Change Management
You don’t like what you see. You want something different. It could be:
Better financial results,
More pro-activity, productivity, and accountability with your team, and/or
People to embrace your company culture.

It has been way too long, and you are finally ready to do something. Not exactly sure what to do, you do what everyone has been telling you. You go out and hire the best person you can find. This individual came from your industry and ran a bigger business/division that what you have. They were successful, and their resume is glowing. Reluctantly, paying more than you ever imagined, you hire them.
For six months you watch this person tackle some of the issues that you had ignored and others that you didn’t know existed. You question some of their decisions along the way, but you give them some space figuring that you hired them for a reason. Some of your long time most loyal employees come to you to address their concerns. You tell them to give the new gal/guy a chance. Clearly, they know what they are doing.
At the seven-month mark, you check the financial statements, or the list of projects and they are still not on track. How can this be, you ask?
Unfortunately, we see this play over again and again. So, if you have seen this, you are not alone.
Change management is very different than running an ongoing business. And the top talent that you are hiring is perfectly equipped to perform in their old environment, but not in yours. They know what things look like when they are working and can keep them there; but getting them from the less than perfect state of your company to the ideal state is not their expertise.
Their playbook is quite predictable. Typically, they will:
Hold people to a standard for which they were never trained,
Begin removing employees who provide any resistance or cannot meet their expectations,
Hire people from their previous companies, who will shortly get frustrated because they too are ill equipped to excel in this environment.
What leaders who don’t specialize in change management miss is that effective change is more about the HOW than the WHAT. Many know WHAT to do, but the specialist know HOW to get it done. And getting it done is what it is all about.
So, when you are finally ready for change, before you go out and hire that superstar leader, a change management specialist might be a better place to start.
What I See
What I See is a series of short essays on what takes place in businesses. Through the engagements of consulting firm Gift of Time, I work in many different types of companies helping to implement change management. This series of essays is intended to share observations of common themes and issues facing corporations of all sizes and industries.
About Jason Stern: Mr. Stern started Gift of Time (www.giftoftime.us) to provide a cherished resource “time” to business owners and executives. By focusing on change management, his firm Gift of Time (www.giftoftime.us) works with companies and their leaders to become more effective in less time. He can be reached at jstern@giftoftime.us or 949.244.1885.