Management tips:

Organisational reforms begin with you

Dr. K. Kuhathasan CEO, Cenlead

Today, several organisations are undertaking reforms as part of an ongoing exercise to re-structure revamp and modernise. Diversifications of the activities in several new fronts are also contemplated by several organisations.

Whether you perceive reforms as a threat or an opportunity, whether it excites or demotivates you, it’s all in the mind. Successful implementation of reforms depends on:

1. Your attitudes.

2. Your enthusiasm.

3. Your willingness to allow people’s reactions.

4. The way you role-model the kinds of new behaviour.

5. Your willingness to reform yourself.

Believe you can make a difference

Management is not about preserving the status quo, but about creating the highest rate of reforms which the organisation and its people can sustain. It is, therefore, necessary for you to develop:

1. The courage to re-structure what has to be re-structured.

2. The tolerance to accept what can’t be restructured.

3. The wisdom to know the difference.

Effective leaders are characterised by the basic self-assurance that they can influence their own destiny and those of other people, events and organisational achievements.

This contrasts with the kind of passiveness and helplessness which is frequently found amongst the ranks of disillusioned middle manager who have reached a plateau, feel they have few options open to them and have basically given up.

The paradox of personal change

1. The person over whom you have the most control is yourself.

2. The hardest person to reform is yourself!

In any business organisation, the behaviour of the manager who initiates reforms will be closely watched to see if he is consistent with what he or she is saying.

It’s not what you say, it’s what you do, from which you people will read the true message.

It’s there is a mismatch between the two, they will draw their own conclusions about your commitment to reforms. You are the ultimate role model. In the process of introducing reforms, your actions speak louder than words.

Managing personal transition

Before you try to transform other people, it may be salutary to remember how difficult it can be to achieve personal reforms.

Most people, when initially asked for their views, will say that they like reforms, because that is what they think are expected to say. Frequently, further discussion may reveal that this simply is not true.

If managers genuinely don’t like reforms, then it is understandable, but worrying. If they do like reforms it is almost more worrying, as the manager may assume that everyone likes reforms just as much as he or she does and may therefore fail to put in place support mechanisms to manage the transition process.

Generally, managers of maturity, who have suffered some setbacks in life, are most able to understand the process of reforms and the pain it can cause and can therefore be more sensitive in the way they handle those around them.

To manage people effectively through reforms, necessitates knowing the individual,not just as an economically viable unit of production, but as a whole person. Knowing the other, starts from ‘knowing yourself’.

Reforms rarely happen smoothly and easily. There are always reasons for some people to hang on to the ‘old way’ and even those who accept the need for change create blockages through a lack of knowledge of skill in how to go about it.

The major hurdles are:

1. Ignorance: Due to a lack of information or understanding.

2. Disagreement: Because alternative solutions are preferred or there are feelings that the plan will not work.

3. Personal cost: The effects in individuals are unwanted.

4. Anxiety: There is uncertainly as to how to do what is required or how to handle the situation.

5. Loss of authority: Individuals will lose power or control.

6. Mistrust: There is suspicion over motives or real objectives.

7. Alienation: Individuals do not share the proposed vision/values or feel socially isolated.

8. Reward (or lack of it): ‘What’s in it for me’ has not been addressed.

Resistance

Equally important is the degree of resistance to reforms. If everyone wants reforms, the implementation methods may be very different from those chosen when resistance is high.

The style of strategies suggested for handling the various reforms vary from participative to dictatorial, and suggestions are made below for appropriate approaches for each situation.

The problems with general advice is that situations are always specific, and certain situational factors should be considered which may modify the approach. The following questions should also be considered.

1. What are the skills and abilities of those affected by reforms?

Participation may have to be reduced if the people involved lack the ability to contribute. Where lack of ability limits the effectiveness of participation, it may be necessary to substitute extensive and regular communication for total involvement.

2. Are people motivated to participate? The method chosen will also be affected by the Willingness of those affected to play a part. Even where resistance to reforms is low, those affected may not wish to play an active part in determining how to implement the reforms. When the reforms are fundamental, such as removing layers of management, motivation may be different at different stage of implementation.

3. Does the suggested approach fit the organisation’s culture? It may not be impossible to use and approach which goes counter to the normal culture of the organisation, but it may sometimes be more effective to modify the approach to achieve a better fit. Extensive participation may be viewed with suspicion in an organisation with a boss-powered, fear culture.

Equally, a totally dictatorial approach may demotivate if the organisation is normally participative. It should be remembered that fundamental change often includes a need to change culture.

Implementing

The implementing step is about the detailed plans and schedules that have to be completed to turn any vision into reality. The instruments themselves will vary, depending on the nature of the length of time available to achieve it, but the basic reason is constant. It is to:

1. Ensure that all the consequences of the reforms are understand, insofar as they can be foreseen.

2. Identify all the actions that have to be taken to bring about the reforms.

3. Allocate responsibility for the various actions that have to be taken.

4. Establish the priorities of the various actions, in particular those that will hold up the whole process if not done to time.

5. Provide the budgets needed to ensure implementation of the plans.

6. Set up the teams and structures needed to implement plans.

7. Allocate the right human resources to the tasks. (If necessary recruiting additional people or using consultants).

8. Setting goals for the reforms programme.

9. Determining any policies that are needed to make the implementation process work.