Difference between revisions of "Sustainable Business Learning Community Conversations, Nov - Dec 2012"

Revision as of 23:03, 14 November 2012

November 1, 2012 Topic: Leading Change: Fostering & Encouraging Sustainable Change, cont'd.

Pointing the direction toward change!

What does a working environment that is conducive to change actually look like?

Two examples given:

• Quest tech - manufactured robotics for the auto industry, then, as the industry began running into trouble, they shifted to building training models for sustainable energy
• Motor City Denim - made covers for machinery, but now manufacture jeans
• A Rouge River canoe outing company (name?): As this company became more involved in Friends of the Rouge river clean up projects, they moved their tours further into Dearborn and began focusing on environmentalism, tying sustainability into their core business.

What qualities do these businesses have:

• Open-mindedness
• Efficient decision process making
• Knowing how changes will impact bottom line - how much will you save by using a more sustainable model? Having real numbers helps to encourage people to accept change.
• Ability to define the creative space: Communicate, at the very beginning, the scope of creativity, what's up for grabs and what isn't - are you open to all ideas or are there limits? The creative person needs to understand the scope within which they can be creative. There are real practical limits: What are we interested in being creative about? Where is the focus?

Some thoughts on change:

• If you want to implement some kind of change in your business, you must be able to define "why" of the change or you won't be successful.
• Sometimes a change that an organization makes will mean that some people won't fit anymore
• Some change happens accidentally; encouraging creativity and imagination can help foster positive change.
• Trusting employees to take responsibility for their work or a project allows for more creative thinking and makes it easier to effect change.
• Communicate where your vision is and where your employee(s) vision is. Ask yourself, is this really good for me? Good for them?
• Stay focused: "If you chase two rabbits, you'll lose them both." (Adrienne's grandma)

Effective ways of building awareness:

• Starting earlier and small is better than late and large. Let people know that change is coming.
• Be clear on the context: where does change fit in? How does it fit in to your business - is it about social responsibility? Environment? etc. Open up the dialogue and bring it out in conversation.
• Keep out all negativity: people have emotional attachments to their habits - focus on positive aspects of a change.
• Ownership of change: How would it benefit a business to move ownership of change (the "why" of the change, the approach, implementation and sustaining of the change) closer to those people who are actually doing the work?
• Dialogue - communicate and get feedback about an issue that may require change in a nonhierarchical way. If you're trying to create change, what does change landscape look like? Listening is more important than sending a message.
• State the "because" - "We're going to do this because…", you'll have a better chance of convincing them.
• Use "we", be inclusive. In invitation to enter into the "we" and be legitimate, meaning you will value and listen to others opinions.
• Scope of Change: The scope of change must be determined, but don't do this too early; you want to get feedback first because you might get the scope completely wrong if you don't.
• Measurement: Look at expected results vs. actual results and trends. This helps you to gain perspective and to learn and understand.
• Be aware that change is always happening anyway - the world around you is changing and your business will have to respond to it eventually.
• Be honest about the change you really want to make. Establish basic goals and let your employees work toward them. Don't encourage people to change if you aren't truly going to stick with it - it will just discourage them in adopting change in the future. There should be a balance between adapting to change and trying to effect too much change, too often.
• Be a good listener. You have to have dialogue first so that you know where people are coming from and what they think about it. You should understand where people are if you are going to introduce change.
• When the pain of change is less than the pain of staying the same, you will move forward.

Earlier Conversations:

Sustainable Business Learning Community Conversations, continued

Sustainable Business Learning Community Conversations, cont'd.

Sustainable Business - Learning Community Conversations

Sustainable Business Learning Community Conversations