Revamp

Do you ever find yourself wishing you could just destroy your existing department, eliminate the old organizational chart and start out with a fresh, clean piece of paper upon which you could simply start over from scratch? What is stopping you?

 

IF:

• Your department or division is not running as efficiently as it could (or should);
• Folks are in crisis;
• Cuts to people, positions and budgets have left things unrecognizable;
• People are doing more than one job (but for only one paycheck for 40-50 hours/week)

 

Then you should be seriously thinking about a departmental redesign.

 

OK - you can't do it right overnight or even in a one-day off-site retreat. But there are things you can do and ways to create a fresh approach. You don’t have to limp into the New Year with tired people and an ineffective methodology and structure for accomplishing departmental/divisional goals. You could be the one who tries innovation instead of stagnation.

 

 You will need to pay close attention to:

• Creating senior-level support for a departmental reorganization
• Designing a departmental structure that can meet organizational strategic goals and objectives
• Using departmental policies, procedures, and process to model organizational change
• Developing flexible job descriptions that demand needed skill sets now but can evolve over time
• Building a collaborative team of individual star performers
• Attracting, selecting, hiring, and mentoring key staff
• Identifying similar (and complimentary) teams and skill sets in other departments that will complement and extend the impact of your department
• Evolving toward your ideal departmental structure even if you cannot start from scratch

Creating a department from scratch is not simple or easy so don’t view it as the remedy for all your problems. It's not easy to truly let go of the past and create something new. You may make mistakes and missteps. In fact -- you can count on it!

Success will lie in a departmental structure that is tied tightly to your company's strategic goals and objectives. You will have to walk the talk, but your ability to execute a departmental redesign will build credibility within your organization. People will be watching to see if you really mean what you say and if things have really changed.

But imagine what tings could be like if you could build something that makes sense today -- for the way things are today.

 

Cut, Earn and Learn

Everyone is trying to figure out how to thrive in these tough economic times. OK, maybe not thrive; maybe just tread water until better times arrive. Reacting to the pessimistic economic reports and the hand-wringing commentators might have you discounting prices only to find that the perception is that you’ve discounted quality and service as well

Think before you act and come up with strategies that make sense now and will bode well for the future too:

Timing is Everything – Focus your promotion on discounted prices when your customers have the most to spend. Think about budget cycle, payday, or the beginning of the quarter.

Tailor a Solution – Ask your clients what they need and then create a mix of offerings, products or devices to meet the need they have, focusing on the affordability.

Create Something New – Create a discounted brand or offer coupons for specific products. If things are slow on a Monday or Friday, focus the deals on those days.

Think Like a Customer – What do your customers want to see? A 13 item dozen? Price points such as $99.95, or $4.99? Highlight the percentage saved on products and services. Create a discount for quantity. Throw in shipping.

Negotiate – Flexibility can indicate that you are more interested in the relationship than the specific sale. Offer a menu of options to choose from. As long as you are talking to current and potential clients, there is the possibility of doing business. Keep the conversation going by learning about their constraints and goals.

Our economic situation will improve eventually and when it does, you will have been able to keep your customers and perhaps attract news clients as well

Change Takes 3

Every organization I've ever worked with comes to a point where the status quo, a place where things stay the same doesn’t feel competitive or energizing. The folks at the top company try to change and improve things. The successful ones may do it right, or they may just be lucky. The problem is that luck is very hard to replicate. So how can we, you, I duplicate successes and improve the odds that the changes implemented are going to not just be successful changes, but create success for the organziation too?


There are three key components to organizational change: strategy, tactics and people. Wemay understand the need for all three, but most of us tend to go to our strengths.

Strategy - Strategy is skill in managing any matter, using a plan, a scheme or a system. In the world of organizational change, it really means the vision -- defining what needs to change and why. Without a plan, there is no direction.

Tactics - Tactics are the methods used to bring about change. There are a wide variety of tools to manage change. But like any experienced carpenter, you need the right tool for the job. The less effective the tools, the more time and energy is wasted. Sometimes a few tools, used in conjunction with one another is the best way to accomplish a successful change. Without the right tools in the right hands, some changes are never achieved.

People - Everyone is unique and reacts differently based on their distinct combination of human nature and their environment. Different personalities, styles, preferences and filters impact how people react and handle change. Without people being on board with the change, the strategy and the tactics you choose won’t matter.

Your preferential styles and talents move us to the areas where we feel most comfortable and probably experience the most success. But going to your strengths can actually leave you weak.

People who think that Strategy is their strongest suit usually ask:
• Where are we going?
• How are we doing?
• What needs to change? Why?

Concerned with the bottom line and the big picture, these folks use words like vision, purpose, competition, performance, goals, critical analysis, brainstorming, and logistics. They are looking ahead to see where the organization will be in the next five years. . They compare themselves to other firms, evaluate the effectiveness of current practices and explore new ways of doing things.


If you think your strengths lie with Strategy, then you are most concerned with how to make needed changes rather than why they are necessary. The focus is on the tools and processes that can bring about successful transition; on the present and not really on the future. You use words such as tools, hardware, sequence, discipline, details, control and plan. Order is created by assigning tasks and organizing, scheduling and performing follow-ups.


Those of you who are drawn to the People side of change are most concerned with involving others, gaining trust and eliminating fear. Eager to reduce conflict and improve teamwork, the words that carry weight for you include communication, values, growth, interaction, participation, training, intervention, development, emotion and interpersonal. Through sharing, listening, expressing and collaborating, you work towards developing team building tools.

• Big picture people like strategy.

• People who like methodology, tools and technology favor tactics.

• People-people are interested in communication, learning, feeling and knowledge.

Managing the transition process successfully requires a working knowledge and comfort level with all three areas. To sustain change you need to communicate with people who approach the process differently and form a strong team that uses the most powerful tools for the tasks at hand.

The most powerful Change ‘masters’ are those who build bridges between the three components. If you are most comfortable in only one specific area, take heart. You can make a concerted effort to learn more about the other two areas. Get to know people who value the other aspects of organizational change. Going to your strengths can mean knowing what areas require support and development. Be resourceful and make sure that all three areas are included in your plans for successful change.