Leadership team and models in stormy waters!
Success in growing business easily means large organizational changes and even domestic or international acquisitions. Such a sizeable strategic reformation requires harmonization of company cultures, processes and supportive key applications to result in synergy benefits needed. What challenges do this cause to decision makers and what questions need to be answered?
Are the business goals crystal clear – does the whole leadership team stand behind them?
Commonly agreed and understood vision and objectives on the top management level are the foundation for successful change implementation. Every member of the leadership team must genuinely support and act upon the chosen vision. It only takes one who steps out from the line to rock the boat.
Are the management systems on balance with the vision?
What is the right way to steer the business in the new situation? Which are the optimal harmonized core and main processes? What are the roles and responsibilities of leaders and other decision makers? Updating the entire management and leadership architecture is time consuming and demanding – it should not be underestimated. If the starting point is domestic, Finland focused enterprise and the goal a tiger leap into multicultural environment – even experienced company leaders can have lot to learn. Not to mention the rest of the organization.
Are the transformation projects lead by excellence?
Projects are a strong strategy implementation tool, which needs an appropriate management model and common practises. Successful change implementation however requires first of all professional project leadership capability which is based on profound collaboration, communication and coaching competences. While struggling to adopt the new vision and strategy, the growing company should as well be able to grab the key skills of project leadership – which can become one pitfall as project competences are seldom internally available yet.
What does the modern hectic life style mean to change leadership?
Change implementation cycle speeds up all the time increasing agility demands. Wide global trends are flooding over us without clear start and end – change is not anymore just status quo but even change as such is constantly changing
For a while ago I had a chance to hear a lecture by an experienced project director. His proposal for change leadership term was leading in the change which in my opinion describes extremely well the present situation.
We all do our best to adopt to this all the time on-going, inevitable change which makes the basis for business organizations to reform themselves – as has been stated e.g. by Timo Erämetsä in his book “Myönteinen muutos” (Positive Change) and generally in the professional literature. The question is though: can we still accelerate the development speed in changing attitudes and thinking? According to John P. Kotter “cultural changes are only possible if they can offer tangible, individual benefits”. This in my opinion still demands from change leaders, change agents and especially project managers persistence and patience – meaning ability to lead in the change.
