Transforming organizations through transparency and effective tools is key. Organizational change involves rallying people together. One of my favorite books is “The Art of Doing Twice the Work in Half the Time.” I’ve bought and distributed almost 100 copies of this book and led numerous group discussions. Nearly everyone I have handed this book to scoffed in disbelief at the ideas presented in the title.
As an organizational leader, you are expected to be effective above all else. Your leadership should be as bold as the title of that book. It begins with self-awareness and realizing it is less about being right and more about moving the team and your partners forward.
I have found five rules to follow that drive and enable change and will allow you to deliver more than was asked for.
Learn How to Come Alongside Others’ Ideas
Many technology leaders can identify flaws in others’ ideas and plans, adeptly pointing out potential challenges. However, it’s essential to shift focus toward the direction of the idea and listen to what they aim to achieve, rather than solely focusing on obstacles. By understanding the desired outcomes and objectives behind the idea, rather than fixating on hurdles, we can concentrate on enabling and implementing the idea effectively to attain the desired outcomes.
Ignore the Solution
We are most often told exactly what a stakeholder wants us to build and less frequently we are told why they need a new feature or function. Delivering exactly what they requested often means we did not deliver what they needed. It is up to us to present a non-confrontational challenge and take the time to learn what they are looking for.
A stakeholder recently came to my team with a request for a new PowerBI dashboard. The request was well-defined in what information they wanted to see and even how they wanted it to look. After our initial conversation, it was clear the new dashboard would not add any value. It was simply going to be a new way to present data they were already collecting and reporting on. While we dug into the data and workflow, we realized that the way they used to collect and prepare the data was error-prone and manual. We proposed a new way to reduce manual creation and consolidation of the data first, and then to automate the reporting in a dashboard. The result exceeded their expectations.
Had we built exactly what they asked for, their team would still be spending one day a week typing in data and knowing it was less than 80 percent of the data they needed. It would have looked great on a dashboard and delivered no value to the organization.
Say No
It is easy for teams to say yes to each request that comes in and difficult to say no or not now. Giving your team the ability to prioritize their work, the uninterrupted time to focus on their work and the tools to communicate with all stakeholders will produce surprising results. Supporting them when they say they have to complete the new feature for Engineering before they can move to the new feature for Product Development gives them time to focus. It will not take long for the organization to see the team complete more work with higher quality in less time. Stakeholder trust will increase in the team and the process.
Expose All Ideas, Not Just the Good or Bad Ones
Most IT requests are submitted in private, and the stakeholders only see what they submitted resulting in an attitude of “just get my stuff done”. IT requests come from all parts of an organization and do not all deliver the same value to the organization. Create a way to present these requests and ideas to the leadership team and give them the role of prioritizing or deprioritizing. The results will be that your team works on higher-value projects, works on fewer pet projects, and delivers value more frequently.
Don’t Do Other People’s Jobs
Our systems are designed to make our jobs easier by providing access to information and access to people with knowledge. As technology leaders, we need to reinforce the use of these systems whether it is enforcing data standards and enforcing complete data entry so support teams are not tasked with endless re-work, or as simple as reminding people to use their calendars so others don’t have to send multiple emails asking for availability.
Be Willing to Live in a Glass House
Making your team’s work visible to the organization will not be positively received by all stakeholders. Those stakeholders that want to secretly push their items to the top of the backlog will cast stones. They may have been able to work under the radar and apply positional influence to get their ideas worked on in the past. Assuming your organization has an annual strategic plan, and it has been communicated with strategic priorities it becomes critical to align your team’s work to support these strategies. It is critical to find a way to report on your work and backlog and re-check it with the strategy to make sure you are working on the right things at the right time. Making your work visible will deliver the most organizational value.
These techniques will not work in every organization. In many cases, these tactics will be fodder for your peers to walk you out the door. In those organizations where self-preservation is the most important value and team members lift themselves by sabotaging others, this approach could be a career-limiting move. These contrarian rules may also be exactly what those organizations need to change.
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I thrive on building teams and nurturing talent. As an experienced executive leader, I have a proven track record of identifying and implementing new technologies and processes that drive revenue, reduce costs, and optimize systems. My background spans Human Resources, Organizational Training, Operations, Retail, and Ecommerce, all connected by a focus on technology and innovation. This diverse experience enables me to guide organizations through their digital journeys while reinforcing a strong culture and deepening their connection to customers.
