Keeping focus during Change initiatives

Have there been times at work when you have been asked to deliver on an assignment that does not fit into any of the Objectives of your Performance targets. Or have you been asked to write your own Performance objectives though falling under the umbrella of the broader Functional units Key Performance Objectives (KPO). And you have always wondered if this is done, how does it fit into the broader scheme of things. Even if fits semantically because your objectives and Function's objectives have used a couple of similar words to breed familiarity and alignment, you are yet unable to visualize the steps that lead you to the end outcome. 

Let's weave a narrative to bring familiarity to the topic. For example an Organization is bringing in a new Technology Infrastructure which will soon replace the existing one. A Project has been commissioned to migrate the current Business operations and Staff to the new platform. The project has a strong Business Case on Benefits to be realized. You have been assigned to the Project and Lead one of the Project stream which is responsible to migrate an Operational process onto the new platform. Well that's your Key Result Area "Migrate ABC operational process onto the new platform". 

You now wonder what are the steps to get there. Who are the Stakeholders you should speak to as there are so many who want to have a say and control, should you consult anyone as you have never taken up something as unstructured as this.  What are the questions to be asked, what should be written as Outcome for this Initiative when it has dependencies on other Change initiatives. Anyways you proceed with a draft Plan and start having conversations with Stakeholders presuming they will assist you in actioning your plan. However things do not go as you anticipated. Stakeholders avoid you, they delegate staff who are inexperienced in giving relevant Process data, some Stakeholders are new to the role and are all excited to assist, however they are disconnected from their existing Teams issues, requirements, Some of them are so aggressive that you tend to go into a Lymbic mode ( Fight, Flight, Speechless) that the entire focus of the conversation goes off as an instant Camera flash and now your mind is occupied with something else instead of the steps  to reach the Outcome. You wonder what is the right way to get there. Who has the right information. Is your judgement right. You wonder why conversations are so unstructured. If there is a Cost, Effort and Time going into an initiative why cannot there be logical rationality to get there. Nobody is giving you the answers or your questions are being deflected by spinning unnecessary stories. Everyone is chaotic, nobody is listening to one another, the atmosphere gets impatient, insecure and stressed.

Businesses run on rationality else they would not be a running business.However there few within an Organization, I call them the 'Heart Leaders'  who influence the here and now chaos back to normalcy. One can recognize it if one is paying close attention to oneself and others during the chaotic interactions. But what do you do then, when you constantly loose direction (mentally) because of the noise.

Well in that case then, let's get back to Business and understand how your Business Unit works. Because if we get to know WHAT or HOW your Business keeps it's Operation productive and WHY it exists you may find the right questions and thereby the right answer to stay focused on an initiative.

1. Why does your function exist. A key input to have a story for the Business process
2. What is your Function's Key Performance Value or simply stated what Services does it Offer.
   
   • How does it contribute to your Organizations ROI
3. To whom does it offer these Services
   • Are they delighted with the Service or they look forward to having something else or more
4. How are the Services delivered. Is the mechanism good?
   • What are the Infrastructure and Assets used to deliver the Services     
   • Who are the resources who support the Services
   • What are the Costs to deliver and manage the Service from start to end
   • How long does it take to deliver
   • How do we know we are doing a good job

Some of the above questions should give you sufficient data that allows you to place a Metrics for current Business process performance, Issues, Risks, Opportunities. And thereby you will have a good Business narrative around the Process, why it exists, what it delivers, to whom and what are the Opportunities to improvise.

The next step is to spend time with your Stakeholders and have genuine conversations around what they feel about their Process.If the conversations turn chaotic now, you should pursue keeping focus because you now have the right data and questions, thereby focused conversations should be pursued.

When conversations are chaotic, one needs to pay attention closely to the person and find what is it that S/he wants that could create a Win-Win scenario for them as well as for the Organization and yourself. Win-Win is a key aspect that plays a very strong role when you want to deliver a Change initiative. 

Thank you for reading this post :)