This is a book about a seemingly small issue (creating a high enough sense of urgency among a large enough number of people), but the author has come to believe that is extremely important in an era of turbulence and rapid change. When the challenge of urgency is not well managed, there are even very capable people and organizations with many resources, which can be greatly affected. When the challenge is handled well, even those found with formidable obstacles, can produce results that we all want for our careers, our leaders and nations.
My path to these conclusions began twelve years ago with the publication of "Leading Change." This book was based on analysis of nearly a hundred organizations efforts to produce large-scale changes: implement new growth strategies, implement new systems of information technology, reorganization to reduce expenses.
Amazingly, we found that over 70% of the situations in which substantial changes were needed not clearly or completely dropped, or failed change efforts, or managed off-budget, late and great frustration. We also found that in 10% of cases reached more than you thought possible. Surprisingly, at least for the author, in this 10% was used in all cases a formula similar to what he describes as "the art of the eight steps, the first of which is to create a high enough sense of urgency.
six years ago, he and Dan Cohen published a book entitled "The heart of change." There were hundreds of interviews to document short stories in each phase of major change efforts. They found the surprising figure of 70% and 10% inspiration, plus the powerful role that emotions played in most cases successfully. Two years ago, the author, Holger Rathgeber published this material as a fable. "Our Iceberg is melting" that made complex ideas about the change were more accessible and illuminated the emotional lessons of the heart of change "in a story about emperor penguins, using pictures and drawings in color.
In writing the story occurred to him many times he was asked "What is the biggest mistake people make when trying to change?". After some reflection I decided that the answer was that there had created a high enough sense of urgency among a sufficient number of people to make a jump based on a new direction.
But to verify this observation and deeper into the issues, I began asking managers a new set of issues:
how high is the feeling of urgency among the people around you?
how do you know that this evaluation is appropriate?
if it is low, why?
if too low, what are you doing split change that?
what specific actions being taken?
"is successful or not these actions?
if unsuccessful, what are the consequences for your organization (and their own race)
if successful, what are you doing exactly?
of these discussions came a number of interesting Conclusions:
(1) The author became convinced than ever that everything starts with the emergency. At the beginning of making changes of any magnitude, if the sense of urgency is not high enough, and complacency low enough, everything else will be more difficult. The difficulties come together to produce failure, pain, release, and the devastating figure of 70%.
(2) The satisfaction is much more common than we think and often invisible to the people it affects. Success easily produces complacency. But there must be a recent success. Many years of prosperity of a company may have ended a decade ago, but the complacency produced by this prosperity can survive, often because those affected do not see it. A smart and sophisticated management may not be aware of the fact that two levels below him in the hierarchy of the organization is so complacent that their dreams of the future will never be realized. The same manager may not always realize that it is also dangerously complacent.
1. IT ALL STARTS WITH A SENSE OF URGENCY
We are all very accommodating, but do not know. "A sense of urgency is important, complacency is a disaster in these days," says a manager, but fears an innovative initiative.
A policy known to have problems and need to change: it has a growth strategy that could be very successful. But although he believes that complacency is gone, is alive and in good condition. Two levels under this policy, believe they are not on a floor that is burning, but in a place that does not need renewal. The few offices that smell of smoke from the fire, complaining that someone has caught fire, however, demonstrate a real sense of urgency: "we need major changes in marketing, but do not think that these people's will. .. " "I think that we could do with less urgency. We're going so fast for so long that we are totally stressed."
"But it is confusing a huge amount of activity as a sign of a real sense of urgency. " It is not. It is a flurry of activity with people trying to cope with 15 tracks: very few of them are central to the success of the organization. This exhausts the emergency employees and kill real and positive. Who can address the key issues facing an organization, after attending nine meetings on various topics in the space of a day? "Within a month we have to fire two or three thousand people: if we had acted a year ago. Why did not act last year, asks the author." For some complacency and arrogance "Why?" Too success the past. "A good approach.
Complacency and false urgency We have a serious problem ...
My path to these conclusions began twelve years ago with the publication of "Leading Change." This book was based on analysis of nearly a hundred organizations efforts to produce large-scale changes: implement new growth strategies, implement new systems of information technology, reorganization to reduce expenses.
Amazingly, we found that over 70% of the situations in which substantial changes were needed not clearly or completely dropped, or failed change efforts, or managed off-budget, late and great frustration. We also found that in 10% of cases reached more than you thought possible. Surprisingly, at least for the author, in this 10% was used in all cases a formula similar to what he describes as "the art of the eight steps, the first of which is to create a high enough sense of urgency.
six years ago, he and Dan Cohen published a book entitled "The heart of change." There were hundreds of interviews to document short stories in each phase of major change efforts. They found the surprising figure of 70% and 10% inspiration, plus the powerful role that emotions played in most cases successfully. Two years ago, the author, Holger Rathgeber published this material as a fable. "Our Iceberg is melting" that made complex ideas about the change were more accessible and illuminated the emotional lessons of the heart of change "in a story about emperor penguins, using pictures and drawings in color.
In writing the story occurred to him many times he was asked "What is the biggest mistake people make when trying to change?". After some reflection I decided that the answer was that there had created a high enough sense of urgency among a sufficient number of people to make a jump based on a new direction.
But to verify this observation and deeper into the issues, I began asking managers a new set of issues:
how high is the feeling of urgency among the people around you?
how do you know that this evaluation is appropriate?
if it is low, why?
if too low, what are you doing split change that?
what specific actions being taken?
"is successful or not these actions?
if unsuccessful, what are the consequences for your organization (and their own race)
if successful, what are you doing exactly?
of these discussions came a number of interesting Conclusions:
(1) The author became convinced than ever that everything starts with the emergency. At the beginning of making changes of any magnitude, if the sense of urgency is not high enough, and complacency low enough, everything else will be more difficult. The difficulties come together to produce failure, pain, release, and the devastating figure of 70%.
(2) The satisfaction is much more common than we think and often invisible to the people it affects. Success easily produces complacency. But there must be a recent success. Many years of prosperity of a company may have ended a decade ago, but the complacency produced by this prosperity can survive, often because those affected do not see it. A smart and sophisticated management may not be aware of the fact that two levels below him in the hierarchy of the organization is so complacent that their dreams of the future will never be realized. The same manager may not always realize that it is also dangerously complacent.
1. IT ALL STARTS WITH A SENSE OF URGENCY
We are all very accommodating, but do not know. "A sense of urgency is important, complacency is a disaster in these days," says a manager, but fears an innovative initiative.
A policy known to have problems and need to change: it has a growth strategy that could be very successful. But although he believes that complacency is gone, is alive and in good condition. Two levels under this policy, believe they are not on a floor that is burning, but in a place that does not need renewal. The few offices that smell of smoke from the fire, complaining that someone has caught fire, however, demonstrate a real sense of urgency: "we need major changes in marketing, but do not think that these people's will. .. " "I think that we could do with less urgency. We're going so fast for so long that we are totally stressed."
"But it is confusing a huge amount of activity as a sign of a real sense of urgency. " It is not. It is a flurry of activity with people trying to cope with 15 tracks: very few of them are central to the success of the organization. This exhausts the emergency employees and kill real and positive. Who can address the key issues facing an organization, after attending nine meetings on various topics in the space of a day? "Within a month we have to fire two or three thousand people: if we had acted a year ago. Why did not act last year, asks the author." For some complacency and arrogance "Why?" Too success the past. "A good approach.
Complacency and false urgency We have a serious problem ...
