Why Influencing Change?
Today’s Supply
Chain professionals are facing numerous, varied and complex changes which often
occur simultaneously. Therefore, to be
an effective Supply Chain leader, we must
be good at influencing change. We
spend a tremendous amount of our time trying to influence the behavior of
others – whether it’s up the organization with leadership, down the
organization with our direct reports, across the organization with peers or
internal stakeholders or outside the organization with customers or suppliers,
or in the community, with friends and family.
When you think about it, leadership is really intentional influence.
The problem is we –
individuals and organizations – are not very good at it. An Arthur D. Little study reports that 85%
organization change efforts fail to meet quality cost or timing goals. Deloitte’s Global CPO Survey for 2014 found
that “Some 68 per cent [sic] of respondents still describe their internal
influence as ‘mixed‘” meaning that there are significant missed
opportunities. The Corporate Executive
Board reports that being an Influencer is one of only six behavioral
competencies that set strategic procurement staff apart. Similarly, University of Tennessee’s 2012
white paper entitled “Skills and Competencies That Supply Chain Professionals
Will Need” reports that “Inspiring and Influential Leadership” is one of five
critical skills. We must get good at
influence!
There is a huge
cost if we fail at this challenge. We
risk the vanishing ROI as our project misses quality, cost or timing
goals. There is the lost opportunity
cost from the project we neglected while pursuing the failed initiative. What is the cost of our damaged reputation
with leadership, internal stakeholders, customers and suppliers when we fail to
influence change? Since no one likes
working on a failed project, deteriorating morale can easily result in
regretted turnover. Finally, there is
organization cynicism. We’ve all heard
it: “This is another program of the month.
If I just sit tight, this too shall pass.” When this attitude becomes pervasive you have
organization stagnation which no business can afford. Unfortunately, research shows that fewer than
one in eight workplace change efforts produces anything other than cynicism.
Traditional change
management has failed to deliver the degree, speed or sustainability of desired
changes. Why is that? There are several reasons. Traditional change management is very project
management oriented, focusing on only the tip of the iceberg – things like
strategy, systems, process and structure.
While all of these considerations are important, they are insufficient
to drive the desired change. They fail
to focus on what’s below the waterline which includes culture, norms and status
quo behaviors – all of that organization resistance that undermines and impedes
our change effort. Organization change
is really just the sum of changes in individual’s behavior, and that is the
neglected area of opportunity.
For most failed
change efforts, there is a conspiracy of causes and few of us have a systematic
way of even thinking about this fundamental challenge. We identify one or two causes of resistance
and look for a “silver bullet” to tackle them.
Change agents have their favorite strategies to combat resistance such
as more communication or training. The
reality is that we typically underwhelm an overwhelming challenge.
For any change to
take place an individual asks themselves two questions: 1. Is it worth it
(motivation)? and 2. Can I do it (ability)?
Influencing Change training,
based on the New York Times bestseller,
Influencer, focuses on changing
individuals’ behavior utilizing a systematic framework for first diagnosing
causes of resistance, and then strategizing how to both motivate and enable
change. It also equips the learner with
skills and strategies to be successful.
For example, we tend to rely heavily on verbal persuasion to spur
personal motivation. Unfortunately, this
is notoriously ineffective. When we
encounter resistance, we often share more information, putting people into a
PowerPoint coma where all they hear is “wha, wha, wha, wha, wha”. It is the equivalent of talking louder when a
person who speaks a different language doesn’t understand. Instead, we should be seeking Direct or
Vicarious Experiences which help people to connect to values they already hold to
make change more appealing and sustainable.
Influencing Change employs all Six Sources of Influence™, which
address motivation and ability as affected by Personal, Social and Structural
forces. Research proves that by
employing four or more sources of influence against the desired vital behavior
you increase your success tenfold.
How’s your change
management working for you? If it leaves
you wanting, and you want to increase your success tenfold consider Influencing Change.
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For more information contact:
Vice President & Influencing Change Practice Leader
Paladin Associates, Inc.
BMArdell@PaladinAssociatesInc.com
(770) 315-1581
