Do
you know who the change makers in your organization are? Take a minute
and see. Often these are lower-level supervisors and or mid-level
managers, not the top-level executives, VPs and other high positioned
leaders. Change is often generated and lead by those you might least
expect to make huge differences.
Last
week, I conducted a six hour Strengths Training session for yet another
Health Net department. Thanks to the input and generosity of one their
Supervisors, Diane Baxter, the training turned out to be most
effective. The rate of learning went beyond the VP's and even my own
expectations. Diane started the Strength Finder test and training for
herself and her staff less than two years ago. Due to her initiative
and passion for this very effective training, Health Net has trained
many department heads and team members and gained more effectiveness and
team cohesiveness. Diane leads a team of about 16 people and with her
busy schedule she offered to provide input to make my latest training for Health Net,
which was for a completely different department than hers, much more
focused and effective. To emphasize her strong belief in the Strengths
training, with excitement in her eyes, she said, "Manijeh if the training has
tangible results, it will take on like wild fire. All departments will
see that they would work so much more effectively together and will bring you in."Here is How to Identify Change Makers in Your Organization & Leverage Their Talent:
The first step is identification. If you are a top level executive, take time to look below and across the chart. As teams and departments are tasked with deliverables and specific goals, they
also must come up with effective ways to achieve them. Many teams often find
ways to do it faster, better, with higher quality and least amount of
waste or stress. Unfortunately, many of these ways go undocumented and
unshared.
(Don't tell, Ask)- Ask questions about what extra curricular
activities are going on in each department. What mid-level managers are
doing to motivate and engage their people to do better and reach their
goals. Bring a few of them in and ask what their secret to
success is. You may be surprised to find that the secrete to their success may be an
adjunct to what the organization prescribed.
Evaluate if the kind of training or method they are using is duplicable, such as the Strength Finder training in Diane Baxter's case.
Ask if they are willing to make themselves formal agents of change and
promote the implementation of their findings to other departments, like Diane has done. This may be done as formally or informally as possible. If you decide to announce the change and have the whole organization to implement it, have the person who tried it first and made it work to be the voice for it. For, she has proof and feels confident in the change.
And finally, if you are mid-level managers and supervisors, do make friends with
others at your level in other departments, even if you do not directly work with those departments. Find out what they are doing that makes their work higher quality, faster or creates Trust, Compassion, Hope and Stability for their team. According to Gallup findings Trust, Compassion, Hope and Stability are the top four needs followers have from their leaders to fulfill.
Always, do your work with curiosity and openness.
Dr. Manijeh Motaghy, PsyD. OMC
For information on Strength Finder Training and other employee training contact us via:
or call us: (818) 835-3848
For more information visit: www.MindfulBusinessInstitute.com
