A number of conceptual traps lay waiting in implementations. Traps that people can fall into without realizing. In this and the next blog I will outline three common traps. You should review these traps periodically, just to make sure you have not fallen into one of them.
Trap No.1: It’s not about you
We have a tendency to believe that our own opinions and actions are more important than those of others. We look at what we need to do and what we need to get other people to do, without considering what they need to get themselves to do. We sometimes forget that others may have valid ideas as well.
Instead, think of a good implementation as moving from “I” to “they.” This might be a progression, for example, from a world in which you as a facilitator take maximum responsibility for the implementation, to a world in which it would proceed even if you were run over by a bus.
Make yourself obsolete. Bridge the gap between “I” and “they,” by using CORE concepts:
- Setting expectations
- Building ownership and commitment
- Creating and communicating value
In this way you build ownership in the people who will eventually have to take responsibility.
Ask yourself:
- Am I taking on too much?
- Am I delegating enough?
- Are the right people taking ownership?
Trap No.2: Broken trust
Do not set unrealistic expectations. They will ultimately be broken.
If you make a habit of setting unrealistic expectations, you will often be disappointed. But even more important, you will build a culture of mistrust (see my blog “Why do so many change initiatives fail? (2) – You won’t be able to fool all of the people all of the time” for more details).
I will take a closer look at trap No. 3 in my next blog.
________________________
CORE: developed by ProChain Solutions
Article based on Rob Newbold, Making Change Stick, from the book Cox III, James F., and Schleier Jr., John G.,eds. Theory of constraints handbook. New York: The McGraw-Hill Companies Inc., 2010. p. 108-112
