Categories
Adoption Behavior Complexity Simplicity

How Complicated becomes Complex

Photo by John Lockwood

Implementing a change in technology in an organization is never an easy thing. It is a complicated process which involves coordinating many moving parts, clear communication, and effective change management. As we discussed in our July 3rd blog post, Complex Versus Complicated, this type of business issue, whilst complicated, should not be complex. Why is that?  The reason is that there are clear processes and tangible goals involved in transitioning a company from one technology system to another. Complexity is added only once people are factored into the equation. Let’s dive into this and see how people and more specifically behaviour add complexity.  

Let’s take a real life example of this, the actors remaining nameless of course! A medium size international perishable foods production and distribution company had seen tremendous growth in the past decade with revenues and international presence expanding rapidly. In cases like these, it can be difficult for all parts of an organization to keep up. In this case, the company’s waste tracking system was left behind. Tracking waste during production gives an estimate as to how much actual inventory a company has post-production. Initially, the company’s original system would estimate how much waste occurred during production by using relatively simple, general projections based on previous years’ data. However, as the company expanded, it was no longer able to produce accurate estimations of how much inventory was actually available and was consistently underestimating the amount of waste during production. More production locations, more workers, more machines, more storage locations, and more transportation services all provided opportunities for increased waste.This consistent inaccuracy had implications throughout the organization, production orders were too low and profit projections were too high. This was the business imperative that resulted in the company identifying and implementing a new waste tracking and inventory estimation system. The new system, WasteTracker, would help identify and accurately measure specific points of waste along the production line. Working hand in hand with WasteTracker, the company began to integrate the new system. This was not a simple undertaking, as employees had been using the old system since before the company experienced its rapid growth. 

Integrating the new system meant switching from relying on relatively simple overall projections to operating a more sophisticated program which identified waste points along the production line in detail. This meant employees needed to be retrained. Programs needed to be installed. Projections would have to be recalculated. These tasks, however, could be approached intuitively and methodically. 

The transition to a new technology system as described above is clearly complicated, but it is not necessarily complex. 

The complexity began once the change in systems was introduced to the people that would be using it without clear communication about its purpose. In this case, management did not allocate sufficient time and resources to ensure effective communications as well as a change management process to streamline and accelerate user adoption. Without proactive management, human behavior will often certainly lead to questions without clear answers. 

Whenever you introduce new technology, employees face difficulties and challenges. In our example, some employees struggled to learn how to use the system, others were fearful that they would become redundant, and others were simply mistrustful of the technology. This is when and how complexity begins to materialize. 

Key questions that arise from this example that we can all learn from.

  • How might management have helped employees to adopt to the new system, processes, and procedures?
  • For those employees whose role was changing, how should this have be handled productively and proactively? 
  • In what manner can management enforce the use of the new technology?
  • What could management have done to address change management issues well in advance of implementation completion?

While these questions may be frustrating and time consuming to deal with in the midst of a large technology implementation, it is far more costly to leave them unanswered or simply hope things will sort themselves out. An employee struggling to learn and use a new system means they are completing work much less efficiently than they are otherwise capable. An employee fearful for their job may become less focused on their work. They might also, unconsciously, or consciously, spread their doubt to others. A worker still completing their work the ‘old way’ will be desynchronized with the rest of their team. Time will have to be spent reconciling their work with the new system. While installing a new system may be a straightforward exercise, getting employees to learn and adapt to a new system can quickly become complex. 

Initially, the implementation of the new system was complicated, not complex. This was because there were straightforward processes and tangible goals. Complexity quickly emerged once human behavior was introduced without any mitigation from project leaders and management.

Lesson learned: introducing people problems, unless managed and proactively guided, causes complexity that can derail success. 

Does change management exist in your organization and what does it look like?

We’d love to hear from you.

Categories
Behavior Governance Leadership

Me, You, and We – That’s Corporate Culture

Image credit: Charles Schulz

Our emerging framework for dealing with complexity, based on our research, identifies four components that influence behavior in an organization: Strategy, Decision Rights, Structure, and Communication. Each of these areas impact behaviors, either individually, in teams, or as leaders. Our research indicates that individual behavior is the most important driver of performance and the most consequential obstacle to achieving success. The tenet of individual behavior is embodied in organizational culture.

When you join an organization, there is always a reason.  Whether it’s professional or personal, you joined because something or someone in that organization appealed to you and you wanted to be a part of it.  That appeal means you felt you identified with the organization, believed you would fit in and that you would both add and get value from the experience. 

On the flip side, the reverse is also true and in those circumstances, you didn’t join or you joined for a while and then realized the fit was not a good one and left.  Of course, this feeling of “fit” and  “belonging” is a two way street between you and the individuals in the organization. So, what is this mystical “thing” that creates belonging and good fit?  It is organizational culture. 

Culture isn’t the same in every organization and nor should it be.  However, there are some key characteristics that are involved and should be established at the onset.   Those organization-wide basics (I call them the “ForHs”) are:

  • How things are done 
  • How people are empowered 
  • How continuous learning happens
  • How we honor, recognize and support each other  

It is critical that these basics are clearly communicated, understood and embraced by all who make up the organization’s ecosystem.  It is also critical that these basics should have the flexibility to stretch and flex to stand the test of times of change, growth and crisis. 

Right, easy for me to say but if you are still reading, you need me to go beyond this “simplistic” (Blog post “Simple vs Simplistic, July 10, 2020) narrative to something simple, yet effective, and actionable which in turn makes positive change that you can see.

The ForHs make up a universe of possible rules, values, and behaviors.  Let’s scenario plan how a refresh and reset of corporate culture could be actioned.  I would suggest getting a cross functional but small group of highly motivated individuals together.  These individuals should also be a mix in terms of ethnicity, gender, LGBTQ, generation, experience and seniority. Let’s include skeptics at the table too and an added bonus:  if the CEO is at the table and participates with enthusiasm and openness.  

Think about kids who are handed paint and paper and told to have fun painting.  The possibilities are endless!

Getting started is always the hardest part so to make it easy, the very first goal should be to chronicle the Culture ForHs of the organization. It doesn’t have to be a science project or end with a fancy presentation.  It’s literally everyone contributing to capture the current state. It helps to think about the framework of the ForHs in two buckets for each category, tangible and intangible.  Start with the tangibles as those are concrete and therefore somewhat easier to tackle.

An example of the tangible bucket in “How things are done”,  include the rules, expectations and policies often codified in official documents such as employee manuals.  Examples include safety and security standards, code of employee conduct, training, recruiting practices, on-boarding practices, reward and recognition, career development, etc. After capturing the current state the next step is to debate and align around.  Are these still the right rules, are the consequences for straying from these tangible norms relevant today and how are they enforced?  It is so important to not only say that as an organization we are committed to the fairness, protection and well being of our people, it has to be shown in action.  So as you can see tangible policies and actually following them equally to and for everyone matters deeply.

The intangible bucket for each of the ForHs is harder because this is where magic happens. It’s the really impactful and empowering piece.  This is where a huge shift can be made in the enhancement of an organization’s culture and empowerment of its people.  

One way to start the process is to ask people to transparently articulate what they believe the organization stands for.  Basically, what are our beliefs, values, and attitudes?  What are we all about as an organization?  Then have everyone put what they feel is their “elephant in the room” on the table.  It’s important to encourage this because it is in the unspoken that the real nuggets of change exist.  I love working with senior executives who are honest, open and can laugh at themselves and tell stories about when they stumbled.  Be vulnerable in this process and the outcome will be spectacular! I always enjoy the sessions when I share my “stories”.  The reactions veer from “I can’t believe she just shared that” to “Now, I know I can become a senior leader in the firm too”…..the latter being the outcome I am always seeking for when working with and mentoring others. 

Once the tone is set it’s important to also have uncomfortable discussions.  Let’s just dive into one scenario dealing with diversity and inclusion:   The company just wrote a big check to support ending racism and to provide opportunities to the under-privileged. Yeah for us!  But what are we actually doing about it? Not everyone is supportive and the ecosystem of all organizations have many dissenting views.  How do we do the right thing, yet also arrive there by having the tough and open discussions?  Yes, it is all about allowing people to be themselves and it is every individual’s responsibility to become more open to learning about differences, respecting those differences and understanding how to work together collegially.  That’s what  diversity and inclusion is about.   People make that happen.  Policies and actions that actually and  visibly support and empower individuals who are doing the right thing allow inclusive behaviors to thrive and in the process the organization thrives.

Hopefully these examples are good catalysts to start addressing the ForHs of your organization’s  culture.  Once this effort is complete, share the outcome and decisions all around the organization. This effort should have been a very visible effort and hopefully the rest of the organization was anticipating the outcome and their opportunity to comment with enthusiasm or at the very least, with interest.  Of course there will be the skeptics.  Such a powerful group of individuals.  When you show skeptics that you hear them and then show them that change is happening, they become the most empowered and energized supporters and advocates.

Today, because of COVID-19 we are all part of a huge global social and work experiment.  Therefore engaging and reshaping organizational culture needs to be done. For example, it’s simply not enough to have people working at home and to hire diverse candidates.  Even in the virtual scenario, there has to be empowerment to allow individuals to speak up, contribute and be heard.  They should be able to take risks,  fail and learn and grow from those risks and mistakes. That has to be a part of the new normal because people are still the most vital asset of any organization and culture allows them each to grow into leaders and change agents not only in the organization but in their communities.

Finally, culture is a living breathing thing. Think of it as a garden.  If left alone you end up with a tangled mess of weeds and dying plants and trees.  So like any good gardener who constantly nurtures and cares for a garden, organizational culture needs constant attention and reinvention to stay relevant and powerful.

Categories
Adoption Behavior Complexity Simplicity

Simple versus Simplistic

Photo by Coline Haslé

Last week’s blog post focused on the differences between complicated and complex. Our view is that the distinction is useful when approaching issues, designing solutions and driving adoption. Complicated and complex issues require different skill sets, approaches, and techniques to solving them.

This week we thought we would address the other side of the continuum; simple versus simplistic.  

Merriam-Webster defines the word “simple” as “not hard to understand or do.” Simplicity can be described as clear and lacking in pretense.  The adjective “simple” means plain, easy, ordinary, or uncomplicated. A simple solution to a problem is usually a good solution….It’s probably no shock  to you that we are big fans of the acronym KISS.

“Simplistic,” meanwhile, is defined as “too simple” and “not complete or thorough enough.” The adjective “simplistic” generally has a negative overtone generally meaning “ overly simplified”. The important nuance being that it is characterized by extreme and often misleading simplicity. As we have been digging through this topic it struck me that people use the two words interchangeably these days.

Simplicity before understanding is simplistic; simplicity after understanding is simple.

Edward De Bono

Simplistic sounds so much fancier than simply saying “simply”!!!  Yes, both “simple” and “simplistic” come from the same root, but the latter is considered an excessive example of the former. In other words, too much of a good thing!  It’s really important to understand that they could not be more different. We are working with that realization because it is core to our mission at Occam’s.  When you weave the understanding  of the difference between simple and simplistic into your behaviour it will result in enhanced personal and professional interactions and relationships. 

In terms of individual behavior we typically see examples at different ends of the Simple vs Simplistic spectrum as well as all the way across the spectrum. 

Let’s start with the Simplistic end of the spectrum.  Simplistic statements and behaviour are shallow with no depth. Descriptions and statements are broad and generic, quickly articulated and also easy to understand.  Take a moment and put yourself in a scenario where you were  delivering a message or action and you oversimplifed both the issue and the potential solution.  I’m going to ask for some soul searching and self reflection with this next question.  In those instances did you feel that you stepped into the situation where you were basically “winging it”.  The reasons for it could be one or more of many:  as a lack of comprehension or understanding of the facts, driven perhaps by prioritization, time constraints, and inexperience?  Alternatively, you receive updates and requests from others that leave you with the sense that its now up to the rest of us to go figure it out!!  

If you can’t explain it simply, you don’t understand it well enough.

Albert Einstein

The higher up you go in the career ladder the easier it becomes to slip into the art of being simplistic without even realizing it.   When interacting with others its easy to slip into the excuse that your time constraints  don’t allow you time to dig into the details or debate something.   As a consequence it’s inevitable that you begin to come across as shallow or even dismissive.

So let’s reset  with this thought: It’s not easy to be simple, but it’s unbelievably effective. On the other hand it is easy to be simplistic.  The two are very different and should not be confused.   However, how do you get from simplistic to simple?  Because the reality is whilst you do have to start with being simplistic the reality is that you can’t end there. 

Make it simple but significant.

Don Draper

The trick is to invest time in yourself.  In every area of what you do and what you aspire to be you have to go from the simplistic level to a deeper dive so that you become real and credible.  After a while this process becomes an integral part of who you are and how you operate and this results in a level of credibility, trust and influence that becomes part of how you are perceived and respected.

How would you self assess your behaviors on the simplistic to simple continuum?

We’d love to hear from you.

Categories
Complexity

Complex Versus Complicated

We are a firm focused on recognizing and unravelling complexity in favor of simplicity. We analyze the tenets of success and outcomes and identify ways in which human behavior helps drive, or hinder, adoption and overall success.

A fundamental belief that we hold is that complex and complicated are two different concepts. Most executives bring the same set of skills to the table when dealing with both types, not understanding that they require different approaches.

Overall success and adoption of a new process, idea, or technology depends on your behavioral approach to solving the problem. So let’s sort this out once and for all.

Complicated is defined as ‘the state or quality of being intricate or involving a lot of different parts in a way that is difficult to understand.’

Complicated problems can be hard to solve, but they are addressable with rules, recipes, and algorithms. They also can be resolved with systems and processes, like the hierarchical structures that most companies use to manage work, employees, and outcomes.

Complicated is relatively intuitive and follows most normal scientific rules. Whilst experience helps in resolving complicated problems, logic, a process orientation, and an ability to research a topic are mostly what is required.

Complex, however, is defined as something ‘consisting of many different and connected parts and not easy to analyze or understand; complicated or intricate.’

Complex problems involve too many unknowns and too many interrelated factors to reduce to rules and processes. A technological disruption like blockchain is a complex problem. A competitor with an innovative business model, an Uber or an Airbnb, is a complex problem. There’s no single strategy that will tell you how to respond predictably everytime a new competitor enters your market.

Complex issues are more difficult to diagnose and harder to understand. There is no apparent reason for a complex issue, they result in different outcomes, and they don’t follow any recognizable rules or scientific basis. With individual characteristics of the problem interacting in unpredictable ways, solving a complex issue is demanding.

Most of us use the two terms interchangeably and without realizing that they are, in fact, quite different. 

By way of example, consider the flight of Apollo 13 in April of 1970. Flying to the moon and back is a complicated issue, but it isn’t complex. The objective can be broken down into its relevant component parts and each solved based on logic, calculations, and rules of nature.   Space flight is repeatable and, for the most part, predictable.

The accident, that occurred two days into the flight, which involved the failure of an oxygen tank in the service module, was a complex issue. Faced with insufficient oxygen for the remainder of the mission, the lunar landing was aborted and the crew and mission control began to work on procedures to bring the crew home alive. 

All of a sudden NASA had to switch from a complicated problem to a complex problem. The data they were receiving about the issue and possible implications were unpredictable and variable. There was no clear path to safely make the return journey to earth.  They had enough oxygen for two people for 45 hours when they needed oxygen for three people for four days. Cooperation between ground and crew, innovative problem solving and the trust between astronauts, operations, engineers, and designers were just some of the reasons attributed to the successful reentry and splash down in the Indian Ocean.

Most of us are accustomed to solving complicated issues. Grade school, College, and Graduate School all prepare us for primarily solving complicated issues in the workplace. When we arrived, there were plenty of problems for us to tackle. But during our lives and careers, these complicated issues have morphed into complex ones. 

Today, leaders and future leaders have to worry about both running the business and reinventing it at the same time. Change approaches our organizations at a frightening pace and, as it gets closer, it brings with it new expectations, experiences, and assumptions. There is no indication that in the next decade or so that this change will slow down. If anything, it will become broader, deeper, and faster. It’s not going away.

AttributeAttributeComplex
ContextRecognizable, break/fix, Inside outNo clues, broader, behavioral, outside in
RelationshipLinear cause and effect relationshipMultiple unrelated inputs and disproportionate outcomes
PredictabilityPredictable, logical, and repeatable Unpredictable and variable
ControlEasy to diagnose and controlManage and iterate
AmbiguityStraight forwardHigh degree of ambiguity
ApproachLearn. Decide. Act.Experience and judgementAct. Decide. Learn.Diverse team and experimental
TechniquesProcess engineering, segmentation, root cause analysis, Right to left thinkingScenario planning, what if analysis, pattern recognition, multidiscipline, hypothesis driven
SkillsProcess orientated, Analytical, Technical, Functional, Project Management, Common senseAdaptability, Collaboration, Critical thinking, Empathy, Innovative, Sensing, High EQ

Learning to unravel complex issues requires a different set of skills and the ability to ‘switch’ between two different types of problems. Complexity tends to be holistic in nature, it may involve different departments, business units or even business entities. The ability to engage, collaborate, and co-create is of paramount importance. Complex isn’t about getting better at something, it’s about changing the way you achieve something.

Spending time determining the right answer to a complex problem is unlikely to be a winning strategy. In dealing with complicated issues, there is often a high degree of alignment to the solution and the solution has a high degree of certainty or predictability. Complex is the opposite. Complex problems may have more than one answer and multiple ways of getting there.

When thinking about preparing your organization for the complex challenges ahead consider the following:

  • Recognize and understand the difference between complexity and complex problems
  • Develop skills to support both types; either individuals or teams
  • Emphasize soft skills – Empathy, Listening, Communicating
  • Create a diverse workforce with different backgrounds and experiences
  • Provide guidance but don’t constrain
  • Begin to unravel existing complexity in your organization
  • Find opportunities for your team to practice
  • Put in place a sensing and scenario planning group
  • Launch experiments and learn

No doubt the business and commercial environment is going to substantially change over the next decade. With that comes opportunity. Standing still while the global business environment changes around you carries more risk than grasping the opportunities. Taking small steps, building capability to unravel complex issues and learning as you go will help you build competence, confidence, and ability so that when you need to you are already prepared to take action.

We’d love to hear from you. 

Do you approach complicated and complex issues differently? How are you preparing for the future? We’d love for you to share your reflections.

Categories
Behavior Complexity Simplicity

The Cost of Complexity

Photo by Amy Elting

Organic growth increases the number and types of customers, products and suppliers within an organization. This adds both revenue and cost to the operating model but does so in a way that is consistent with the operations of the business. This type of growth maybe complicated but it isn’t necessarily complex.

Complicated issues are defined as ‘the state or quality of being intricate or complicated.’ Complicated issues are intuitive, have patterns and follow a set of rules. They can be resolved by breaking down the problem and understanding the cause and effect and implementing a solution. You can solve complicated issues in a repeatable manner.

Complex issues, however, are defined as something ‘consisting of many different and connected parts and not easy to analyze or understand.’ Complex issues are more difficult to diagnose and may have no rational explanation. They don’t follow any set rules or laws and are unpredictable in terms of outcomes. Examples of complex issues would include managing employees, merging two companies, or adopting a diversity and inclusion program.

As an organization grows it may become more complicated but it shouldn’t become more complex. 

If you are a chocolatier, you’re operating a pretty simple business. Chocolate typically has five basic ingredients; Even when you make different chocolate varieties and different packaging for seasons, size etc it may become complicated but it isn’t complex.

Growing your chocolate business by acquisition on the other hand can become fairly complex. Your target acquisition needs to be receptive to the idea, at a price and terms you both can agree on. You need to agree on the benefits of joining forces and be able to persuade shareholders, customers, employees, suppliers, and regulators that it is a good idea. The successful pursuit and integration of an acquisition is a complex issue.  Think about trying to grow this business by acquiring Artisan chocolate makers, which these days is so often the case for the major chocolate manufacturers!

Let’s switch gears and look at the US airline industry. Southwest Airlines began services  on June 18, 1971, with three Boeing 737 and has predominantly operated the Boeing 737 for 49 years. Their strategy of operating only one type of aircraft for 49 years helped reduce the impact of complexity of their business and helped keep their operating costs one of the lowest in the industry. Even after acquiring AirTran Airways, Southwest chose to lease Airtran’s fleet to Delta rather than create variation in their flight operations.

Compare them to American Airlines who operate 20+ aircraft from four different manufacturers and you begin to see the difference in complexity between the two business models. Activities such as hiring, training and re-certifying a pilot to operate an aircraft may be complicated but it isn’t onerous. Even assembling and distributing safety manuals isn’t difficult. However, the operation of a business model which involves so many different skills, pay scales, seniority, operational procedures, and aircraft and you begin to see how complicated becomes complex.

Leaders, like Herb Kelleher, Southwest Airlines founder, make choices grounded in simplicity. Other leaders, over time, make choices that impact the shift from complicated to complex. In moving from complex to complicated we are adding future costs to our organization; costs that are not necessarily variable and certainly difficult to manage.

CASE STUDY – COMPLICATED TO COMPLEX

A large fresh produce distributor managed their entire revenue cycle on Excel. Developed by an excel guru when the business was small, this sophisticated set of worksheets continued to track orders and sales even as the company grew exponentially over a five year period. While perhaps not the best option, it worked. For a while. With no significant change to the revenue management system the spreadsheet soon became difficult to open and even harder to navigate. Only one person, the original creator, fully understood the mechanics of the reporting tool. Complicated had become complex and the business created a single point of failure as financial reporting became increasingly dependent on a single employee. What would happen if he were to leave? How would someone new be able to learn the intricacies of the spreadsheet? How long would it take? In the meantime, how is management able to effectively rely on, or judge, the insights without any ability for review?

As organizations become increasingly complicated we need to watch our for shifts to complexity. These shifts often create risk, add future costs, and reduce reliability.

Complexity is also one the largest sources of disengagement in the workforce. Complex operational issues make it increasingly difficult for employees to be successful. Complexity leads to ambiguity, misinterpretation, and misunderstanding which in turn results in a ‘me vs we’ attitude.  In addition, complexity leads to a culture of restraint and mediocrity which negatively impacts productivity, efficiency, and effectiveness.

Leaders should consider not only how they are building their organization but how to do so with a view to minimizing complexity. Often we respond to growth by simply layering on top of our existing procedures a new set of activities and responsibilities. We don’t look at the organization and ask what was necessary before that we no longer need today. Looking at the organization with a view to unravelling the complexity that was previously laid down will go a long way to help improve bottom line results as well as employee engagement and job satisfaction.

Categories
Behavior Complexity Leadership

The Art and Science of Complexity

Four tips to help unravel complexity in the moment

Categories
Behavior Leadership

Zigging when others are Zagging

Full disclosure, I have always zigged when others zagged.  In the big scheme of things, I’m glad I did what comes naturally to me.  There were times in my career where it went great and times where it was a disaster.  There were also many occasions where my zigging caused everyone else “in the room” to look at me as if I had two heads, was crazy, or was told that I was being unrealistic.  As I became a more senior partner the term “out of the box thinker” was also used when people referred to me, so it all worked out, because I like that term as did my team mates………. it let us “do stuff”!   

Starting Occam’s Edge has been fantastic because we are investing our time and efforts in learning and researching behavioral characteristics that add to the development and growth of leaders with a view to making their career path fulfilling and positive to both individuals and their organizations from a personal and commercial perspective.  

I recently discovered Patrick McGinnis.  In 2004, Patrick, at the time a student at Harvard Business School, invented the acronym FOMO, which stands for Fear of Missing Out.  We have all experienced it personally and professionally.  Smart phones and social media have certainly added to our mindset of “not missing out”…..on anything……Patrick McGinnis also coined another term, FOBO, The Fear of Better Options.  FOBO is caused by innumerable options, choices and opportunities and at its core is actually a very negative trait. Extreme FOBO behavior not only results in deciding to not make a decision or choice simply for the purpose of keeping all options open for oneself rather than making the right choices and decisions for the benefit of the greater good. Patrick McGinnis has a fabulous podcast, FOMO Sapiens, which I’m enjoying tremendously. I highly recommend it.

But let’s get back to the concept of “Zigging when others are Zagging”.  The reason I began with a quick discussion of FOMO and FOBO is because FOMO can result in us following people who are perceived to be successful. They are viewed as achieving success because they are everywhere, doing everything due to their fear of missing out.  I see that, as you simply Zagging along with others believing that it’s a pretty solid path to your own success too.  FOBO, on the other hand results, at one extreme, in narcissistic behaviors and in the other extreme, “analysis paralysis”.  It’s important to recognize the impact of FOBO, so you don’t fall into the trap of thinking you are Zigging, when in fact you are being indecisive and at the other end of the spectrum becoming someone who puts themselves and their needs ahead of everyone else.  All of these concepts though do have one common theme……they add to organizational complexity resulting in a lack of energy and agility.  Over time this becomes a drag on performance, culture and brand reputation. 

What does it means to be a Zigger in your organization?  The easiest way to understand this is to think about what makes entrepreneurs tick.  Characteristics of successful entrepreneurs are, among other things:  action oriented, nimbleness, courageous, crazy, “boat rockers”, accountable, willing to take smart risks, thick skinned, able to absorb failures and move on, able to motivate and inspire others. All of these are also core characteristics of people who zig when everyone else zags.

To be hugely successful in your life’s vocation you do have to be able to stand out.  I would think about the characteristics that entrepreneurs are known for as a skill set that allows you to be a change agent.  What if you applied some of those skill sets to your role?  I would say to you that as you reinvent yourself in this manner, you will also be contributing to your organization’s growth, as well as helping to create a vibrant culture and brand. In this time of difficulty and disruption, every organization’s success is going to be based on having people who think and act like entrepreneurs. 

Most of us are most comfortable with stability and normalcy, especially in times of upheaval and uncertainty. The biggest barrier to become a Zigger is quite candidly psychological.   Although in a balanced world we do need both Ziggers and Zaggers, our mission is to motivate and inspire you!  So, seize this moment and rethink your personal growth strategy.  We are currently in a time of recreating the world as we know it.   I do believe that amazing adventures await all you future Ziggers.

Categories
Behavior Leadership

Leadership that strives for “The Dream”

Sunrise at Haig Point SC
Photo by Valli Perera

The planned focus of the blog today was to expand on our postings of last week, related to exceptional leadership.  However, I couldn’t do that without weaving into this posting the demand for change which we the people are rallying for.  Not only to be seen and heard but more crucially for real action and change.  Inspiring statements from corporate leaders in support of “Black Lives Matter” are beautiful and many are heartfelt.  But, it is the actions that follow these words that will matter, and authentic leaders will now have the opportunity to be the catalyst for these actions for lasting change.  And for those who have remained silent:  Your silence is deafening and the message you are sending by being silent speaks volumes.

Martin Luther King’s “Dream” speech is timeless in its hope, inspiration and challenge to us all.   For many of us, certain snippets of this very serious speech are branded in our minds…..for me, it has always been his hope that “I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character”.  It is reported that The “Dream” sections of Rev. King’s speech that day were actually not in his formal address.  He went off script and he spoke from his heart.  That is why his plea is still a powerful message and call to action today.  The same can be said of the message delivered by Atlanta mayor, Keisha Lance Bottoms, a week ago when peaceful protests were disrupted. Her unscripted and passionate speech was powerful.  

During this time, we made some progress, but there is still so much to progress to be made.  Small actions matter.  Just think about Rosa Parks’ deciding on that fateful day in 1955 that she was not going to give up her seat to a white person.  That action, literally was the beginning of the end of the segregation laws in the South.  It can’t have been easy, but she later said, “she was just tired of giving in”.  We have made progress certainly since that day in 1955.  I won’t list statistics here because that level of progress made is simply not sufficient and it is frankly not about percentage of blacks in corporate boardrooms, or upper management, or attending prestigious universities, although that is important too.  

The breadth and depth of the issue is so much more…….race is just the tip of the iceberg in modern times and in a world that in many ways  has been made so much smaller and accessible by technology, is a chasm when it comes to equality, justice, access to excellent education,  health care, home ownership, and access to economic opportunity.  This chasm is fully supported by data, which we should all take time to absorb.

“We need leaders not in love with money but in love with justice. Not in love with publicity but in love with humanity. Leaders who can subject their particular egos to the pressing urgencies of the great cause of freedom…..a time like this demands great leaders.”

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Business is a critical platform for change and equality. So, to corporate leaders everywhere who have spoken up this week (and to those who haven’t):   Let’s start by saying out loud:   each of us is actually not treated the same as the person next to us.  That’s the proverbial “elephant in the room”, that needs to be stated and accepted. How does that then change the way we think, act, and lead.  How does it change our expectations of our responsibilities to, ourselves, to others and the rest of humanity?  The script is already there in “The Dream”.  We each have personal responsibility to own this narrative and act accordingly. 

As I sit thinking about my own personal responsibility, I paused to reflect on how I have in the past, and will in the future, apply the tenets of “The Dream” to my actions each day.  I would love it if each of you would do the same.  I am “brown” and have had my fair share of “challenges” as I moved along my career path, but at this moment for this piece, it’s not about me.  

The reality is that I am a privileged nationalized American.  I had a supportive family, access to great education, access to economic capital and opportunities resulting from all of that.  Truth be told, even though I think I understand the struggle and the inequality, my understanding is simply a scratch of the surface.  Somewhere along the way, I came to realize that nothing could be further from the truth and so I continue to try to learn and grow and be a positive catalyst to help raise others up and be a catalyst for change, albeit a small catalyst. 

In my journey, I realized that, if we don’t communicate directly with each other we will never understand each other. If we don’t mix directly with each other we will never be able to move forward. The more we hide behind our differences the more we will continue to isolate and distance ourselves and the “Dream” will continue to become a “Nightmare”.  

I hope, I have given you something tangible to think about and put into action. As always, we would so very much welcome your input and the opportunity to discuss and debate these issues with energetic candor and respect.

Categories
Behavior Empathy Leadership

Unintended Consequences of Empathetic Leadership

Following up on her recent podcast, Valli Perera talks about recognizing, understanding, and avoiding negative outcomes of empathetic leadership

Photo by Honza Hruby
Categories
Behavior Complexity Governance Process

Data & Analytics

The one question you should ask yourself when thinking about your data.

Photo by Franki Chamaki 

An ex-colleague, Andrew Hombach, asked a fabulous question that I thought I would share with you. Andrew and I worked together at Ironside, a data and analytics consulting firm in Lexington, MA, and he now works as a Customer Success Engineer at Databricks. Smart individual, as you will note below.

We were working on a thought leadership article on Data & Analytics Strategy and we were trying to think of simple ways to articulate the challenge that executives face in the complex world of data and analytics. Here is the question he said we should ask.

“If you found a problem with your data, who would you go to to have it fixed?”

It’s the kind of question that makes me wish we were still working together. Simple, insightful, and yet challenges us to think through and acknowledge how complex our business or functional areas really are.

This was frequently validated when we asked executives and leaders the question. What I have found, is that the question, and not necessarily the answer, leads to a great discussion on issues such as data governance, data security, and reporting often resulting in actions that make progress along a data and analytics journey.

While the most common answer seems to be “I haven’t a clue, we have [insert name] who takes care of those things”, I have been impressed more recently in talking with a few data driven executives who know exactly what they would do. They break the mold and are learning to live by the data as a way to inform their intuition.

For illustration purposes let’s walk through an example. We could use any data set you chose; product, supplier, customer, employee, financial, etc. We’ll use customer data because it’s easy to follow. 

You may have more than one record for a customer, each may be incomplete or incorrect. For example, a customer moves house and you don’t have their correct address, or changes a phone number, has different spellings of his or her name (first and/or last), different credit terms, billing address, shipping address, etc. There are plenty of ways in which the data could be inaccurate and/or duplicative.

If the data is inaccurate, it more often than not leads to poor customer experience at any or many points along the customer experience life cycle. The cost of poor customer experience could be the loss of a customer, reduced repeat business, and/or lower social media ratings. Furthermore, it impacts your operational metrics; everything from length and number of calls to undelivered product and there’s no way of knowing how frequently issues really occur, unless you track customer incident rates.

The simplicity of the question isn’t about the 99% of the time that you get it right. It’s about the exceptions and it asks you to think about the policy, procedures, and processes you have in place to fix the exceptions. Most organizations don’t rely on standard procedures to identify, decide, and solve, for data inconsistencies. They tend to be more ad hoc and rely on the first line of customer service channels to identify and fix any data issues.

We’d love to hear from you. 

How would you answer Andrew’s question? What follow up questions would ask? 

Take a few minutes to consider it and maybe ask this question in your next data governance meeting. It will be interesting to hear your team’s answers and observations.

For the courageous, let us know your responses and we would be more than happy to act as a sounding board for your reflections.