When a company embarks on a new initiative, in a new direction that leaders are excited about, it often fails. The change can come out unorganized, without support from junior leaders, or without support from anybody. What causes these issues, and why can't companies have honest conversations about them?
Problem 1: Silence
Often when a company makes a change, there is widespread dissent. This leads to the opposite of cooperation and employee morale sinks. This is a common problem and can be blamed for most strategy failure (Beer & Eisenstat, 2004). Even leaders who implement private conversations and anonymous surveys face the same issue, as employees have not seen leadership act on these initiatives in the past.
Solution: The solution to the silence conundrum is to create a culture of conversation. When senior leadership wants to make a change, they need to seek honest feedback from those who have influence in the company. These influential team members do not need to drive the change, but they should be allowed to give feedback. This will not only bring out some unforeseen issues, but will help those influential few feel involved, thereby garnishing their support.
Problem 3: Fear of retaliation
Often, employees will be slow to speak up because they fear for their jobs or their positions within the company. Additionally, they fear speaking honestly about the shortcoming of management will stall change (Beer & Eisenstat, 2004). What they don't realize is that silence stalls everything. Additionally, managers tasked to find honest feedback are reluctant to be the messenger back to senior leadership. They fear that they will lose the respect of others when senior leadership does not act on the feedback, and the respect of senior leadership for reporting honest results.
Solution: Structure formal conversations about issues that are vitally important to execution of strategy. Task certain members of management with the duty of having honest, anonymous, conversations about these issues. Assure them of your absolute need for the information and your intention to use it. Assign these task members to talk to people outside of their department to cull the employee's immediate fear of retribution. Finally, demand that tasked managers bring back very open and straightforward feedback. Encourage them to share the common themes especially prevalent in their conversations (Beer & Eisenstat, 2004).
Problem 4: Incorrect conversation format
When a company asks for honest feedback, often they get an impetuous free for all. The information they receive is often unrelated to the problem at hand and includes everything from the primary issue to the cost of the creamer in the break room. Employees who are not trained in effective conversations are unable to respond appropriately.
Solution: Have structured conversations. When the feedback comes back, dive into providing solutions to the base of the problem instead of creating several administrative tasks (Beer & Eisenstat, 2004). Start the entire process with the leadership team in a one-day meeting format. At the end of the day, the leadership team should emerge with a laser-focused strategy. This will provide a starting place for more organizational conversations.
Whatever the strategy, chances are your organization is not communicating honestly about it. Implementing some serious conversational changes will prove a tactic that brings forward the real obstacles standing in the way of change.
Beer, M., Eisenstat, R.A. (2004). How to have an honest conversation about your business strategy. Harvard Business Review. Retrieved from http://connect.msbcollege.edu/bbcswebdav/pid-2396418-dt-content-rid-31106_1/library/Graduate/MG600/Readings/How%20to%20have%20an%20honest%20conversation%20about%20your%20business%20strategy.pdf
