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Influencing Change Special Edition
Why Influence?
Today's Supply Chain professionals are facing numerous, varied and complex changes which often occur simultaneously. Therefore, to be an effective Supply Chain leader, we must be good at influencing change. We spend a tremendous amount of our time trying to influence the behavior of others - whether it's up the organization with leadership, down the organization with our direct reports, across the organization with peers or internal stakeholders or outside the organization with customers or suppliers, or in the community, with friends and family. When you think about it, leadership is really intentional influence.The problem is we - individuals and organizations - are not very good at it. An Arthur D. Little study reports that 85% of organization change efforts fail to meet quality, cost or timing goals. Deloitte's Global CPO Survey for 2014 found that "Some 68 per cent [sic] of respondents still describe their internal influence as 'mixed'" meaning that there are significant missed opportunities. The Conference Executive Board reports that being an Influencer is one of only six behavioral competencies that set strategic procurement staff apart. Similarly, University of Tennessee's 2012 white paper entitled "Skills and Competencies That Supply Chain Professionals Will Need" reports that "Inspiring and Influential Leadership" is one of five critical skills. We must get good at influence!
There is a huge cost if we fail at this challenge. We risk the vanishing ROI as our project misses quality, cost or timing goals. There is the lost opportunity cost from the project we neglected while pursuing the failed initiative. What is the cost of our damaged reputation with leadership, internal stakeholders, customers and suppliers when we fail to influence change? Since no one likes working on a failed project, deteriorating morale can easily result in regretted turnover. Finally, there is organization cynicism. We've all heard it: "This is another program of the month. If I just sit tight, this too shall pass." When this attitude becomes pervasive you have organization stagnation which no business can afford. Unfortunately, research shows that fewer than one in eight workplace change efforts produces anything other than cynicism.
Traditional change management has failed to deliver the degree, speed or sustainability of desired changes. Why is that? There are several reasons. Traditional change management is very project management oriented focusing on only the tip of the iceberg - things like strategy, systems, process and structure. While all of these considerations are important, they are insufficient to drive the desired change. They fail to focus on what's below the waterline which includes culture, norms and status quo behaviors - all of that organization resistance that undermines and impedes our change effort. Organization change is really just the sum of changes in individual's behavior, and that is the neglected area of opportunity.
For most failed change efforts, there is a conspiracy of causes and few of us have a systematic way of even thinking about this fundamental change. We identify one or two causes of resistance and look for a "silver bullet" to tackle them. Change agents have their favorite strategies to combat resistance such as more communication or training. The reality is that we typically underwhelm an overwhelming challenge.
For any change to take place an individual asks themselves two questions: 1. Is it worth it (motivation)? and 2. Can I do it (ability)? Influencing Changetraining, based on the New York Times bestseller, Influencer, focuses on changing individuals' behavior utilizing a systematic framework for first diagnosing causes of resistance, and then strategizing how to both motivate and enable change. It also equips the learner with skills and strategies to be successful. For example, we tend to rely heavily on verbal persuasion to spur personal motivation. Unfortunately, this is notoriously ineffective. When we encounter resistance, we often share more information, putting people into a PowerPoint coma where all they hear is "wha,wha,wha,wha,wha". It is the equivalent of talking louder when a person who speaks a different language doesn't understand. Instead, we should be seeking Direct or Vicarious Experiences which help people to connect to values they already hold to make change more appealing and sustainable.
Influencing Change employs all Six Sources of Influence™, which address motivation and ability as affected by Person, Social and Structural forces. Research proves that by employing four or more sources of influence against the desired vital behavior you increase your success tenfold.
How's your change management working for you? If it leaves you wanting and you want to increase your success tenfold consider Influencing Change.
ISM Influencing Change Webinar
This free ISM sponsored webinar introduces Influencer, an award winning change methodology that can help Supply Chain professionals 10X their success at affecting change. The webinar features David Maxfield, co-author of the NY Times bestseller, Influencer, and VP Research at VitalSmarts, and Barbara Ardell, seasoned Supply Chain professional and change management expert from Paladin Associates.
This webinar will preview the methodology and skills taught in ISM's upcoming Influencing Change training being offered in Chicago on June 22nd-23rd.Webinar Host: Barbara Ardell
Date and Time: Tuesday, April 28, 2015
11:30 am, Eastern Daylight Time (New York, GMT-04:00)
After registration, you will receive a confirmation email with instructions.
Barbara Ardell, Vice President and Influencing Change Practice Leader of Paladin Associates, will again be a featured speaker at the Institute of Supply Management (ISM) National Conference in Phoenix (May 3-6), speaking on the topic of "Influencing Change - Change the Way You Change Minds".Barbara’s presentation will examine why traditional change management approaches fail, and highlight the high cost of failure. She will provide an overview of the award winning change methodology: Influencer, named 2009 Change Management Approach of the Year by MIT/Sloan Management Review. Finally, she will zero in on one of the Six Sources of Influence™: Personal Motivation. Attendees will learn three effective strategies for increasing personal motivation in the context of today’s Supply Chain change challenges.
Please join us at ISM2015 in Phoenix, in May, at Barbara's session on Influencing Change.
A $100 discount is available by registering at conference.ism.ws and using code SPEAKISM2015
Paladin Associates is pleased to announce that our Influencing Changetraining is now included in the Institute for Supply Management’s (ISM) national educational curriculum as part of their Management and Professional Development offerings. Influencing Change, based on the New York Times Best Seller, Influencer, was named 2009 Change Management Approach of the Year by MIT/Sloan Management Review.Whether you’re managing a team of ten or leading a large organization, Influencing Change provides the skills needed to change behaviors. The course is also highly effective for those without formal authority, as well as emerging leaders.
Cecilia Mendoza, Director of Education & Training at ISM states: “We are pleased to partner with Paladin Associates to bring this award winning training to our Supply Chain community.” Barbara Ardell, Vice President &Influencing Change Practice Leader at Paladin responded: “We are honored to be selected by ISM for inclusion among their world-class training offerings.”
The first class is scheduled for June 22nd-23rd in Chicago.
University of Alabama's Influencing Change Webinar
This free webinar introduces Influencer, an award winning change methodology that can help Supply Chain professionals 10X their success at affecting change. The webinar features Barbara Ardell, Supply Chain professional and change management expert from Paladin Associates.This webinar will preview the methodology and skills taught in University of Alabama's upcoming Influencing Change for Supply Chain training being offered in Birmingham AL on June 16th-17th.
Webinar Host: Barbara Ardell
Date and Time: Tuesday, May 12, 2015 9:30 am, Eastern Daylight Time (8:30 am, Central Daylight Time)
After registration, you will receive a confirmation email with instructions.
University of Alabama Training
Paladin Associates is pleased to announce that our Influencing Changetraining is being piloted by the College of Continuing Studies at University of Alabama. Upon successful completion, the intent is to include Influencing Change as part of UA's Supply Change and Logistics Management Certificate Program. Influencing Change, based on the New York TimesBest Seller, Influencer, was named 2009 Change Management Approach of the Year by MIT/Sloan Management Review.Whether you're managing a team of ten or leading a large organization, Influencing Change provides the skills needed to change behaviors. The course is also highly effective for those without formal authority, as well as emerging leaders.
University of Alabama Program Manager, Brenda Truelove, states: "We are pleased to partner with Paladin Associates to bring this award winning training to the Supply Chain community." Barbara Ardell, Vice President & Influencing Change Practice Leader at Paladin responded: "We are honored to be selected by University of Alabama for consideration in their prestigious Supply Chain Management program".
The Influencing Change class is scheduled for June 16th-17th in Birmingham, AL.
Spend Matters Explores Influencing Change
Spend Matters, the popular Supply Chain blog, is featuring a five part interview series with Barb Ardell, Paladin's Influencing Change Practice Leader. In this interview, Jason Busch, Founder and Managing Director of Spend Matters, questions the relationship between procurement transformation and change management. He goes on to explore why change management is often neglected and what is the cost of failure. Barb presents the business case for effective change management and explains how change management 2.0, which Paladin calls Influencing Change, is both different from and superior to traditional change management. The series wraps up by examining the characteristics of successful organizations, and shares a number of satisfied customer testimonials.