Since within organizations and executive education schools there are different structures and academic areas, respectively, devoted to deal with these disciplines it is not always easy to develop an integrated vision of them. Whether consciously or unconsciously, long term coherence is achieved between Strategy, Behaviours and Management. Therefore, is of a vital important for organizations to be aware that this coherence will turn into resistance to any change attempts which are not extensive to all three of them. The “purpose” will be the Strategy outcome which will be linked to organizational behaviour. Decisions and actions define the identity of an individual, in the same way that they define organization’s identity. Since the “organizational purpose” is driving those decisions and actions, therefore it is shaping the organizational identity. The alignment between Strategy and Behaviours will shape the organization’s way of working establishing the link with Management at a beliefs level. Therefore, the transformation of an organization encompasses driving coherent changes at a fundamental level within Strategy, Behaviours and Management. This is a different approach from the traditional Operational Excellence approach where through projects the organization fixes its processes to improve customer satisfaction and business results. The transformation is not limited to fixing the current structure but instead challenges it at each of the following domains to achieve an integrated transformation vision.
Strategy: Purpose and Organizational Identity
It is important to point out the Strategy outcome to bring light to the relationship with Behaviours and Management. Organization’s purpose starts with “Why” followed by “How” and “What” as Simon Sinek discussed in his work. A people and community value added purpose will drive a different kind of behaviours than an only profit purpose. Whenever the profit takes the purpose place not only the organizational behaviours but also the operations management specially the compensation will be based on it. The purpose should always be linked to the value added to people and community while the profit is a combination of how effectively the organization creates, deliver and capture value for itself. Since the purpose will drive decisions and actions, the organization will develop an identity based on it. Whether conscious or unconscious the organizational identity will make leaders and people proud or otherwise. When the purpose makes the organization proud, it is a source of motivation itself and the challenge is to keep it on people’s minds on daily basis. To transform the organization’s purpose is to transform the organization itself. It is through meaningful purpose that an organization will develop a “true” identity which will not only drive the right behaviours and a new way of working but also play an essential role in healthy and sustainable relationships with both business partners and customers.
Organization Behaviours: Leadership and Engagement
Once meaningful purpose and “true” identity are defined within the organization, the right mindset will be developed in leaders and teams. Customer centric behaviours can be promoted easily when the organizational purpose is people and community value added because empathy can be used in favour since employees are part of the same group that customers belong. This empathy will serve to develop an E2E approach and to be successful working together if leaders and teams feel proud of their organization and to be part of it. The empathy created within and between the teams will facilitate team work by understanding that the organization is after all “one” team. Not only the bonds between peers will be tighter, but also the ones between leaders and each team member which will clear the way to develop a motivational leadership style. If the leaders really care about each team member and conversely these members trust on their leaders, the conditions for Coaching are there. Leaders can develop team’s talent and the role modelling is easier within a trustworthy working environment. Leadership and empowering will grow team’s engagement which will have an impact on time management and performance. The continuous improvement culture and organizational learning are promoted by both empathy and trust to solve daily problems through teamworking.
Operations Management: Organization’s Way of Working
The way of working is a consequence of the current purpose and behaviours that can be supported by much or less formalized processes and structures. To kick off any transformation of the way of working is critical to know which the current motivations are in connection to the purpose, and therefore the behaviours expressed on daily bases by leaders and people. The agile transformation with a reduction of management cycle can do wonders to connect people with purpose. But the outcomes will depend not only on leadership and the purpose itself, but also on people’s readiness. To have a more agile organization, team’s engagement must be turned into accountability for time management and performance within each process, leaving the team as the ultimately accountable for process capacity. Leaders should develop an E2E approach to make the best use of capacity ensuring delivery performance. Leadership creates transparency in performance to balance the workload and distinguish problems to empowering the team to act upon them. Also, leaders empower the team by escalating issues with other areas and at different organizational levels. Since the agile way of working emphasis engagement within the work systems and leadership at a management system level, it is therefore important to develop the right mindset and behaviours by challenging the current beliefs which underlies current decisions and actions within the organization. To develop the vision of a true transformation it is important to remember Albert Einstein’s quote: “We can’t solve our problems with the same thinking we used to create them”.
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Business People Working with Business Issues
