A Few Pointers For Change

Everyone knows the old saying that change is the only constant thing in life.

But right now in the channel community most entrepreneurs are unsure how to
make a strategic change in the way their business is conducted.

I recently had the opportunity to attend a seminar on change management
conducted by Management Training India where Tony Hunt, a UK-based management
exponent talked about ways and means where promoters as well as business
managers can affect change in their teams.

Some of these might find a resonance with solution providers (SPs) who have
reached a certain level but are trying to find means and ways to keep their
employees.

I have put down some of the things that I feel promoters and business
managers should consider if they are serious about bringing change management in
their organization.

Vinita Bhatia

• Skip the priesthood style of functioning where there is a hallowed circle
  of a few select members who speak a language no one else understands. By doing
  this you end up alienating the people who are outside this circle and who
  could be critical to your company's growth. It might not be possible to be
  completely transparent about all your plans. But you could make your employees
  feel included in them by letting them know the key elements of your overall
  business plans.
• Have self-assurance. Promoters often feel threatened when they see one of
  their deputies show more potential. Instead of showing caution or fear of
  being usurped, harness the capabilities of that person. If you do this, then
  you will soon have a strong team of people who are experts in their own way
  and in areas that might not be your core competence.
• Focus on the common objective. Like the saying goes, if you don't know
  where you are going, any road will take you there. It is best to avoid this
  and have a well-planned agenda about where you want to see your company in the
  next five years. And if you are the business owner, then it is your job to
  tell people, repeatedly, about what the company's goal is.
• Avoid mushroom management. Mushrooms need to be cultivated in the dark and
  every once in a while the door to the dank room where these fungus is grown is
  opened and some sludge is thrown on the seeds before that door is closed
  again. Often this happens in organizations where most of the employees are
  kept in the dark and once in a while are told about what needs to be done and
  then put in isolation again. Needless to say, these companies have a high
  attrition rate. Better not join that tribe.
• Don't expect others to behave in a certain way and don't get frustrated
  when they do things in a way contrary to your own. Accept that everyone has
  their own perspective when it comes to achieving objectives and you will find
  it much easier to relate to your employees' aspirations. Also, just because
  some employees have a different set of values or beliefs, it does not mean
  that they are against your plans or are being difficult. That is just the way
  they are.

A lot of this is good old common sense. But sometimes you need someone to
spell out the obvious because you take cognizance of that. I would like to know
if you think this is applicable to your business house. Do write in.

vinita bhatia

vinitavs@cybermedia.co.in