“Conjuring up a ‘burning platform’ when there isn’t one is just plain wrong.” ❌❌❌

When a major change is necessary, it is important to find a deterrent that will prevent people from wanting to continue with the status quo. Many leaders have determined it best to use fear and intimidation as a deterrent.

This is NEVER the right approach.

For some companies, they may be experiencing a real emergency situation. For those leaders, I recommend complete transparency. Increased communication around the emergency and what team members can do to help is always the right approach.

However, conjuring up a “burning platform” when there isn’t one is just plain wrong.

The truth is that people will change willingly if they understand the purpose and the value of the initiative. Sometimes people also need to know “what’s in it for me.” Taking time to develop a compelling story for change is an important part of change management.

A survey conducted by McKinsey & Company showed transformations where senior leaders used a consistent change story to align the organization around its goals are 3.8 times more likely to succeed.

Change stories help people make sense of the change. Change is not easy for all people. People need to be engaged at a personal level, both rationally and logically, to have a better chance at getting them excited about change rather than dreading it.

A compelling story should NOT start like this: “Your terrible quality has caused us to loose multiple customers. If you don’t change now, this company will not be in business by the end of the year. I have a plan to improve quality and keep us in business by following these 5 initiatives…”

Did you notice the blame in this burning platform statement? Did you notice the use of words like “You” and “I”?

Rather, leaders should begin by sharing a vision of where they want the organization to be in the future: “To be recognized by our customers as their best supplier by providing top quality products/service.”

Wayne Gretzky, when asked why he was such a superior hockey player responded: “Because I go where the puck will be, not where it is.” By giving the team a vision, leaders clearly describe future expectations, not present circumstances. This first gives the team a mental picture of what lies at the end of a road never traveled before.

A good change story engages the hearts and minds of the team. A change story offers context, rationale, and explanation. A good leader will also use a personal message, or better yet, the personal messages of the team…

Imagine what would happen if this same leader then solicited feedback from all team members asking them for ideas to help reach this vision. People who feel they have co-created a solution feel five times more ownership than those who are “told” the solution. When you empower your team to write their own story within the context of the overall story, amazing things will begin to transpire.

Here is an example of a good change story that aligns with our vision above:

“We have many strengths but we are lagging behind others in quality. We need to focus on delivering value with good quality products/service. This can only be done by turning this ship around. Brenda and Charlie, our first shift leads, presented their teams ideas to improve quality from within. We will be recognized by our customers as having the highest quality standards. We want to Be the Best. Together, we are launching a quality transformation in 3 waves. Change may be hard as we reshape our behaviors and actions so we must all focus on our customers. This is your opportunity to step up and get involved. We are looking for more ideas to help improve quality throughout. As a leadership team, we are united in working together to ensure you have the support to make this happen. Thank you for helping us provide the best quality and in becoming a recognized supplier by our customers. I am excited about the path forward.”

Sounds a little different right? Every leader should be committed to communicating this message every day in different ways. We will expand on this in next week’s newsletter.