Three Simple Steps To Transformational Change

I remember early in my career; I fell into these "three simple steps" traps.  I was always looking for a quick way to get big improvements... and I took the advice to heart.  I would religiously follow those three simple steps, only to find that my teams weren't getting better results, or working together any better than before.  So, when the NEXT "three simple steps" solution came out... I was on it!  I was going to make my team better!

I certainly wish I had been a faster learner back then.  Sadly, there aren’t “three simple steps” to transformational change.  The siren song of the quick and easy fix is so alluring, so comforting!  You want to see improved outcomes! You want your teams to be more effective, more efficient, more engaged!  Who wouldn’t do three simple things to help their teams improve?

And therein lies the problem for leaders who want to make real improvements.

We can set the trap ourselves when we've got a quarterly review coming up and only 3 minutes to talk about how our area is changing and improving.  We don't have time for complexity and nuance...  When you're trying to convince partners and stakeholders to engage in a change, they don't want to hear about experiments and lessons to be learned - they want certainty and schedules and budgets and "what does this mean to me..."

It's true - its far easier (and more certain) to solve for symptoms of deeper problem than it is to address (or even identify) the root cause of that symptom. 

The brutal truth I had to learn?  There probably isn’t a quick fix.  There are inefficiencies within my team because I put them there.  The system IS working like I designed it to work… the problem is, I didn’t know everything then (when I designed it) that I know now.  The result I was getting is a direct result of what I, as the leader, was asking for.  It was because of how I thought, what I believed, and how I communicated.  I finally learned that if I wanted real, meaningful changes in my teams, I needed to start with how I was showing up.

If you want real improvements in your organization, the place you need to start… is you!

Start with you

There are no three easy steps to fixing things, but you do have everything you need to start making improvements right now.  And the good news?  You can start making things better for your teams, your customers and your business this very second.  Leaders set the tone with the questions they ask.  

What if you were to reflect for a few moments at the end of every meeting… How did you interact with your people?  Did you…

• Ask about tasks and schedules or results and outcomes?
• Give instructions on what to do, or set-results based goals?
• Teach them to rely on you for the answers, or create an environment where they feel -empowered to solve problems themselves?

What if, after reflecting, you challenged yourself to try something new in your next meeting?  Maybe something like one of the following…  

• I will not answer questions in my next meeting, instead leading them to data to and to craft their own answers  - so that my people rely more on themselves to solve problems. 
• I will ask about the “why” behind any task my team talks about – so that my teams understand the linkage between what they are doing, and the results that they expect because of the tasks.
• I will help my team members create and implement their own solutions, rather than handing them the solutions – so that they develop a better understanding of the bigger-picture and how they fit into it.

What if, after that next meeting you assessed the results of your small experiment?  How did your team respond?  What does the response of your team members say about how YOU have been leading?

Now add that assessment into your next cycle of reflection, and trying something new.  After a while, you’ll start to see patterns in your own behaviors that are driving your teams to act in ways that are suboptimal.  Better yet, you’ll start to model the behaviors that encourage a sense of empowerment and accountability within your team that will, over time, flow throughout the rest of your organization.

Don’t fall into the “3 easy steps” trap.  

Start with you and how you’re showing up.  Your team will follow your lead, and mirror the behaviors you show them.  The organization will reflect what YOU believe – so if your organization isn’t performing as you would like – don’t start with changing them… start with changing you.

We all win together.