InnerActive Consulting – Insights » 2009

Change Must Start at the Top Levels

In reading a research paper regarding how change is impacting our companies, I was not surprised to learn that “Top Management support” of change projects was both the top reason for success and a top five reason for failure. This shows the power of influence from above.

I have seen this time after time with clients. When the top management team or key leader supports a change initiative then it gets done. When the top leaders do not lead the change, it is no surprise that it fails due to lack of support.

So if change is going to be become one of the key methods to lead our organizations out of the current economic environment, what are you going to do as the leader of the organization, team, group, division or department? Leading change is a key competency of the best leaders I seen during the years.

If you don’t like something, tell the people that are promoting it that you don’t want it and will not support it by withholding the resources and direction they need to succeed. Simple. Just tell them rather than wait until there are major investments in time, energy and resources. Leaders are at the front – not on the side or at the back-end. Get out front and lead your people.

If you like something they want to accomplish, then get involved and show everyone that this one counts. Let people know that you want to see results from the change initiative. It is interesting how fast people will rally around the initiative and get things done. Again, leaders make a difference during periods of change.

If you need assistance in a change management situation, contact us at 901-757-4434. We have been assisting our clients with change initiatives for over twenty years.

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Posted by Voss Graham on August 17, 2009 at 4:05 am under Leadership.
Tags: Change Management, Leadership and Change, leading change
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Use Common Sense and Improve Customer Service

Wow! Just when you began to think that common sense was making a come back – the Airline Industry screws up big time – again! While I was going to write about change management this week, the news of 57 passengers being abused by the airline industry hit a new low in the ranks of stupid.

If you missed it yesterday, an evening flight from Houston to Minneapolis was detoured to another airport due to bad weather. The stupid started at this new stop – officials and managers would not let the passengers out of the plane. So, since the plane was grounded by someone – in charge? – the passengers got to sleep in the plane. Now, we are not talking about some luxury liner made for international flights with leg room and large rest rooms. No, we are talking about a small regional jet with no leg room and tiny restrooms that a grown man cannot stand up within its walls.

Seems the airport officials could not make a decision to benefit the passengers, the two airlines involved decided to be stupid and hide behind some FAA rule or something along those lines. So the passengers and crew were locked in the plane overnight – no food, no room, no service, crying kids and no justice!

First, it should be a crime for the airlines to use these tiny jets for any flight over one hour. Personally, I cannot fly in one of these sardine cans with jet engines tied to the side and walk straight when I arrive at my destination. But this is a personal opinion, which seems to be seconded by the business travelers that I speak to on a regular basis. But to force over 50 people to stay in the plane over night is worst than being in jail. At least in jail, you can walk around in a straight up posture. What did these passengers do to merit such abuse – they paid for a ticket – they paid to be abused is the mentality of the airlines I guess. NOT!

Second, someone has to take a leadership role in situations that impact customers. That’s right – passengers are customers not freight. I really got a laugh when I noticed one of the big airlines had promoted their VP of freight to include passengers. What a message that speaks about the airline industry and why they are in trouble today. They would not know a customer – because they hide behind a wall of telemarketers and gatekeepers that have no authority to do anything – to keep them safe. I suggest the decision makers in this case, be placed in a small crowded regional jet fly for three or four hours, land at a strange airport and remain in the plane for the evening. I wonder how that experience would change their personal decision process.

Third, rules are made for the general situations. Aberrations or special events – like a plane arriving at your airport due to special circumstances – must be dealt with by people capable of thinking and making a decision in the interest of their customers. The airlines have gotten very comfortable about hiding behind rules – their rules (which are really guidelines) and FAA rules which seem to written by GOD and anyone who breaks the FAA rules will be doomed for the rest of eternity.

Finally, if the airlines ever want to regain their reputation and dominate the airway in a positive way – the customer (passenger) has to be the center of attention. It’s not the airplanes or the Internet reservation system – it’s all about people treating people with respect and dignity. It is a simple process. If the airlines want this to happen, first allow your workers to make decisions based upon common sense in the workplace. Treat your workers with dignity and respect and the customers will benefit and then you – the airlines – will benefit in a huge way.

My sense of fair play and treating people with respect and dignity was blindsided by this national story. Unfortunately, the person(s) in charge will probably get a bonus at the end of the year – even with their stupid and inhuman thinking abilities. I can only assume that an alien has moved into the ranks of management in the airline industry.

Do the Right Thing. and Stop Being so Stupid.

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Posted by Voss Graham on August 11, 2009 at 4:06 am under Customer Service.
Tags: Abusing Passengers, Airlines Get Stupid again, Break the rules, No Customer Service, Stupid Things Leaders Do, Use Common Sense
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Change is the New Norm

Looking for the good old days where everything was fairly predictable? Well, welcome to the new world where Change is the New Norm. This will be the standard that new leaders and managers will be judged upon – their ability to become Change Masters.

Okay, so what is happening that causes this new round of change? We are in a dynamic new work environment that is changing the definition of norm or “normal.” The new world includes the continuing effects of globalization, complexity, technological advances in many functional arenas, joint ventures, and hard to locate boundaries between organizations. Continue reading ‘Change is the New Norm’ »

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Posted by Voss Graham on August 10, 2009 at 4:53 am under Leadership.
Tags: Change Management, Change masters, Change. Normal, implementing organizational change
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Sending Signals of Disinterest in Conversations?

One of the amazing things about effective communication is the amount of non-verbal signals we send to others. In fact, there are a number of ways we send this message to others during conversations and interactions.

While the two biggest non-verbal mistakes are a lack of eye contact during our communication and not leaning forward. These are active listening body language techniques that anyone can easily use to immediately improve our effectiveness during communication. If you want to show your disinterest in another person, then use the opposite of these two actions.

There are seven additional ways that we must be aware of that indicate a total disinterest in the conversation or interaction with another person. These seven include: Continue reading ‘Sending Signals of Disinterest in Conversations?’ »

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Posted by Voss Graham on August 7, 2009 at 3:15 am under Effective Communication.
Tags: body language, effective communications, Eye contact, Non-verbal communication, non-verbal mistakes, Voss Graham
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Emotional Intelligence and Coaching

Just spent a couple of hours listening to the authors of Emotional Intelligence Coaching – Improving performance for leaders, coaches and the individual. This is really good information. If you get a chance get the book and read it. It is full of very valuable information and provides a toolbox for implementing the process in your organization.

Some of the basic concepts contained in this outstanding book include information on how the brain actually works. It explains what happens when stress overrides the logically mind and the emotional or reptilian brain takes over our decision making process.

After connecting the dots on the mechanics of the brain, the authors then take on emotional intelligence -or the ability to remain calm dealing very stressful environments so you make better decisions. Better decisions lead to better or more effective leadership skills.

Now Robin had time to visit with the authors about a key determining factor of one’s performance – your subconscious beliefs. They were very impressed and want to discuss more about the process she uses with her clients to reprogram the subconscious mind for more effective performance.

If you are interested in her process, go to her blog – PowerofMindset.com and read about some of the life changing power she uses with her client. Enjoy the research. Then, if you want more information, please call her at 901-757-4434.

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Posted by Voss Graham on August 3, 2009 at 4:12 pm under Coaching.
Tags: Beliefs, Coaching, decision making, Emotional Intelligence, Performance Improvement
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Archive for August, 2009

Change Must Start at the Top Levels

Use Common Sense and Improve Customer Service

Change is the New Norm

Sending Signals of Disinterest in Conversations?

Emotional Intelligence and Coaching

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