Global Workplace & Sustainable Business Model Blog

Creating successful strategy for a small business requires you to set goals and see a vision for the future. This needs to go beyond the business and you need to think about what you want out of life. What do you dream about? How do you see your success unfolding? Knowing and understanding these things will give you the momentum to get started and the stamina to see it through. Even take a minute to write them down and tape to your desk for a constant reminder of what you’re aiming for.

Organizational culture plays a major part on the success of projects.  Today projects are more important than ever to the success of corporations. In spite of this fact though, studies are showing that a high percentage of projects are not totally successful. The Standish Group conducted the Chaos Survey and discovered that 71% of the total projects planned fail, cancel before they are finished or get challenged because of running over budget, being less than desired or delivered late. These facts have not improved since 1994 either.

 Change management has become a negative concept of business today. It does need to be thought of in this manner though. We can embrace change for the challenges that test and stimulate us, or we could do the opposite and resist it. The skills needed for us managers to deal with change are in high demand.

 Organizational development (OD) happens in a company when they are trying to change the values, attitudes, beliefs, and the structure of the organization. This is done so that the organization can better adjust to the challenges, marketplace and new technology of today. The problem lies in that this development does not always succeed. Read on to find out why.

With times hard right now businesses need to stay on their toes more than ever. This means they need to use every tool possible to make their organization at the top of its game. Surveys are one such tool that is useful for this. Why? It is because they are a good way to see what people inside and outside the company thinks about what needs to be improved or added.

 The amount of training can dictate how successful project management is in your organization's culture. If taught what they need to know your project-management staff will be more knowledgeable and skilled along with having more discipline to do their jobs. Training is only one faction in your organizational culture though. Many things figure into you being able to deliver projects in a satisfactory manner. Two of these things happen to be culture and structure.

There are plenty of unknowns related to the business and economic climates. We are always lookking for ways to improve the overall performance in the organization. 

Do your employees enjoy working for your organization?  If they do, they are in a narrow majority. According to a survey of 5,000 households by the Conference Board research group, only 45% of Americans are satisfied with their work–the lowest number ever recorded by the organization in its 22 years of studying the issue. What is causing such discontent? There is a variety pack of reasons, all related to the ever-present remnants of our recent economic upheaval: incomes have not been keeping up with inflation, health insurance is cutting into take-home pay, and many people are concerned about job security.

"Learning and innovation go hand in hand. The arrogance of success is to think that what you did yesterday will be sufficient for tomorrow."  ~William Pollard

Are successful leaders going to excel, regardless of the times in which they lead?  Some may say yes. Afterall, Jack Welch lead General Electric through both solid and turbulent times, right? But hold on a moment.  
 
In the last two years, we have seen countless top executives stumped (and many of them have later failed) when trying to maneuver through this changing environment.  At the same time, some companies have taken the recent rough waters and, even given a shrinking industry or seemingly impossible sales slump, have turned their companies around.  
 
Let's look at some of the characteristics that are embraced by leaders (and their organizations) in changing times. 
 
Using Organizational Memory
In less turbulent times, lessons learned in the past could be called on as wisdom for decisions made in the present.  These days the past should not be counted on for the wisdom it once offered.  The playing field has changed, and you will not be able to count on those lessons to lead you through.  Of course, they still have value.  They just can't lead the way anymore.  
 
Innovative leaders do still use the past to inform decisions, but they don't count on those old lessons to show them the way.  

Remaining Committed to Change
Being committed to change could mean that you are continuously changing.  Consider those organizations that are always bouncing from one production methodology to another, continually trying out new supply chain management systems or can't seem to get enough of the latest management fads.  No, remaining committed to change means making a change and committing to it.  The new direction may not be the panacea that you are looking for, but you won't know until you have given the new plan time to take hold.  

Learning at the Speed of Light
The world is changing at a faster pace than ever before.  Imagine the significant changes we've seen in how we use technology in our daily business, even in the last eight to 10 years!  Ask yourself what you need to learn, and how you can push yourself into new knowledge areas.  This will keep you growing and evolving.  Most of all, it will mean that you will be more prepared for making the next set of decisions that come your way.  
 
Tapping the Group Genius-or the Hidden Genius in the Group
Change is not best made alone.  Let's face it; you may be the leader in your department or organization, but you need the troops to get involved.  These days, the most powerful contributions often come from the most unexpected places.  You may find a hidden genius in your group or a collective genius, aka: your customer!

Your change leadership mindset gives you the tools to consider ideas from every corner, in order to address the current climate with a large dose of courage, informed risk-taking and ambition.