The grass is often not greener Shaneil’s comment that he has consistently observed that “small companies and big companies often struggle with similar things from a strategy and operations perspective,” I couldn’t help but think how typical! How often do we, at an individual level, think how great it would be to be at point X like so-and-so. That would be a much better place to be than where we are! The same thinking unsurprisingly occurs with organizations. Although it isn’t intuitive to think that big companies, with all the resources and manpower, would be trying to solve the similar problems small companies are, it makes sense. After all, a lot of organizational problems aren’t related to hard resources like funds and material resources, but rather are problems around human and information resources. Throwing money to these problems doesn’t solve them--and that’s the equalizing factor. I think this presents opportunities for both sides of the fence to be smarter and more creative in creating cultures that anticipate these soft problems and creates and commits to sustaining proactive cultures that are proactive towards addressing them. A bottom line imperative for both sides There’s something we can do to address resistance to change Again, intuitively, we know inclusive decision making renders an easier time for change and transition as opposed to top down directives. Unsurprisingly though, organizations often opt for an easier route - change initiated by top-down directives. As Shaneil and Jonathan point out, there’s value in seeking and taking into consideration opinions and insights from lower levels of the organization in the process of change. Not only does that unearth insights that would otherwise be missed in the top-down approach, but it also encourages active participation and fosters a sense of belonging and stake in part of employees. This feeling of ownership towards desired change is critical in successful and sustainable implementation of desired change actions. When this part of the decision making process is an active part of the culture, the organization benefits from being a place where people can bring their thinking and contribute their best work because they feel it is valued. Jonathan & Shaneil's Book/Resource Recommendations
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