Guidelines for Large-Scale Change
Significant change does not come easily. Most people, even those who believe things need to change, typically think that what needs to change is outside of their own area.
Ultimately, all changes need to be personalized. By this I mean that each person's responsibilities and activities need to be examined for their effectiveness and speed; held up to a new standard; and adjusted or redesigned as needed. No one likes this, and most people will fear and resist it. Even those who are most vocal about the need for change may be fearful inside, and may be unprepared for what needs to happen. Yet all of these people will need to learn a new way of doing familiar things.
If your score on the Organization/Market Profile is 3-5, the change envisioned should include giving people the time to understand, accept, and (when appropriate) design the changes they will undergo. This allows change to proceed at a relatively natural pace and enables the whole change process to be somewhat organic. It will also keep you from losing too many talented managers and employees. New structures will get put into place, and processes will get examined and redesigned, all at a moderate and manageable pace.
However, if your score is six or more, time is a major factor. If you do not act quickly, your situation will probably deteriorate at an ever-faster pace. Thus, the whole system needs to be redesigned from the top down - and fast. New management must be put in place swiftly. In turn, these people need to quickly design and implement very new and different ways of doing things. Furthermore, all of this needs to be done incisively and with confidence. It will seem messy because so many people will be adversely affected, but it is absolutely essential to the organization's survival.
The immediate goal is to stop the bleeding. The most serious problems need to be taken on first. This typically means removing people, closing down departments, starting new operations, creating and using new scorecards, and demanding new levels of participation.
This process should be driven by the top manager, who should be deeply involved in all aspects of the change. This person needs to have a clear vision - one which they share with other people at the top - of what the organization will look like when the transformation is complete.
These changes will be devastating to most of the people involved. Some will not be able to let go of the inevitable inconsistencies in the treatment of employees, which they will perceive as unfairness. These people will need to leave the organization one way or the other.
After all the changes that can be made from the top have been made, and the critical processes redesigned and put in place, the entire organization needs to go through a formal rebuilding of its culture. It is important to identify all the people who will play important roles in the new system and to include all of them in this process. Furthermore, this process needs to be facilitated by a trusted person from outside the system, because it will be hard to trust anyone within the organization who has gone through all the trauma.
Thus far in this chapter, I have spoken of the Archetype Assessment and the Organization/Market Profile as tools for creating an initial alignment between your organization and its market(s). Once this has been accomplished, however, the Archetype Assessment can also be used to stave off any future need for major restructuring. If you use the assessment and profile appropriately and well - regularly assessing both your organization and its market(s) - you will keep on top of developments, avoid having to undergo dramatic changes, and stay poised to compete, succeed, and thrive.
