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This was a search that landed on the HorizontalChange blog.
I have spent three days thinking about it.
THE most important? Tough.
Here are some things that are in the running:
- Highest executive ownership
- External guidance
- Makes sense
- Cash
- Competency
Highest executive ownership
When I ask stakeholders what they think is the most important thing for their change, to a person, they respond with something that has to do with the connection of the top level leader to the change and the work it involves. I call this person the owner (credit to Alan Weiss- his version being the executive a consultant should contract with). The owner holds the money, the influence and the highest level visibility (yes, not necessarily the most power or the most influence).
Stakeholders expect this person to be involved, to be present, to be available and to add work effort (not just management) to the initiative. When they see the buck passed they dial back their energy. When the leader is non existent for this change they push back. When this has been a pattern for a long time (which would describe just about every organization) they expect to see a marked improvement this time around.
My ultimate consultant fantasy is to work with a leader who gets this and is willing to be consulted on approaches to leverage their gift of connection.
External guidance
Change is about tweaking, removing, replacing or redoing status quo (“the state in which” as opposed to the end state). The change appears necessary because the current state is not working in some way. It takes a very self aware person to rejigger their own status quo, let alone replace it completely. Multiply that by the number of stakeholders you have and then increase it geometrically for all of the combinations of status quo that have evolved and you have a scenario that is impossible to change on your own.
External guidance, the right kind that consults for your business and its people, is crucial for big change.
Among other things an external consultant can roam your organization to make connections and create collaboration that internals shy away from. An external can reveal all of those status quo scenarios so they can be discussed in the open. A change management consultant can anticipate the things that slow change, cost money and increase risk. An external is disconnected enough to move from long term to short term thinking in an instant. A senior version of our fertilizing outside influence can also address strategy and tactics back and forth.
Makes sense
What is the point of change if it does not make sense? And yet many, many changes do not. Sometimes they do not for just a few individuals; sometimes for groups; sometimes for the organization (see previous paragraph to at least have these called out). When change does not make sense at a lower level than corporate strategy (and assuming that strategy is defensible) it needs to be explained.
Taketh in one area and you may be able to give in another. There are many things in life that do not make much sense, but life in general is pretty cool; there are many things about change that do not make sense, but growth and improvement does.
Cash
This one will not make the cut because change is chronically under budgeted. If the money could be made available to do it right then cash would quickly rise to the “most important aspect” status.
Cash in general is pretty important. Just as important is how it is used. The balance of budget for now and budget for bigger things never seems to line up when it comes to change- likely because not a whole lot of change can take place within the yearly budget cycle of organizations (let alone some quarterly measures).
So we will say the right amount of cash spent wisely is important.
Competency
You can have ownership, some great external consulting, change that makes sense and your choice of currency to pay for the effort and then find you are way short of talent. Usually you are short of skill (easy to outsource- I always mean independent consultants when I use that word, not second language phone banks), but often you are (also) short of competencies (mid level leadership group of competencies being the most obvious).
With all the slicing and dicing of people and structure that has gone on in the last 3+ years this is VERY common. But of all of our categories this is the easiest one to overcome (see previous category- Cash).
Any of these areas could be considered “the most important aspect”. Other things like a strong PMO, good internal change approaches (example: a corporate change management entity), a clean history of previous changes or positive energy could all be added to the list.
I think the most important aspect of Change Management is the thread that sews this all together. It is the thread that strategizes; that plans; that questions; that collaborates; that looks within; that asks for perspective from outside; that understands context; that explains and that enjoys using talent for the work it produces and the accomplishment that results.
That red (or yellow or blue if you want subtlety) fiery thread that connects change, time and people- that is the most important aspect.
Technorati Tags: change management, change management strategy, Context, Garrett Gitchell, stakeholders, vision to work
What would it look like if change, started from scratch, was done right?
- Find a senior change management consultant for a trusted advisor.
- Answer why.
- Connect to expertise.
- Engage.
- Divide the journey into parts.
- Manage time.
- Cycle your change process.
Trusted Advisor
If you are in the “pre-scratch” spot now is the time to bring in a senior external consultant. My pick, obviously, is an independent consultant ( you can always add other options later, the independent choice will give you both control and flexibility- not so with other options).
Why
Because most organizations dictate it the business case will begin to form quickly. That’s great, it is one side of the why equation. The tough side from a change standpoint is the why for people, especially for individuals and groups. Get that explanation and description clear early (and adapt as you gather feedback from stakeholders).
Expertise
Change requires people.
Helping them to participate, while often difficult, is not the most important thing about the people component.
Expertise is.
I coach young kids soccer; they love it, but we do not always win. I consult for change; people are led to engage, but they do not always know what they are doing.
From scratch determine if you will have the right people for the tasks at hand. The scratch viewpoint of this is a high level, in general picture. As you work back from the end state you will have a better idea of exactly what skills and competencies will be needed on your change journey.
As you move forward (to move backward to move forward again) always keep expertise in mind. People like to know how good they are at their work. People like to be acknowledged for their talent. This is one of the reasons people participate (I think the most powerful of the list). Use expertise in a human way to get to your business goals.
Engage
Once you have a broad view of expertise in relation to your change you can engage. Most change initiatives do not engage very well or at all early enough. There is fear of transparency and it clouds approach. Trust yourself. Do so and your stakeholders will trust you and so the change.
Now engage to gather perspective, information and gauge energy (call it “readiness” if you have to) as the foundation for your end state(s) description. Expertise should be your guiding banner (not some false inclusion approach). You value the talent you have; you engage with that talent to get to mutual goals. A great start for change from scratch.
Phases
Don’t let your PMO and project managers get their hands on the change too quickly. Doing do eliminates the chance to have change from scratch. They do a fantastic job, but, remember that expertise thing? Their expertise is in chunking up the business side of the journey and then assigning tasks (actually they tend to be detail oriented and make the tasks first then chunk them into groups). As with all competencies use in the right place at the right time.
Phases help the PMO organize and are the best time to partner CM and PM. Layering of CM within PM by phase works well (as long as you have paid attention to our previous categories and that trusted advisor is there).
Manage Time
Your PMO and PM’s will focus intensely on time and timing. From scratch change requires a different perspective of time. When you mention a moment in time, say an adoption date or for IT the date you turn off the legacy system, things change (a different meaning for the word change). “When” for change should not be addressed officially until you have things lined up clearly (and really understand your stakeholders and the end state). IT engagements especially fall apart if the drop dead date is announced too soon (having a drop dead date is not a good idea in the first place).
From scratch change must manage the use of time, the meaning of timing and the announcement of times. Be realistic about timing. Be flexible about longer time frame pieces of your change. Much like promises, do not force yourself into admitting you made a mistake. And do not encourage mistakes by forcing timing.
Change is Ongoing
And ubiquitous and always going to happen and inevitable. So why not leverage current change for that next one in the future. I don’t mean laying down a turn key process (there is no such thing no matter what that other firm may be telling you). Set up patterns in this change of exchange, interaction, use of expertise and communication that can be replicated and, ideally, culturized for positive effect now and into the future. Make some change management aspects operational.
Change Management from scratch rarely, if ever, happens. We would be living in a different business environment if it did (and I honestly thing, especially in this environment the companies that figure out how to do this will leave their competitors standing still when things pick up).
To start from scratch for change requires a trusted advisor placed contracting with the owner, realistic and transparent why descriptions, connection with expertise, engagement, understanding of time and culturization of the positives. If, as a senior leader, you can figure out how to do this…
Technorati Tags: Big Picture, business objectives, Buyer, CEO, change management, External Consultant, Garrett Gitchell, vision to work
I snicker a little about this title.
It is good I left the date out- just in case it turns out NEXT year is the year of the Change Agent (at least we know it was not last year).
“The Year of the Change Agent” a post from David Armano gets the first change topic for 2012 spinning from blog to blog, discussion to discussion.
His points:
Seeds of change come from thoughts, behaviors, perception and outcome. Yes.
Why this year is the Year of the Change Agent
- Everyone is restless (in a good way)
- Companies have a TON of money stashed in the vault
- Some intense learning, evaluating and interchange happened last year
- Change Management has left its infancy
- Positive will rule this year
Everyone is restless (in a good way)
Fear (and fear mongering), pining for the past (that never actually happened) and living in a strictly tactical short term world will either kill you or make you strong. For this year I am predicting strong. Bouncing off of negative toward strength tends to make you a little edgy. That becomes urgency at some point- the GOOD kind of urgency that invites and stimulates participation. Get some make sense change going (which gives you permission to call yourself a Change Agent) and you are likely to jump ahead of your competitors.
Companies have a TON of money stashed in the vault
Change ain’t cheap.
Luckily companies have hoarded cash over the last couple of years. Some of that will get released this year. Things will change as a result. And someone will be the agent for that.
Some intense learning, evaluating and interchange happened last year
When you park senior externals and thought leaders in an environment where hustling work likely makes no sense (like a lot of the last two years, unless you downgraded your resume and profile for junior roles) they LEARN. They read, they write, they look at competitors, they draw on every napkin they can find and then they share- first with each other and eventually with clients and customers. This year is that year of sharing.
I can feel the gates opening with discussions that bounce from one place to another. I can see it in thoughtful blog posts (it is nice to not be rushed when writing). I hear it in the way senior consultants frame their explanations.
Some thinking and learning has been happening.
Change Management has left its infancy
I said to a model-oriented-follow-the-steps-exactly consultant the other day that past models and approaches were juvenile and current thought leaders are pulling Change Management into adulthood. The exchange did not go well. Those who have clung to CM status quo (that just seems so weird, how can you be a change agents if you hold onto the past?) are retiring. Maybe not this year, but their numbers are dwindling. Hopefully the young does and bucks keep the good stuff from the past as Change Agents.
Positive will rule this year
Enough of the negative.
Positive people get picked on (been there, live there), but have you noticed they have a lot of friends? Others reach out to them, connect with them, want to partner with them.
What if we just got every third person to be more positive?
Think of the change.
This year is the year of the Change Agent because nobody likes NO change. And certainly everyone dislikes change that goes backwards. We have had a lot of the no change and a good degree of the backward kind (both meanings intended). Now it is time for some people to carry the flag as Agents of Change.
Technorati Tags: Big Picture, C level, CEO, change awareness, change management, engagement, External Consultant, strategy, vision to work
At some point things will really pick up (they are slowly moving now) in terms of change roles, strategy and innovation (which is the precursor for strategy and the need for strategic resources). I think late 2012, possibly after the US elections , will be that time.
- At least for senior change practitioners I think we will see demand quickly outstrip supply. Consultants are often on one year to two year engagements now. Each time one of those engagements starts someone is off the market. The supply can run out fast.
- At that point mid level consultants are going to begin to question the need for third parties and raise their rates. When clients feel their margins hit they will look to contract directly with consultants to slow that process. At the same time third parties will begin to get squeezed and consolidate or move on to the next vacuum.
- Negative, resistance fighting change will not be popular.
- Templated change will follow strategy (or clients will be talked out of the purchase and customize their own change).
- Change management will break out of its infancy and become more sophisticated. Understanding motivators and expectations will rank high on the CM competency list.
- Change management consultants, external and internal, will be expected to mentor others.
- The differences between strategic and tactical change will be called out by thought leaders and understood by organizational leaders.
Some signs that things are changing:
- Rates are rising quickly
- Clients are asking for ASAP availability (and actually speeding up their processes to make sure they get the right talent fast)
- Old roles from 2011 are reappearing (with rates 30 – 40% higher)
- Those same roles, even with the raised rates are going unfilled
- Clients are making contacts directly with consultants
- The big consulting firms are posting, and calling about, sub contracting roles (the step that occurs before they begin to fill their stable again)
- I can vouch for a big increase in blog traffic with longer average time per visit to posts that reflect approach, cost and internal/external discussions (that always means hiring will pick up)
I could make a list of things I hope will happen in 2012, all of which would be a return to client consultant direct relationships for both contracting and partnership. I think we have lost that.
Third party (and four and five) arrangements have squeezed client and consultant. When consultants must hustle roles the instant they finish a previous engagement (because they are barely compensated more than employees [who have also had a major hit to compensation in the last few years]) there is no time for the kind of thought, education and skill building that make them so valuable. When clients must refill roles (which rarely happens in direct relationships) they spend (for the right consultant who will now charge, if they are smart, a premium for the client mistake of bringing them in late) everything they saved and more.
Constriction, sometimes euphemistically called “cost savings” eventually has significant and costly (to steal the word) effects. We will see some of those surface in 2012. If the constriction lasts longer we will begin to see an erosion in competency, innovation and ability to change smoothly and “quickly”. I am rooting for the turnabout soon.
Technorati Tags: change management, change management consultant, organizational change, strategy
Previous parts to this series addressed: Consultant to Client questions and Client to Consultant questions.
Today’s post is about a secondary (but no less important) client, the implementary leader.
This is the person that the owner looks to for execution.
It is important to make the distinction between the two. Stakeholders know the difference and respond accordingly (“response” sometimes means do nothing at all or at least only fake doing things). The implementary leader is tasked with, and measured by, getting things done. They must make the translation(s) from strategy to work to end state. They should not be the actual client for a change management consultant- everyone knows where the money comes from.
Questions from the consultant help flesh out the perspective of this client, start to define their role in different terms than the organization may have used in the past and help them to begin understanding how they can fill their mixed strategy and execution responsibilities.
- What does this change mean to you?
- What is your role in the organization?
- What is your role in this change?
- How are you measured?
- How would you describe your relationship to the owner?
- How would you describe your relationship with stakeholders?
What does this change mean to you?
This is a wide open question that will reveal how they see this whole change thing- both THIS change and change management in general.
If they begin crafting a, “how this makes sense to me” message you have a good head start. If they spend more time explaining themselves in terms of the organization you may have some work to do. This is a role that must constantly switch from operations to strategy/change/the future. If they are not used to that pattern help will be in order.
It is helpful if their answer says something about how important this role is for their career. Change management works best when it calls out, uses and leverages the skill, strength and competencies of individual stakeholders. The best place to start that pattern is with our two clients. We could debate over which one will have the most influence. The effect has to do with stretching into uncharted territory and trust from stakeholders.
What is your role in the organization?
This always produces interesting responses.
Do they see themselves as the real leader (because the owner conveniently disappears when the going gets tough)? Are they intensely task focused with their answer? Do they give a business answer, a people answer or both?
You may not see this yet as the consultant but their answer will reveal how much they truly understand the combination of the organization, their role and the end state. Likely they will get the first and be vague on the second and third (especially the end state- rarely does anyone have a good answer the first time around).
What is your role in this change?
This will be a business answer, which is fine.
This should be something like, “I am the translator of strategy to action”; “This will require understanding and then the use of talent. It is my responsibility to tie the two together”; “This change has to make sense for each individual, it is my responsibility to find a way to have that happen”, etc.
They will need to have a clear understanding of the strength (and or weakness) of the owner. They will need to understand the change. They will need to place themselves in the stakeholders spot. Then they will need to tie that all together- that is their role.
How are you measured?
The problem is that is not what they are or will be measured on.
They will be measured by time (not a good measurement when individuals and change are involved). The faster things happen the more credit they will get. I said “things” not the change. They need to figure out (likely with the consultants help) how to satisfy the things that give them compensation, illustrate the things tied to change that it would make sense for them to be measured on and get the change to happen as smoothly and quickly as possible.
How would you describe your relationship to the owner?
Their connection to the owner is important.
It is fantastic if there is a true partnership. Stakeholders are wise and see very well. If that partnership exists and both individuals can give their own “make sense” explanation of the change then people listen, people respond and the necessary work can happen.
If they do not have a partnership then the implementary client must carry the load. Organic change does happen and can work. When that is the environment the implementary leader is the “owner”- without the cash, without the standing and without official political leverage.
How would you describe your relationship with stakeholders?
I personally like this one because it reveals this persons level of empathy.
A good answer is part human connection and part business. This role must address both. A good implementary leader is both command and control and empowering. Their relationship with the stakeholders of the this change balanced against the timeline and the list of things that need to get done will determine when they command and when they guide. If they do not understand that relationship they will likely choose the wrong approach at all the wrong times.
The implementary leader must possess and use a mixed set of skills and competencies. One minute they are strategic and the next tactical. One minute they are the visible leader the next just one of the many stakeholders. With one statement they can explain the make sense nature of the change for themselves. With one question to the stakeholder they can see if they have made the translation from strategy to action. The questions the consultant asks can reveal the implementary leaders capability and capacity or this change.
Technorati Tags: business objectives, change management, engagement, Executive, External Consultant, makes sense change, strategic change management, strategy, tactical change management, tactics, vision to work
“…The project involves a highly political process change, so although it is important for you to understand how to design/develop engaging materials, you must also understand how to create materials that will influence a change in user mindset and behavior…”
A publicly available contract listing for a “change execution resource” (off Dice.com- I will be nice and save the originator a link)
This should have been my Halloween post because this is SCARY!
Let’s break down the scary into little mini rushes of adrenaline rather than one big heart-attack-inducing dump of fear:
- A “project” with highly political process change is most likely a program and very likely an initiative.
- “…highly political process”. I will translate: their will be layoffs, and/or this is a merger with one unhappy entity (likely the acquisitioned), some leader is REALLY against this, this is actually a post for a large consulting firm, there is a big outside environmental influence (maybe actual politics). Either way the landing spot for the person who fills the role is going to be like a haunted house.
- “although it is important for you to understand how to design /develop engaging materials…” is taking the assumption that the design and development of “materials” is change management.
- “…you must understand how to create materials that will influence a change in user mindset and behavior…”. Sorry to scare you a second time with that line. We all know that materials that go beyond engaging (whatever that is) can absolutely change mindset and behavior. One good article and I am ready to go change my political affiliation (snark).
- This is a third party post so the actual client is saved being scared by their own change (unless this is the clients words… sorry scared you again).
Our one scary sentence illustrates succinctly what change management consultants and internal leaders who “get it” must push out of the way like you do with spider webs to make any headway with change. If it is political, requires process change, demands at the least engaging materials and is expected to lead to stakeholder mindset and behavior change, the person who responds to this ad is not the answer. They are either fearless (which will make everything worse) or naive (which will make everything worse and set it in stone- maybe the kind with dates carved in…).
“…highly political process change…” that can be addressed with materials that “…influence mindset and behavior…” is client nirvana. For a consultant or an internal leader that thought process is just scary.
Technorati Tags: change awareness, change management, Communications, engagement, vision to work
Webster has given us the 2011 word of the year:
pragmatic (adjective)
: practical as opposed to idealistic
“willing to see things as they really are and deal with them sensibly <a pragmatic man, not given to grand, visionary schemes>”
…which ties in nicely to the year we have had for change management. Our words to add might be execute, tactical, deliverable and realistic.
Surprisingly I am all for the approach for 2011.
If there is no way to do the big thing right get some little stuff done- call it change management quick wins.
This year was not a good time to try the big things.
Resources are stripped, everyone is fearful (even some executives) and inexperienced and cheap outsourcing is on the rise. Better to wait until things get better.
Pragmatic for change management is a good platform to stand on, fall down to and launch off of.
I could tweak the definition though… “willing to deal with things sensibly because of the way they are.”
Pragmatic suddenly does not look so good.
Sensibly dealing with something that does not make sense, is that pragmatic?
Webster states that most of the people who looked up our word of the year wondered if it was considered a positive term (it is).
So if it is positive what are the antonyms?
Antonyms blue-sky, idealistic, impractical, unrealistic, utopian, visionary
Ha, only one, “visionary”, has mostly positive connotations.
I wonder if visionary will ever make the list.
Technorati Tags: change management, vision, vision to work
A title in a Linked in discussion forum: “Does your organization have a change plan for 2012?”.
My first reaction was that anything that can fall into a year (unless we are talking about a small organization) is more likely a project, maybe a program, but not likely large change. Plans for the next year are not change management (and I would say this type of thinking dilutes change management into two words that mean anything you want) they are operations. You could list the things that are changing. You could call out the things that might be different the next year (maybe a little mini end state). But if you are talking about the organization as a whole it is not a change plan.
Really it is tactical strategy (I know today’s oxymoron).
A change plan in the sense of this title (scrunched into a year) is a project plan for the organizations operations for the next year.
To call it otherwise makes the REAL change management difficult- yes everything has change, but why do we keep shining a light on simple operational changes and treating it like the big stuff?
My title question would be: Do you have an operational plan for 2012? with a subtitle of Does it include adjustments for small changes?
Change plans, if there is such a thing, are not for whole organizations for a set period of time. They are templates for defined initiatives that require major adjustments of perspective, work and behavior (almost always lasting more than a year).
Technorati Tags: business objectives, C level, CEO, change management, change management strategy, Change Strategy, strategy
The nice thing about blogging is that you can dream.
Here is a list of Magic project prerequisites (before I wake up):
- An early date to start (within days of the idea for the change).
- The owner (where the money starts) as client.
- Peers of the owner interested in meeting you and discussing the change.
- A PMO looking for strategic assistance.
- A PMO that understands anything bigger than a project HAS to have a senior change management consultant.
- A PMO that realizes number 5 is even more effective when external.
- Middle of the organization leadership competencies.
- No Gatekeepers.
- One person review of communications (and not an internal communications person).
- Willingness to do an early talking heads video.
- Realistic compensation (not what procurement people call “market rate”) at least twice the salary this senior level of talent would get paid if an employee.
- A DIRECT relationship- no second, third and fourth party barriers (to compensation and contracting expectations- in both directions consultant and client).
- Budgeting for the roles of training, communications and tactical change management (for at least each program if not project).
- Willing and eager to learn internal resources.
- The right tools or at least the chance to use your own computer (loaded with the right tools).
- Aversion to the statement, “that’s the way we do things around here”.
- Comfort of, and curiosity for, the word, WHY.
- Empathy (from the owner down or from the line stakeholder up).
- Scheduling flexibility- this is a head role not a hand role, the consultant does not necessarily need to be on site all the time.
- Performance measured by the smooth flow of change (not hours put in- that was our high school job).
Twenty is a good start.
What this magic list is about is respect for a seasoned, reasoned external perspective. What this magic list is about are leaders who take responsibility for their roles as both visionaries and guides for change journeys. What this list is about is people doing work that connects to something important. It is a list about something important being the lever for shared work.
And then I wake up…
Technorati Tags: Buyer, C level, CCM, CEO, change failure, change management, change management consultant, change management strategy, Change Strategy, Context, corporate change management, engagement, executive communications, External Consultant, Fees, horizontal change management, PMO, Value, vision to work
Most initiatives now are global. Many initiatives, and organizations, have some form of work at home option. At the initiative level extra pieces are now added (I have been on initiatives that had space moves, software upgrades, business process design and organizational redesign all at once) which increase the spread- increased spread equals some sort of virtual connection. To be all in one place, meeting together and talking face to face is not only rare now it is almost impossible.
How has this helped?
Work at home makes it much easier for stakeholders and team members to manage work and family. My own kids soccer games seem to fall at the same time as conference calls (unless my parents are talking to themselves).
The global nature of organizations and the change that creates brings in many different perspectives and tweaks to process. In the past we had to wait for those perspectives to arrive- now we are in the moment with exchange.
Since meetings do not apply to each individual at every moment (but to some at certain times) other work gets done at the same time. Taking notes was the extent of the multitasking when we met in the same room.
How has this hindered?
Virtual has created avenues for deferral. “Out of sight, out of mind” certainly applies.
Misinterpretation abounds. Without the ability to match voice to facial expressions meaning gets confused (and motive gets hidden). Tone of voice is easier to disguise than a look in the eye.
Collaboration on deliverables is clunky. Although I must admit the tools available are helping us catch up. (Now understanding the ways we absorb information needs to be added to the mix- Excel rules while drawing programs remain with the graphics people).
Here are some tips:
- Leverage Awareness Sessions- Answering questions is the change management of our times. Interactive sessions organized with clear content and knowledgeable subject matter experts, along with the participation of the leader owner, are the best way to connect when you cannot be there in person. Using video can help at least give a sense of presence.
- Use the phone- I personally believe in the efficiency of instant messaging, but at the point you begin to feel like a typing student you might want to just call. Most organizations have a pattern of setting up a meeting before any phone calling occurs. This is good for efficiency, but bad for spontaneity and one to one connection. Voice to voice unscripted is one step down from in person (and one step up from other virtual communication).
- Go back in time- Use personal notes. They obviously work best for things that are timeless like Thank You’s and Kudos. They can also be effective if you have something to say to a senior leader that is not being heard.
- Rotate team meetings- Plan on travel from team members to outlying work groups and conduct regular meetings from those locations. This is incredibly powerful. You get connection from face to face and you get empathy within the core team as they see the difficulties of communicating without close proximity.
- Use regular updates and tailor them to groups- Regular updates (not too regular though- I have been sucked in to daily updates that take a lot of time away without much extra benefit) are fantastic. Regular updates tailored to the recipients even better. If communication is being repurposed or cascaded why not add a couple of paragraphs from the functional leader to add Voice to the connection?
- Meet in person (for crying out loud)- Am I the only one that thinks five or six people on the phone within visual distance (headsets echoing every time one of them talks) is ridiculous?
- Go outside!- Your environment is virtual. I assume you have a noise cancelling headset (with a special bird, blower, car honk setting)? Get outside. The extra vitamin D will keep you around for many more meetings and the fresh air will go straight to your voice and, just maybe, your tone of voice.
Virtual environments are here to stay. It takes a little adapting but there are distinct advantages to non-collocated work.
Technorati Tags: C level, change communications, change management, communicate, Communication, Communications, engagement, Executive, executive communications
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