'Managing change slowly' is a misnomer -- and a mistake. There are many things to manage. A bank account, a production facility, a vineyard, a budget. Change isn't one of them. Change you lead. Whether it be the need for new required behaviors because of the introduction of a computer system, culture change due to increased competition, or, as another example, the dramatic change following a merger or acquisition, effective, long-lasting change that enhances performance is something that must be led. With energy, passion, excitement and urgency. And here's the kicker: The faster the better. Like your life -- or the life of your company -- depended on it. Contrary to popular belief, companies are not huge ocean-going vessels powered by oars, only capable of painfully slow change. Don't buy the antiquated concept that change must happen in a laborious step-wise fashion. Your people don't buy it, your customers don't buy it, why should you? The best change is led, and led quickly. We have the data to prove it. And a process to drive it.
No such thing as bad publicity, eh? Just ask United Airlines. Have you had the wonderful experience of trying to determine the number of frequent flyer miles you have on United Airlines or talk recently with a reservation agent by phone at the new United? The United that just completed the acquisition of Continental Airlines? The United that can't quite add your Continental Airlines miles to your UA miles? The United that mysteriously changed your frequent flyer number? The United that just added somewhere in the neighborhood of 600 reservation agents -- and still hasn't gotten it right? The airline that greets you with a recording asking you, get this, 'to please call back in 72 hours' due to high call volume? Maybe because their systems can't add your miles correctly and assigned you a new frequent flyer number and many are freaking? Note that call-back-in-72 hours tape is what you hear when you use a special phone number for elite frequent flyers? (Not that I'd consider myself elite, mind you.) 72 hours? To make an airline reservation? Are they kidding? We're not making this up. But if we were, just image: Thanks for calling United Airlines. Your business is very important to us. Please hold for the next available Reservation Agent. Your wait time is currently [silence while computer computes]...72 hours. We can't believe it either. Kick back and get comfortable. We'll be with you in a few days. Or not.Looks for all the world like a company trying desperately to manage change. And probably a company that spent millions on consulting firms to help them do so. So much for the friendly skies.
The non-response is the new corporate 'no'. I'm old enough to remember when people in business actually responded to queries, requests, and proposals. You'd of course be contacted if there was an approval in your future. And get this kids, you were also contacted if the answer was 'no'. These were commonly referred to as 'courtesy calls', as in we'll give you the courtesy of knowing that we have not approved your request or that you didn't get the job. During such a call, you'd also be informed as to why you had been denied. Really! It's true! Way back when, you'd apply for something -- often in the form of a formal proposal that might have taken weeks and thousands of hard and soft dollars to prepare -- knowing that someone would eventually get back to you with an answer. Ah, those were the days! When there were manners. But no longer. The modern (read: rude, unprofessional) approach is to respond only when the answer is 'yes'. I guess many in business believe that there is no need to get back to anyone if all you've got is bad news. To all of those people I have only one wish: That you obsess over a proposal, devote countless hours to its preparation, spend real money flying a team to a presentation, and then never being informed of the outcome. If that sounds like sour grapes, so be it. Harumph.
Speaking of a different era, we offer a warm welcome back to our friends at Sterling Cooper Draper Pryce. Seventeen months is quite an extensive recess, don't you think? It's far too long a time to be forced to drink alone. Thank goodness you're back. We've missed you.
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