Supply Lines and Change Management

The world is moving faster than ever. Sometimes I struggle to keep up with it all. Whether I'm chasing the unattainable goal of an empty Inbox, managing multiple organization-wide changes, or trying to maintain a reasonable meetings load each day, I continue to wonder how I'm ever going to keep it all under control. 

Fast Is Good
Don't misinterpret my opening comments. I like changing things up to improve, and I certainly love courageous leaders who aren't afraid to push organizations forward. So many companies are mired in analysis-paralysis that I wonder if any decisions are made. I've worked in some of those places, and it can be downright frustrating to feel trapped in that corporate culture.

"Breakthroughs happen when leaders are brave enough to push their organizations forward."

Too Fast Is Dangerous
The world of work is filled with military references: the war for talent, negotiations being framed as a battle, and so on. One important lesson from the military that I believe is noticeably absent from the discourse at work has to do with supply lines.

In times of rapid changes (read here --> advancement in war) the front lines are never extended beyond the reach of the supply lines. If that connection is lost, important resources, supplies and expertise are compromised and the effort is put at extreme risk for failure.

The same concept holds true in the workplace. If changes are happening so quickly that leaders and staff are not able to maintain an appropriate supply of information, tools, and resources, the change effort is also at risk to fail.

How About You
What approaches do you use to ensure the change efforts in your organization don't outstretch your corporate supply lines? Are you able to keep your leadership team properly refueled and supported; or, have you simply focused on the speed of change and inadvertently put the effort at unnecessary risk?

I'd love to hear from you.

No Excuses.



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