Question:
We are in the middle of a reorganizing effort. As the VP of human resources, I’m very involved in this project. Among other things, we’ve created a new executive-level position that is going to have several VP’s reporting to it. These positions previously reported to the president. Needless to say, this is creating quite a stir. For example, one of the gentlemen involved is close to retirement. With only a few years to go, he doesn’t want to get involved in a lot of change, new initiatives, etc. He’s, “been there, done that.” He actually went so far as to come into my office and tell me, “If I have to report to ‘John Doe’ (i.e., the new executive), I’m leaving the company.” This from a 30-year veteran! I’m concerned that this kind of feeling exists within the rest of the VP’s and wonder about how this will affect morale within the executive team. Do you have any counsel for me?
Answer:
Clearly, change is at the heart of this issue. Not all of us accept change well, especially when it involves perceived losses to status, prestige, rank, etc. This is exacerbated when change is thrust upon us, when we feel like it is arbitrary or when we feel we have no input to how the change unfolds. Changes need to be well handled. Those involved must be provided with context. Key questions need to be addressed, such as, “What’s in it for me?”
A few years ago I was doing some succession planning work with a company and I was asked to give an overview of the project to the management team of about 30 people.
The presentation was offered as part of a management retreat, held off-site. About 20 minutes into my remarks, the gentlemen seated on the aisle in the last row (i.e., closest to the exit), raised his hand to ask a question. “Dan, I really am enjoying your presentation, but I’ve got a question for you. What do you do with an old dog like me who has no interest in learning new tricks?”
Knowing the individual to some extent, I was not surprised by his question. He was a curmudgeon who enjoying making provocative comments. He was from the “old school” and didn’t buy into these new fangled approaches. Succession planning? Leadership development? These were just further evidence that the next generation was soft.
Well, after the laughter subsided, I had to offer a response. While my mind had immediately flashed to the treatment offered to “Old Yeller” at the end of the movie, I did not share this with him. Instead, I said something along the lines of, “I appreciate your candor. It takes a lot of courage to admit you have less time ahead of you in your work career than behind you. In that sense, I would respectfully challenge you to think about what you want your leadership legacy to be. Do you want future leaders to say that you didn’t care and left the place in disrepair? Or, do you want them to say that you left the place in better shape than you found it? The choice is yours as to how you spend the last years of your career.”
Unless people can make a very real, personal connection with why the reorganization is in their interests, you will be fighting an uphill battle.
So, what can you do to help get people behind this reorganization? My suggestion is to craft a communication strategy in which you show people the connections between the “boulders, rocks, and pebbles.”
What do I mean by this? I’m sure many of our readers are familiar with the terms “management by objectives” (MBO) or “cascading goals.” That’s what I’m talking about, as follows, using your reorganization issue as an illustration:
Boulder (strategic-level, organization-wide)
We are going to reorganize the executive strata of the organization to realign reporting relationships and create dynamic energy relative to the organization’s vision, mission, and values so that we operate in more integrated fashion internally, so that we meet our performance expectations in the marketplace.
Rock (operational-level, team or department-wide)
We expect the executive team to function as a more cohesive unit than it has in the past. We expect greater collaboration in decision-making and more intensity about task completion. We want to see both a relationship and results orientation, exemplified by shared responsibility and mutual accountability.
Pebble (tactical-level, individual role or responsibility)
This is not a personal issue. The company is looking to move ahead, so we need the executive team to move ahead. In your role as a VP, new challenges and demands loom on the horizon. For us to succeed, we need you to step forward to do so. Here’s what we need from you to make that happen (provide examples of behaviors, methods, outcomes, etc.).
In the final analysis, if Mr. VP does not want to report to the new executive, you need to show him how doing so is in his interests, the team’s interests, and, ultimately, the organization’s interests.
If all else fails, give him a copy of “Old Yeller!” Maybe that will drive the point home.
