When "Change the Right Thing" Meets "Please, Just Do Something!"
Have you ever been involved with any of these in your organization?
- Merger/Acquisition
- Severely declining financial performance
- Arrival of new CEO
Armchair experts love to talk about employee resistance to change.
But what about the case where employees know something
different has to happen in their organization and are getting anxious
and weary from waiting? They've reached a point where the anticipation
is a little too much to take and begin to wonder what the CEO is
actually doing.
Is their CEO oblivious to the organizational dynamics?
In my consulting life I haven't met a CEO yet who didn't understand
what people were probably thinking and feeling. So let's explore some
of the valid reasons why the above scenario can happen.
Before laying out how this situation comes to pass, here is a graphic to help keep us focused:
There Are No Victims or Villains
There are simply people trying to get what they need.
The CEO
What do you and I do with a new situation?
The same as the CEO.
We gather information, ask advice, evaluate the information, check
our resources, look at the options, and evaluate the risks and benefits
of each. We also evaluate how each option will impact each of our
constituencies.
In the case of the CEO, those constituencies may include
stockholders, directors, customers, employees, vendors, local and
national governments, regulators...a mind-boggling array of interest
groups that have to be satisfied financially, legally, and personally.
In the case of mergers, acquisitions, and turnarounds, there may be
negotiations taking place that cannot be discussed due to
confidentiality agreements and, in the U.S., related SEC regulations.
The result: You may have a CEO who knows everything there is
to know about what, how, and when to communicate--but is not allowed to
do so under penalty of law. Most people don't realize that CEO's often
carry the burden of silence when they would like nothing more than to
sit down with their people and explain what is unfolding.
The Employees
The world abhors a vacuum. Employees want to fill that vacuum by
getting direction and information. When they don't, the first thing
most wonder about is the "leadership:"
Why aren't they doing something?
Why aren't they saying something?
Should I even stick around or is it time to shop my resume?
What to do?
This is one of those situations where history and corporate culture
can help carry the day or lose it. CEO's and organizations with a
strong track record of trust and integrity will find that they've
earned a longer time line for ambiguity than those who haven't paid
attention to issues of corporate and personal character.
If you find yourself in this situation as an employee, here are some suggestions:
1. Don't start off by assuming that silence means the worst. If you are used to a high degree of communication, it probably does mean that something is taking place behind the scenes. But it doesn't
mean that it's bad. If you start thinking negatively it will drive you
crazy...and won't do a thing to help the situation.
2. Do ask questions, such as "Is there a legitimate reason why
communications and information have decreased?" CEO's that I know will
answer that question in a way that sends the correct message but does
not violate any agreements or laws. However, don't expect to get any
information. And don't keep probing.
3. At a time when the inclination may be to slack off on performance, do just the opposite: be a star. If there is a
merger or acquisition and headcount is an issue, make sure your head is
seen as firmly attached to the rest of you. It could increase your
chances of remaining that way.
You may not have control over what's happening in your organization
but you do have control over how you choose to respond. If your company
has a solid history of dealing honestly with people, chances are that
isn't going to change now.
And often, effective leadership means thoughtfully, quietly, and
methodically affirming the right thing to do on behalf of hundreds or
thousands of people. That may just require a little more time than
usual.
What's your experience?
When "Change the Right Thing" Meets "Please, Just Do Something!"
Have you ever been involved with any of these in your organization?
Armchair experts love to talk about employee resistance to change.
But what about the case where employees know something different has to happen in their organization and are getting anxious and weary from waiting? They've reached a point where the anticipation is a little too much to take and begin to wonder what the CEO is actually doing.
Is their CEO oblivious to the organizational dynamics?
In my consulting life I haven't met a CEO yet who didn't understand what people were probably thinking and feeling. So let's explore some of the valid reasons why the above scenario can happen.
Before laying out how this situation comes to pass, here is a graphic to help keep us focused:
There Are No Victims or Villains
There are simply people trying to get what they need.
The CEO
What do you and I do with a new situation?
The same as the CEO.
We gather information, ask advice, evaluate the information, check our resources, look at the options, and evaluate the risks and benefits of each. We also evaluate how each option will impact each of our constituencies.
In the case of the CEO, those constituencies may include stockholders, directors, customers, employees, vendors, local and national governments, regulators...a mind-boggling array of interest groups that have to be satisfied financially, legally, and personally.
In the case of mergers, acquisitions, and turnarounds, there may be negotiations taking place that cannot be discussed due to confidentiality agreements and, in the U.S., related SEC regulations.
The result: You may have a CEO who knows everything there is to know about what, how, and when to communicate--but is not allowed to do so under penalty of law. Most people don't realize that CEO's often carry the burden of silence when they would like nothing more than to sit down with their people and explain what is unfolding.
The Employees
The world abhors a vacuum. Employees want to fill that vacuum by getting direction and information. When they don't, the first thing most wonder about is the "leadership:"
Why aren't they doing something?
Why aren't they saying something?
Should I even stick around or is it time to shop my resume?
What to do?
This is one of those situations where history and corporate culture can help carry the day or lose it. CEO's and organizations with a strong track record of trust and integrity will find that they've earned a longer time line for ambiguity than those who haven't paid attention to issues of corporate and personal character.
If you find yourself in this situation as an employee, here are some suggestions:
1. Don't start off by assuming that silence means the worst. If you are used to a high degree of communication, it probably does mean that something is taking place behind the scenes. But it doesn't mean that it's bad. If you start thinking negatively it will drive you crazy...and won't do a thing to help the situation.
2. Do ask questions, such as "Is there a legitimate reason why communications and information have decreased?" CEO's that I know will answer that question in a way that sends the correct message but does not violate any agreements or laws. However, don't expect to get any information. And don't keep probing.
3. At a time when the inclination may be to slack off on performance, do just the opposite: be a star. If there is a merger or acquisition and headcount is an issue, make sure your head is seen as firmly attached to the rest of you. It could increase your chances of remaining that way.
You may not have control over what's happening in your organization but you do have control over how you choose to respond. If your company has a solid history of dealing honestly with people, chances are that isn't going to change now.
And often, effective leadership means thoughtfully, quietly, and methodically affirming the right thing to do on behalf of hundreds or thousands of people. That may just require a little more time than usual.
What's your experience?