Transformational moment to renovate

We talk about renovation in all kinds of ways – neighborhoods, houses, roads, cities. Is performance inside organizations another opportunity for renovation?

Economic conditions have caused a reduction in resources and loss of jobs. Needless to say, the specter of unemployment creates tremendous fear in the world of work. Performance is deeply impacted by the conditions that exist today.

Employee satisfaction is at lows not seen in decades. The workload for almost every person is heavier than one individual can manage. Not every leader or manager has fully integrated the belief that we are in a new world, not just experiencing a blip on the economic radar. There are few indicators that we are going back to the time of abundant resources.

I hear two consistent comments. Employees routinely say, “I have a hard time getting up and going to work.” Leaders say “they should be thankful that they have a job.” Let’s get serious. These comments have tremendous negative impact on performance.

I am not saying that every organization is in this state, but many are. Leaders appear to be losing respect for staff when past performance levels are not met in a resource-constrained workplace. Fear on the part of staff creates a survival mentality that does not encourage innovation, which happens to be one way of managing the workload.

Every day I hear stories of performance problems and it has become clear to me that we need to revitalize our operational practices and re-inspire the people in response to the “new world.” I have concluded that many people think there is nothing that can be done but continue to work harder and longer. This is not true. There are unlimited opportunities to revive performance levels and improve the work life of employees.

Transformational moment

We are in a transformational moment. The leaders who realize this will be the winners in the long run. Making this transition will require everyone to roll up their sleeves and get to work. Yes, workload will increase until the transition is complete. However, there is hope for a more manageable workload, an energized workforce, and quality performance.

I suggest three areas for improving performance. None of these proposals are quick fixes or easy to accomplish. Each will require commitment and partnership with staff in order to “get real” about the unique situation in each organization.

• Become a learning organization. What does that mean? Everyone views everything as an opportunity to learn. Learning is how we re-create ourselves and our organizations. Learning is how we do the things we don’t think are possible. Think of your first tennis or swimming lesson. You did not know how you would do it, but you were ready to learn. Mistakes, not errors, create new information when generated from repeated experiments. New information is the key to innovative solutions. A learning organization is a “no-blame” environment. Everyone is working together to create positive change. Blame has no place in a learning organization.
• Think about re-purposing existing assets. Every computer, software package, person, vehicle, building, office space and product should be evaluated. But evaluated against what? The vision of the future must be clarified and shared widely. How do the various assets in your organization support the revised vision and purpose? Is every asset being used to its fullest? What percentage of existing technology is currently being used? Creating a new vision without updating the operational model will not work. People, processes, and technology are a complete package of assets that must be realigned to the new vision.
• Realize that resistance to change is extremely costly to performance. Identifying those situations where resistance is present is critical to a renewal of performance. Why? Resistance can take many forms in both leaders and staff, and it can be hard to pinpoint. For instance, a team in an internal service organization may view implementing innovation for a client as increased workload, and find ways to avoid taking on the task or project. That judgment will mean that a valuable innovation may not be implemented. Resistance can be subtle but destructive to the goal of rallying performance.

This time of transformation is a call for leaders to evaluate new ways to adapt organizational performance in the face of new requirements and constraints. The people are working harder than ever. This is a time for everyone to experiment with new thinking. Leaders who create a learning organization will be rewarded with improved performance and happier employees.

Shirley Esterly is a master facilitator and systems thinker who works with clients to build sustainable business practices. She can be reached at [email protected].