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Leading Change - Fighting the "New Normal" Part III: Innovation

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In Parts I and II earlier this week, I posted thoughts on how endless demand to do more in today’s organizations is not merely the “New Normal,” but a failure of leadership (either the failure of strategic choice or the demand to simply make it work). 

http://www.lastwordonchange.com/blog/bid/71542/Leading-Change-Fighting-the-New-Normal-Contagion-Part-I

In today’s post (Part III), I will provide examples to the 4 approaches used by effective Change Leaders who fight surrender to “change as just MORE,” and how exercising courage and strategic choice provide the focus necessary to keep the troops engaged and drive sustainable change.

The Change Leader’s path to sustained focus, engagement, and…sustainable change: consider the impact of the following tools as applied to the common, now nearly hollow calls for INNOVATION (the #1 organization need on countless CEO survey’s these days):

• Strategic choice:  “How, specifically, does INNOVATION move the company forward to achieve goals (beyond joining the “trend” formed by other companies giving lip service to this call-to-action)?...How will this focus on innovation point your teams to what will be DIFFERENT in what they do, and what you are willing to support as a management team so that you're not just adding innovation to what they’re (you’re) already doing?”

• Leading simply:  “How does a call for INNOVATION change what the teams’ ROLES, GOALS, AND MEASURES of success will be (and not be) when this new focus is in place?”

• Leading by example:  “What will the top management team STOP demanding (reinforcing) and START demanding (reinforcing) in order to communicate to the entire organization and all stakeholders that this is sustainable?” (A good place to start includes stating where the management team will place its focus and energy—if you cannot commit to this, you’re setting up another cycle of frustration with change and disappointment in change execution!)

• Endings Management:  “What things do we NO LONGER DO as a company (or in support of our customers and each other; how we make money or serve our mission and purpose) in the interest of ensuring that we have the CAPACITY to INNOVATE?”

What needs to change in your organization to enable this kind of fortitude?

To learn more, visit our site and download our Whitepaper on Leading Change…Simply!

http://www.lastwordonchange.com/simple-solution/4-simple-questions