How Does This Apply to the Business World?

Companies can control the mind-set from which problems, challenges, and opportunities are communicated to the workforce. Here is an example of what often happens when a major change is occurring in an organization.

Acme Manufacturing has been slowly trending downward. Orders have been falling over the past few quarters. Mike, its chief financial officer, alerts CEO Jerry of the problem. It’s not Mike’s fault, of course, but the indicators of problems were more obvious from his vantage point. Jerry convenes an emergency meeting with his key leadership in which the need for change is made clear. After the news is out on the table, there is a period of time when the leaders simply try to get their bearings. After pulling themselves together, they begin to consider possible solutions. Once they identify the best course of action, they establish a strategy to support it. After much debate and planning, the day comes to reveal the circumstances and proposed change to the masses.

At that point, Jerry and his executive staff have been discussing the process for months. They have had plenty of time to think through the nuances and ramifications of the change, particularly as it relates to their own roles and responsibilities.

Jerry makes a big company-wide presentation with the hopes that everyone will see the light, they’ll grab hold of the new direction, and life will be sweet. People listen as long as they hear something that has the potential to really have an impact on their world. As soon as something is said that has direct personal implications, they redirect their attention inward and begin focusing on it. More specifically, they focus on what they fear and what they hope to avoid through the process. They don’t hear anything else Jerry says.

Jerry completes his presentation and steps down from the stage with high hopes. Instead, he is bombarded with expressions that show fear and questions. The resistance is obvious, and both sides of the equation are confused and, frankly, kind of mad. Jerry and his executive staff think, “Hey, everything we are proposing is for the greater good. Can’t you see this?” Truth be told, they can’t, not yet, and for some, not ever.

Jerry and his senior leaders let the moment pass with the hope that things will improve with time. Instead, they get worse. People begin talking and hashing out the details. Questions come up and are answered with assumptions rather than facts. The plot thickens. The leaders close their doors because the conversations aren’t fun and they quickly tire of the repetitive nature of the questions. They think, “My gosh, how many times have I heard this question? I already addressed this in the big presentation, but they weren’t listening.” As I said, they had retreated inside their own heads to consider the ramifications of item 1 on a list of 20. So the leaders are left to deal with the aftershock. They have their own concerns and would love to offer their honest two cents, but they gut it out for the sake of the organization.

Conversely, this is a real-life example of how a division leader used Seeing Red Cars prior to announcing a branch closing and was thanked for the humane way in which she delivered the bad news.

Carol is a division vice president for National Widget Corporation. The depressed economic environment forced Carol to make the difficult decision to close an entire branch of the business. A meeting of all employees was convened. Carol began by showing the Seeing Red Cars film. When the lights were turned back on, she spoke candidly about her disappointment in having to make the decision and how she knew it was disappointing for everyone. Then she asked for their help. Carol told attendees to break into small groups, each with a leader, and record the “I wants” of their group in light of this change.

When the participants had arrived, they had such thoughts as “I don’t want to lose my job” foremost in their minds. Once they were given the opportunity to have honest dialogue and discuss their feelings in a productive way, statements like this emerged: “I want to develop an opportunity for myself either here or elsewhere that makes use of my skills and talents” and “We want to contribute to realigning people and resources when this division closes to make the company even stronger.”

The “I wants” set the tone toward a positive outlook, and a very productive session followed. Once people realized they could contribute their ideas and their thoughts were being heard, they relaxed. Their body language visibly changed. It proved to be a very powerful format with a positive outcome.

In the days following the meeting, Carol received an outpouring of e-mail thanking her for her leadership through the difficulty of closing the branch. Seeing Red Cars united management and employees and led them to proactive decision-making in a time of crisis.

The need for change Acme Manufacturing and National Widget Corporation faced is now the current dynamic in which we all live. Rapid marketplace changes can quickly affect the demand for your organization’s products and services. The realization that an organization needs to change may come from financial folks, as in the Acme Manufacturing example, or from sources such as exit interviews, employee climate surveys, or customer feedback. It may come from new innovations that create new opportunities. Regardless of the source, it is important to not ignore the signals.

The economic downturn has changed the business landscape, and many say it will never be the same again. Most organizations will be forced to change. All of this uncertainty simply exacerbates our natural tendency to focus on what we don’t want. It is critically important for individuals, teams, and organizations to maintain focus on what they want, especially in light of unforeseen changes. Those who are able to respond to change creatively and innovatively will have the clear advantage over those who react to change with avoidance and fear.

Now is the time to rock up onto our toes, clearly define what we want, and take definitive actions toward it. There is no time like the present. The reality is that one thing leads to another, whether it is positive or negative. It takes conscious effort and persistence to make sure that the thoughts and behaviors being spread are positive. Small successes and large achievements all start in the same way. Somebody focuses on what they want, and by doing so, they begin the journey of making it happen.

It isn’t easy. In my work with clients over the years, I found myself scratching my head countless times when the need for change had been clearly identified. The team realized that if it remained on its current course, the end destination would not be one that anyone would choose, given an option. With this reality, a new direction was introduced. In many cases, there was no other viable option. I would think, “Why would you object to the only hope of survival or a positive outcome?” The direction that was being recommended may have been right or it may have been wrong, but it was clearly better than ignoring the signals that the team was in serious trouble, right? People still dug in their heels. Curious, I thought.

Core to the Seeing Red Cars positive outcome mind-set is an unwavering focus despite obstacles and criticism. This mind-set must begin with you and then spread to your team and organization. The following story from the Seeing Red Cars film is a wonderful example of the tremendous potential of a singular, unwavering focus on a goal. Imagine what could be accomplished with a whole work team of Cliff Youngs.

In 1983, Cliff Young decided to run the Sydney-to-Melbourne Ultra Marathon Race. The six-day, 875-kilometer run is considered to be the world’s toughest race. That’s more than 500 miles! Only the most elite runners are up to the challenge.

Ready to go, Young, a 61-year-old farmer, is wearing a sweater and galoshes. When the marathon starts, the runners leave Young and his galoshes behind. The crowds laugh because he appears to be shuffling his feet instead of running correctly. Mockingly, it is called the “Young Shuffle.” But because he never read a book on racing and never talked to another runner, at night, when everyone else is sleeping, he shuffles right by them, nonstop for five and a half days. Young won that race. He broke the record by nine hours. He knew what he wanted, focused on that, and kept running.

When people try new approaches, they are often mocked until the new approaches are proven to work. They need to have the courage to press on and not be deterred by others’ comments or snickers. Since Cliff Young’s success, the Young shuffle has been adopted by other ultramarathon runners because it expends less energy. Young’s story is one of dedication and determination and a clear example of achieving success through focusing on what you want.

You know what your options are: more of what you don’t want or more of what you want. It’s time to make the right choice. Focus on what you really do want. It’s waiting out there for you.