By: Michael Kanazawa (picture: Charles M. Jones, 1953, Flickr)
You’ve just been tasked with launching a major change effort, “hmm, what to use?”
A question was raised recently to me about the differences between Change Management, Process Reengineering and Corporate Transformation. Often these terms are interchanged, mixed together and used in confusing ways. I was asked to clarify the differences and discuss how and when each should be applied to solve business challenges. Here’s my shot at clarifying the intangible and helping to select the right tool for the right job.
All of these three terms relate to change, but to different levels and types of change. The problem with the fuzzy definitions is that it leads to people applying the wrong practice to their business challenge. It’s like someone saying, “We need to dig a tunnel from England to France; let me get my Black & Decker rechargeable drill.” Or equally bad, “We need to place a screw in the living room wall to hang a mirror; hold on while I get the dynamite.” (more…)
Exactly one year ago, November 11, 2007, I published an online article on HR.com that discussed how Barack Obama was doing a good job of truly engaging people in his campaign, but that he had a slight miss on a particular exchange on LinkedIn. In the article I suggested, ” From my work as an advisor to corporate executives it is clear that CEOs who engage their workforce move from having a group of passive followers to people who are active in driving for a cause and willing to take personal accountability for results. Isn’t that what a Presidential hopeful needs in terms of getting out the vote and eventually leading our country?”
Now that the election is over, Barack Obama’s campaign so clearly showed the power of a leader getting people engaged in their cause it is worth calling out again and sharing some key tips to leverage in your own leadership. (more…)
Generating innovations for future growth while the economy is down, capital sources are scarce, and the markets continue to evolve quickly is a challenge facing many organizations today. Given the breadth of companies facing this challenge, I wanted to share some best practices from our experience that are practical and systemic answers to this challenge. (more…)
The Association of Strategic Planning published an article on our Market Maps framework for customer-driven strategic planning. Below is a clip from ASP’s monthly newsletter with a link to the article.
This Month’s Feature Article: Market Maps: a New Strategy Tool to Deliver the iPod, Wii, or Prius of Your Industry
According to author Michael Kanazawa, author of Big Ideas to Big Results and ASP member, the seventies brought the BCG matrix, the eighties Porter’s Five Forces, and the nineties Core Process Reengineering (CPR). Now, in the new millennium Kanazawa brings to the strategic planning world Market Maps, a new framework for creating strategy from the customer perspective. Find out more about this new strategy tool by reading the whole article on ASP’s web site.
A Checklist and Process for Conducting Rapid Due Diligence on Your Own Company
By: Michael Kanazawa
When economic storms strike businesses, often the first move is to quickly reorganize to reduce costs. This is often a necessary move to reduce the fixed cost structure of the business. However, if done without a sense of strategy and priorities, it can damage healthy parts of the business and miss the opportunity for even deeper reductions in ailing parts of the business. The ability to conduct a rapid and sound strategic assessment can create an important distinction between flailing and decisive action. Conducting a form of due diligence on your own company can provide a fast way to set direction and priorities without just relying on gut feel, politics, and outdated assumptions to make the changes. In this post we share a specific checklist and process to get through an assessment fast. (more…)
By: Michael Kanazawa
The American Management Association recently published an article I wrote in ‘Executive Matters’ that highlights the challenges with traditional approaches to corporate change programs and three key tips for making sure that your corporate change efforts succeed. People have become highly skeptical and jaded about corporate change programs…and often for good reason. The article provides a great overview and specific tips for a better and more accelerated approach to change management.
For a full copy of the article, click here.
By: Michael Kanazawa
One of the concepts from our book that has truly struck a chord with people is the concept of doing “More ON Less.” People seem worn out with the old and tired saying and approach of trying to do “more with less, ” which does little to drive great execution or to get the best from people in challenging times. On the other hand, doing More on Less drives focus, concentration of resources, and can generate breakthrough results.
Just recently I spoke at a LeaveSmarter conference and the sponsor posted a video cut of that presentation on YouTube. They selected the section about doing more on less so I thought I’d share it here on the blog. It is a great explanation of what we mean and the challenges that arise when you go with the common phrase and idea of doing more with less, versus doing More on Less. (more…)
By: Michael Kanazawa
Sometimes the greatest and most expansive innovations come through projects with the greatest constraints. For some, there is a belief that brainstorming on breakthrough innovations must be done without boundaries. However, these exercises often result in unconstrained outputs that are scattered, unfocused, and impractical.
In contrast, putting significant constraints on an outcome forces more structured thinking and often a need for breakthrough ideas to achieve the results despite the constraints. This month Raj Setty shares in his ChangeThis manifesto a form called “mini sagas” as a way to force yourself to think more clearly. He challenges us to write a full story in exactly 50 words. It’s tough and it takes a creative mind to tell a full story that in that few words and in an exact number of words. Mainly these are fun examples of creative writing, but there is a very practical application to setting growth strategies and running effective strategic brainstorming work. (more…)
By: Michael Kanazawa
In most of my experiences with our ACT process, we’ve been working to accelerate strategic change at corporations. We’ve also worked with our process with public educational institutions, which has always been enjoyable because the end “product” of developing future leaders is so rewarding. One area I haven’t spent a lot of time thinking about is how our process could be applied to social change or to quite literally, change the world.
Two things happened this week that are opening my eyes to the opportunity for our process to help change the world. One was an article about the breakdown between policy changes and real-world impact within our government and the other was a real surprise and practical interpretation of our work from a pet rescue non-profit founder who is looking to change the world. (more…)
By: Michael Kanazawa
Earlier this week my eBook “People Don’t Hate Change, They Hate How You’re Trying to Change Them” was posted on the Change This! site. Change This! is a site with free, downloadable essays and mini-books. It was conceived by Seth Godin and is now run by 800 CEO Read. If you haven’t been there yet, it is worth a good look.
This eBook is a great, and free, way to sample what we have to say if you haven’t read the book yet, and a fantastic way to share our message with others who would benefit from it. Anybody who is challenged with implementing a strategy or major initiative, looking to accelerate their results, and fully engage their organization would benefit from the ideas and tips. If the concepts make sense to you, please help us spread the word by forwarding or sharing the link to the eBook.
Michael Fitzgerald who writes for BNET, The New York Times and Fast Company and many other top publications calls the essay a “fun and mind-turning essay” that provides “an excellent synopsis of the book ‘Big Ideas to Big Results.’” Hope you enjoy and find value in this latest piece.
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Michael Kanazawa shares recent insights and tips about the no-nonsense, results-driven approach to driving business breakthroughs found in his new book Big Ideas to Big Results.