Transformation through systemic change

Meaningful change cannot be implemented through exhortation. And it's not a matter of replacing people with those who already think the right way. Rather, it requires carefully designed, systemic changes in the organization.

People want to do a good job.

But much too often, the organizational environment they work in gets in their way. At a minimum, this wastes people's talents and energies, and puts impossible loads on executives. At the worst, it induces people to perform poorly, work at cross-purposes, fight with one another, and burn out.

Organizations send signals that guide people in their day-to-day decisions and actions. These signals are often confusing, paradoxical, and sometimes just wrong.

For example, although managers should be frugal, many companies gauge people's titles and compensation based on the size of their budgets. They pay people for empire building!

In such an organization, even the best people will have a tendency to maximize their budgets. The problem isn't people; it's systemic. In a misaligned organization, even the best people will ultimately fail.

By contrast, in a marketplace, people are paid for results, not for running up their costs. By the very nature of the environment -- the "rules of the game" -- entrepreneurs are always frugal.

In other words, in a well-designed organization, everyone is well positioned to succeed because the signals they're getting guide them to do what's best for the organization.

"Intellectuals solve problems; geniuses prevent them."

Albert Einstein

Utilizing the BWB paradigm, leaders can adjust the signals in an organization so that they're appropriate, well aligned, and clear.

More on coordination and control in an empowered organization....

Where organizational signals come from....

Publications

TRANSFORMATION: RoadMap: how to understand, diagnose, and fix your organization (second edition).

Seminars

RoadMap® Transformational Leadership Workshop:
how to systematically design organizations to maximize human performance

Mission/Vision/Values/BLAH!

Great People Aren't Enough:
great leaders design healthy organizations where normal people can succeed

Employer of Choice:
how to attract, motivate, and retain the best people

Consulting

RoadMap® Transformation Planning Process: systematic analysis of gaps, root causes, and the sequence of organizational changes -- the best starting point for leaders interested in a comprehensive approach to build a high-performance organization

Contact us for a free one-hour telephone consultation on your unique challenges.