My question today:  is working on the firm – those internally-focused initiatives of planning, training, and individual and organization development – really worth the time, energy, and financial investment involved?

At some level the answer is (for most all of us) yes – since few would argue that they or their firms are perfect.  That said, it’s common that leaders believe business performance improvement is both possible and worth it – while at the same being unwilling to invest in the actions required for change and improvement.

There are of course many reasons – or justifications – for this lack of action. How we as individuals – managers, leaders, owners, and professionals – act and react depends in part on our experiences, expectations, objectives, and beliefs – and our individual (and unique) perspectives on our business and our world.  Key factors include our own future vision, individual and organization mission, strategic objectives, short to mid-term action goals, and (importantly) how we view the issues, obstacles, and constraints standing between us, our companies, and our dreams.

In fact, an important first step in addressing the case for organization (or personal) improvement is considering what’s holding you back today – the primary obstacles in your field of view. Though again there are a variety of possibilities – I’ve group here some the most common constraining beliefs into four categories.  Which one best fits you – describing how you think about the possibilities of investing in business performance improvement?

1. The opportunity here is small.  Some leaders simply don’t see a big opportunity for meaningful improvement in their firms.  For them, the gap between current reality and what’s possible is not that significant – when compared with the cost, level of effort, and perceived risk of the work. Not surprisingly, this view is most often seen in profitable companies, where historical success encourages leaders to ’stick with what has worked’ and the status quo.

2. These programs don’t deliver.  Other leaders (many of whom do see improvement opportunities in their firms) simply don’t believe that the common initiatives of organization development and business improvement will really work to deliver meaningful, bottom line results.  Examples include those who don’t believe that marketing initiatives (though tried-and-true in product settings) make sense for professional services firms; those who view leadership development and transition in small organizations as something very different from ‘big companies’; or those who believe that longer-term, strategic planning can’t be achieved – or has little value – in the uncertain business climate of today. The views of these leaders may be colored by poor experiences in the past, or by little to no experience at all – but in either case, it’s the skepticism of the tools of business improvement success that defines this group.

3. It may work, but it won’t for us.  Still other leaders see both the opportunity for improving their organizations and the efficacy of the various improvement methods – but don’t believe that particular initiatives will succeed in their own organization.  Behind this view are many (and varied) obstacles or constraints.  Some issues are common to professional services firms generally –such as the challenge of achieving leadership consensus and alignment; others are more specific to the individual firm itself (related to a particular event, client, or team member).  Also commonly exhibited in many organizations are individuals with a high orientation and value of self, and concurrent lack of belief or faith in others [‘I get it, but they won’t.’]  Whether the perceived shortcoming is accurate or not – the issue of focus in this group is the organization’s ability to execute and achieve the objective.

4. It’s important, but not urgent.  Finally, there is a significant block of individuals and firms who see the opportunity and its potential, who believe in the tools available, and who have confidence in their organizations to achieve results – and yet who still don’t act – primarily because they don’t believe in the necessity and urgency for acting in the present. The opportunity is important, but not necessarily a priority now.  [Unfortunately (as most of us know all too well) – a top priority on the list for “tomorrow” may never get done at all].

Frankly, some opportunities really aren’t so urgent.  These are “nice to dos,” rather than “must dos.” Other opportunities should be urgent – but are not treated as such.  The trick here is to thoroughly and objectively assess and consider each opportunity – along with the likely consequences of action or not taking action.  Success requires leaders to well understand the environment and context of their business, forces of change and potential threats on the horizon, and new and developing opportunities (which may or may not look like the opportunities of the past).  This effort – understanding the business, threats and opportunities, and the forces and trends of change – isn’t easy (and frankly it’s only becoming more difficult) – but it is necessary, and a core role of leadership.

These four categories capture and describe most of the situations I’ve experienced – and the primary and underlying reasons, beliefs, and attitudes that AEC leaders have for not taking action with performance improvement.   Again, I believe that it’s an important and useful step to first reflect on your own situation:  which of these groups best describes your perspective, and objections for investing in business improvement?

In subsequent posts, I’ll explore each of these group views in greater detail – highlighting the actual risks and shortcomings observed, while dispelling the myths and wrong-thinking often associated with each objection.  Through this we’ll build together a more deliberate and disciplined case for business performance improvement in the AEC firm, and allow you to create a framework for answering the question I posed at the start:  is investing in business improvement – in your firm – really worth it?

Cheers.

John

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