Deliver Business Change (and improve your golf)

By: Bernie Vincent - [business]
Deliver Business Change (and improve your golf)

My golf is at best erratic some friends would say worse
than that! But my game can serve to illustrate many of the
business change issues facing company owners.

Despite having a vision of what I want to do; having the right
environment for the job; and having some of the best
equipment on the market, I do not deliver a consistent
performance. Even shots in the right direction often fall short
of the target. It's very frustrating.

Why can't a reasonably sensible, logical person achieve a
consistent level of performance?

The components of my golf swing (hands, arms, hips, legs
etc.) are not deliberately veering away from a known strategy,
they actually believe that they are acting in accordance with
my wishes. They even try to initiate improvements. The
problem is that when my hands try something different, there
is no way of detecting what else has also changed, and
therefore feedback is confused. Even if the result is good, I
don't know why and it can't be repeated.

In short: my game is over managed/badly managed and the
interplay of resources is confused.

Businesses suffer the same problems particularly whenever
computers are involved. The world of the Internet and
ebusiness in particular does present opportunities, but when
the technologies and skill needs are not widely understood by
management and users, the basics of achieving change get
lost. Managers who don't understand the issues are like bad
golfers they continually set guidelines, targets, procedures,
but they do not deliver better results. Frustration grows.

In ebusiness, the components are: people, processes and
technology. If management developed a better understanding
of how to leverage them and had a clearer appreciation of
some basic issues of people and computers, then technology
changes would be more likely to deliver more profit.

Here are 10 tips that help to position these components for a
better drive.

1. Beware of the director who is 'proud' not to get involved in
IT. He/she will lose you any competitive edge you might
have.

2. Beware of the manager who insists that his/her staff are
empowered and fully understand the need for changes.
He/she is probably an autocrat who says: "of course you can
decide but check with me first". They will keep staff as
much in the dark as they are.

3. Appreciate that your in-house IT expert is probably up to
their eyes fire-fighting. Preparing an ebusiness strategy in line
with the business objectives should be a must, but rarely
happens.

4. Communicate, communicate. Ensure everyone becomes
involved. Run team meetings with a trained facilitator - they
are unconstrained by personalities or the subject and will give
you a far more accurate assessment of the state of play.

5. Develop an appreciation of the power of modelling. Even
simple pictures and maps become a focus of attention and
will be of great benefit in designing improved processes and
involving those who will operate under the new ways.

6. Don't be afraid to "think outside the norm". Speak to
anyone who might have an interest in changed business
patterns. That might even include competitors!

7. Make wholesale changes only if you need the business
structure to change. Do your research and become an
informed buyer - the market place is full of hype about
products and consultancies offering immediate and dramatic
improvements.

8. Recognise that if an old computer system needs replacing,
that this presents the best opportunity to review and improve
processes. Don't fall into the trap of allowing staff to force
the new system to comply with "the way we always do
things".

9. Train your staff in basic skills. Most office workers have a
very poor appreciation of the power of the office systems
already sitting on their desk. Developing PC skills is one of
the most powerful levers for improvement.

10. Recognise that the brightest employees are not always the
ones who can deliver change in the workplace. Ask less
talented staff who they would like to teach them. They will
almost always choose someone other than you would have
done. It will be someone who has empathy for them - they
learn quicker and you will get faster wins.

Summary:

The bottom line is that the best companies (and golfers)
succeed because not only do they have the vision, energy and
objectives, they understand and maximise the input of each
resource. They also know how to receive and react to
feedback.

Oh, and good golfers practice. UGH!

About the Author:

Bernie Vincent has 30 years experience of planning, designing
and implementing computer systems; fixing badly designed or
managed systems; or switching off redundant ones. He now
acts as a coach to management and a mentor to project
managers.

=A9 The Eminent Trading Company Limited January 2004.

Email: bernie@e...

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