Motivating Change

After spending the past few weeks in this class I have learned quite a bit in regards to what it takes to move from good to great and often that involves a change. There are ways to communicate changes effectively and ineffectively. There is a way to speak to particular audiences depending upon their age and job function. There are also many ways to not communicate change. My studies have forced me to reflect on the leaders of my past and think about the proper ways not only to lead in a time of change but how to communicate as well. First, I want to touch on the leaders of my past to set the basis for my opinion. I want to relate their actions to what I have learned and then speak about the makings of effective communication in a time of change.

In the past I have found myself working with leaders that were of the “Hem” or the “Haw” mentality from the book “Who Moved My Cheese” by Spencer Johnson. This leader does not have the ability to make a decision with clear focus or big picture mentality to move from “Good to Great” as the book by Collins outlines. They are the person that second guesses every potential decision and has a fear of change, therefore cannot implement it with a clear plan. The “Hem” or the “Haw” in my opinion is not a good candidate for a leader in the first place but sometimes they are put in the leadership role and must manage a change process in an organization. This leader does not have the ability to motivate the employee because they clearly lack the focus it takes to move forward in the right direction of success. To be a leader with the ability to move and change a company from good to great you must have a “just do it” type of mentality it is just in you to see things and keep moving. You are self-motivated to move forward at all costs for the greater goal or win, you are okay with changing to get where you need to be. One manager I had was unsure of his actions, and lacked the ability to have focus. He knew he had to do something, but feared the changes and potential for ups and downs along the road to success. As a team the employees that worked under this manager learned to then ask questions about the verbal changes the manager gave in email format to hold him accountable for the direction before acting on changes. This was not an effective way to get changes moving in an organization, there was a complete lack of trust. This caused an overall lack of motivation, stunted employee morale and did not take that group into the world of greatness. I also worked for another leader that lived by the wait and see approach before implementing a change. He admitted that the economy was tanking, knew we would need to adjust but refused to plan or change. He was unable to show the group that he understood and accepted the risks of not changing. If my manager had the foresight that Corky Walgreen did as it was pointed out in the book “Good to Great” by Collins he would have had