Getting Unstuck: Facilitating Organizational Change – a Conversation with Jeff and Kirsten

Today on Getting Unstuck

What does real organizational change look like in action? We’ve talked a lot about change here on our podcast, and we’ve written extensively about the process in our forthcoming book, but talking and writing about it, and actually facilitating it are different. So today, we’re shifting from our traditional format where we interview someone about some aspect of change. Instead, here we have an informal discussion around a change initiative we’re currently leading for a client – a change initiative where we are putting ideas into practice.

The “super-objective” template shown here was adapted from Kimberly Davis’ description in her book Brave Leadership. It succinctly answers the question “What impact are we trying to have on behalf of those we serve?” In short, “Why do we exist?”

The department with which we are working developed the following super-objective:
”(organization name) sales intends to partner with educators to live their mission and inspire today’s students to be tomorrow’s thinkers“

Listen for

• The infinite view versus the finite view

• A description of our three-part change process

• “Smart” and “healthy” organizations

• What we look for in a change leader

• Why we start with understanding what’s on the minds of the organization’s people

• What’s important about defining the “super-objective,” and how to develop it

• Why and how we define an organization’s desired “Future” state along with its “Current” state – and what knits the two together

• The process behind the ToP “Technology of Participation” method

• What the organization discovered

• Next steps: designing the organizational “flywheel,” conducting a cross-functional innovation lab, and 1:1 coaching

Kirsten facilitating the session that informed the development of the super-objective. The key aspect of the facilitation is that it literally forces everyone to put their own ideas out there for discussion. It moves dramatically away from traditional brainstorming where only a few voices may dominate. Once the ideas are “on the wall,” the participants can group them into large ideas.

For more information

The Advantage by Patrick Lencioni (“smart” and “healthy” organizations)

Brave Leadership by Kimberly Davis

ToP (technology of participation) method of facilitation

Turning the Flywheel by Jim Collins