Relentlessly pursuing impact: There
is no substitute for CEOs rolling up
their sleeves and getting personally
involved when significant financial
and symbolic value is at stake.
Everyone has a role to play in a
performance transformation. The role
of CEOs is unique in that they stand
at the top of the pyramid and all the
other members of the organization
take cues from them.
CEOs who give only lip service to
a transformation will find everyone
else doing the same. Those who
fail to model the desired mindsets and behavior or who opt out
of vital initiatives risk seeing the
transformation lose focus.
Only the boss of all bosses can ensure
that the right people spend the right
amount of time driving the necessary
changes.
Making the transformation
meaningfu l
Transformations require
extraordinary energy: employees must
fundamentally rethink and reshape
the business while continuing to run
it day to day.
Where does this energy come
from? A powerful transformation
story helps employees believe in
the effort by answering their big
questions, which can range from how
the transformation will affect the
company down to how it will affect
them.
The story’s ultimate impact will
depend on not just having compelling
answers to these questions but also
the CEO’s willingness and ability
to make things personal, to engage
others openly, and to spotlight
successes as they emerge.
Adopt a personal approach
CEOs who take time to personalize
the story of the transformation can
unlock significantly more energy for it
than those who dutifully present the
PowerPoint slides that their working
teams created for them. Personalizing
the story forces CEOs to consider and
share with others the answers to such
questions as “Why are we changing?”;
“How will we get there?”; and “How
does this relate to me?”
Some leaders include experiences
and anecdotes from their own lives
to underline their determination
and belief - and to demonstrate that
obstacles can be overcome. Klaus
Zumwinkel, the chairman and CEO
of Deutsche Post, talked about his
passion for mountain climbing,
linking the experience of that sport
and the effort it requires to the
company’s transformation journey.
In “Leading change: An interview
with the CEO of Banca Intesa,”
Corrado Passera kicked off the
communication effort by composing
a short story, “written in human
language,” about the transformation.
In “Recovering from crisis: An
interview with the CEO of
McKesson,” John Hammergren
stressed the fact that every employee
was or would be a patient in the
health care system and that this
“larger purpose” made a difference.
“Had we been in the ball-bearing
business, I’m not sure it would have
been as easy to personalize it,” he
acknowledges.
Openly engage others
When a CEO’s version of the
transformation story is clear,
success comes from taking it to
employees, encouraging debate about
it, reinforcing it, and prompting
people to infuse it with their own
personal meaning. Most CEOs invest
great effort in visibly and vocally
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