Here is my takeaway #6 from a book that makes organizational project work worthwhile, “Change Management that Sticks: A Practical People-centered Approach, for High Buy-In and Meaningful Results”:
6) “Most importantly, out of all my experience, I’ve got the reputation of being someone who cares not only about getting it done, but about getting it done well. At times, that may mean I want to tell leaders what they need to hear and not what they want to hear. Learning how to do this well is part of the journey for the change manager.”
Note: This comes from the Introduction (page xxii).
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STORY TIME
Throughout my career I have helped organizations to figure out how to get it done right the first time. It helps avoid so many problems with inefficiency and rework. That usually means making sure whatever is emanating from leadership is exactly as they intend.
It’s difficult enough to determine what is in the mind of another, but impossible to produce it if they are still changing their mind about what they want as you go. Some say that they are just being Agile, but that is not so.
This is why formal communication is so important, because it outlines, describes, and displays something tangible in writing to work with. I recommend not just talking with leaders, but that organizational change managers and project managers make sure a Statement of Work (SOW) clearly defines the image in their heads from the outset of a project.
This section of my “Pivotal” Change Program comes to mind.
Metrics and Measurements
Come up with meaningful goals, metrics, and measurements at each level of your organization and specifically for your organizational project teams’ milestones.
Measure twice, cut once!
Be practical! Simply put, goals are about who completes what by when. Your purpose solidifies your end goal and fixes critical mileposts for more certainty. If there is fluctuation as you become more informed about project needs your organization needs to be more Agile. If a higher-level activity is not well-defined, however, you may spend countless hours redoing detailed work that is dependent on you settling on what successful outcomes actually look like. First things first. Measure twice, cut once!
| Example: It’s like this program guide. If the outline is out of order and/or the summary is incorrect much of the text and transitions must be moved around and rewritten until you get it just right. |
Know Your Organizational Constraints and Dependencies!
Adjust your approach within the constraints of the methodology you are using, according to the purview of the governing bodies: organizational, mid-level, or specialists. The organization performs high-level activities, sets priorities, and gives new direction if significant change or rework is required. The more clarity coming from the top at the beginning of the process the smoother the middle will relay information back and forth and the better the end of the line will produce what is expected.
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I am getting excited about the release of my Change | Project | Knowledge Program Guides coming up at the end of this month. I am certain that the organizations that know how to work through these processes as a cohesive unit will transform their business and rapidly accelerate their professional’s development and team project outcomes.