for size of business
• New team members who may be skilled but who do not fit the culture
• Bringing in new managersand the ownernot letting go or getting out of their way
• Not being able to 'discriminate' between being an owner and a manager
• The owner simply being a 'cork in the bottle' and blocking new ideas and growth
• Parents in family businesses handing overbut their ongoing presence causes past cultural pressures to remain

All are simple to change from an operational perspective. From a cultural perspective change that allows growth and flow of new ideas can be difficult. Itcan be a mindset shift thatcan at times betoo difficult to overcome.

The consequences of not making the transition are stress and frustration, stalled growth, loss of good people and poor productivity.

A successful transition is one in which the organisation has been structured in a way that has little or no reliance upon any one person. It grows well beyond the (limited) skills and abilities of the owners/founders.

Thequestions to ponder:

• 1. What has to occur to causesignificant growth whilst reducing reliance?
• 2. In terms of growth am I anasset or a liability? Am I the problem?
• 3. In terms of results what is it thatI really want?
• 4. Am I not getting results I really want and if not why?
• 5. What does thebusiness requirethat I cannot provide?

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Article Tags: Change Management, coaching, confrontations, Crucial Conversations, Culture, Influencer, leadership



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