Dick Stieglitz Newsletter

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Dick Stieglitz Newsletter

September 2008

THE CHANGE CHALLENGE

..............A Newsletter About Change

Dear Dick,

Welcome to September's Change Challenge. The political conventions are over and the vice presidential candidates have been selected. Interesting choices, particularly from the perspective of which Presidential ticket offers the highest probability of real change. That's the topic of the feature article in this month's newsletter, which also contains articles on Making Change Work and Personal Change. As always your feedback is appreciated via email or The Change Blog at www.dickstieglitz.com.

Sincerely,

DICK

Dick Stieglitz

Dick Stieglitz Ph.D

Business Consultant, Author & Motivational Speaker

Change Topics

Making Change Work

On The Personal Side

Featured Article

"Making Change Work"

EIGHT BILLION DOLLAR CHANGE

In 2000, the Navy began to deploy a secure enterprise network called the Navy-Marine Corps Intranet (NMCI). The ambitious project was scheduled to take five years at a cost of $8 billion. NMCI took longer and cost more than estimated, not because of unexpected technological problems, but because resistance dragons provoked by the change weren't tamed until several years into the project. For example, NMCI reduced one agency's CIO's staff from 140 to 35 people. The NMCI contractor was surprised when the CIO's staff resisted the project. No government employees were laid-off, but many were forced to switch to new jobs. After four years, the contractor's project manager said, "We're behind because we saw NMCI as a technology project, when it really was a fundamental change to how people did their jobs."

Businesses face the same resistance dragons that impeded NMCI when they try to change to succeed in the relationship economy. Change is a high-performance engine with logical and emotional cylinders. To reach peak performance, all cylinders must fire. When any cylinder misfires, the engine sputters. Strategy, workforce, process, and technology are the logical cylinders. Any change in one affects all four, although it's easy to mistakenly view a project as strictly about new technologies or a workforce upgrade.

The logical cylinders of change get lots of attention. But emotional cylinders such as the following are often neglected and allowed to grow into dragons:

●Comfortable attachment to what exists today.

●Doubts about what the future will be after the change.

●Reluctance to invest time and resources to change, or

● Fear that the change will fail.

You might add other emotions to this list, but such natural human responses to change occur in every organizational or career change. Plan for them when you are leading change.

"On The Personal Side"

THE BEST AX MEN

Cavemen invented the ax in prehistoric times to cut trees for firewood. The best ax men got the wood they needed with the least effort. Over the centuries, the durability and cutting power of the ax improved immensely. When men began to build houses from logs, the ax became a vital tool in construction. The best ax men were the highest paid in their trade. Then the chainsaw was invented. The axes in use at the time were the best in history and the first chainsaws were very unreliable. Many of the best ax men ridiculed the chainsaw and refused to use it. The I'm-the-best dragon left them unwilling to change. But it wasn't long before even the best couldn't earn a living with an ax. Men who were mediocre with an ax but adept at using a chainsaw became leaders in the logging industry.

Relentless technological advances and global relationships are changing industries as radically as the chainsaw changed loggingCthe auto industry, textiles, computing, and pharmaceuticals to name a few. For example, Cobol programmers and Banyan network technicians are ax men of the computer industry. Old ways of thinking in these industries still work, maybe better than ever. But it's just a matter of time until the best ax men who refuse to change will go out of business.

Change is inevitable in every field, including yours. A radical change usually begins with a new tool, a new technique, or a new approach that seems cumbersome or strange at first. When you see such changes, remember these tips:
●Look for new opportunities that are created by the change,
●Be flexible as the new tool, technique, or approach matures,
●Be the source of creativity and support for trying new things and,
●Proactively lead change within your organization and industry.

You may consider yourself to be among the best ax men in your industry today, but tame the I'm-the-best dragon in order to expand that success through new tools, techniques, and approaches.

Friends & Colleagues,

I hope you found the articles in this newsletter to be interesting and helpful in implementing the changes you're trying to make in your organization and your life. If you have enjoyed this newsletter and found it useful, forward it to a friend. If you didn't like it, please tell me why at dick@dragonsofchange.com.

Sincerely,
DICK

Coming This Fall

A new book from

Richard G. Stieglitz, PhD

YOUR WORLD HAS CHANGED AND

IT WILL CHANGE AGAIN

In today's global relationship economy, ideas travel at the speed of light. You can communicate with anyone, anywhere, at any time, on any subject. To stay on top, you must do more than react to change. You must anticipate, embrace, and use change to your advantage.

That's what this book is all about.

Featured Article

THERE WILL BE CHANGE

   The November 4th election will produce unprecedented change in the country's leadership no matter who wins. We'll either have a black man in the White House or a woman as vice president. Either outcome will be bring new perspectives to Washington, and new perspectives are the foundation of change.

   On the Democratic side, Barack Obama said in his acceptance speech that "Change doesn't come from Washington, it comes to Washington." He's right, of course, but that makes his choice of Joe Biden as VP a bit peculiar. With 36 years in Washington, Biden is a consummate insider. Detractors call Biden "Obama's Dick Cheney" and refer to Obama-Biden as the "upside-down ticket" since Biden as VP has much more experience than Obama as President. Supporters say that Biden is a perfect VP choice for Obama because he knows the ins-and-outs of Washington and can translate Obama's vision for change into reality in Congress. That claim has merit.

   The big surprise, of course, was McCain's selection of Sarah Palin, Alaska's first-term governor, to be his VP. My first reaction was: "She adds nothing other than being a woman to attract the Hilary vote." For sure she's not an insider, even in Alaska's Republican party. Time will tell if McCain's choice was brilliant or desperate. As her personal story unfolded, many Republican candidates are begging Palin to campaign for them because she is "real people" with a special needs child, a son who is going to Iraq, and a pregnant and unmarried 17-year old daughter. She also brings first-hand knowledge on environmental and energy issues as a supporter of drilling in the Artic National Wildlife Refuge.

   Both parties still have a lot to prove, but the VP nominees increase the possibility of change. We've been using a quasi-analytical model called the Change Quotient (CQ) to rate the candidates from zero to 100 relative to their ability to effect change. The three major factors of the CQ are ideas, relationships, and execution; and each factor has three sub-factors. For example, the sub-factors of relationships are: (1) connecting with the public, (2) embracing diverse views, and (3) collaboration. At this point in the campaign, the CQ ratings are:
Change Quotient Ratings
                  Jul   Aug   Sep
Obama        75    76     78
McCain        73    72     76
Both CQ ratings are inching up, but they're not in the Johnson-Reagan range who scored 90 and 91, respectively.

   Biden increased Obama's execution rating by adding a track record of getting things done. On the other side, Palin adds a humanness that's unusual for a Republican candidate. She increased McCain's ratings in the connecting, diversity, and collaboration sub-factors that are important for change. Exactly two months are left in the campaign and ratings will change. But which way will they go? I look forward to the debates where the candidates' programs and credentials will become clear (or not). Hopefully, at least one of them will offer an economic program that could work and would be supported in Congress. If you would like to register your viewpoints on these questions, log onto the blog at www.dickstieglitz.com.