Imagine the car losing control....Organizations face this constantly...

Imagine this scene from a movie...

"A person is driving, the brakes won't work and as the car with its passenger speeds into an uncertain future, the driver begins to press the brake pedal like it's no tomorrow, hoping, just hoping that the brake finally kicks in.  Who knows what the future holds as the car speeds through traffic.  Unfortunately, there is an obstruction up ahead and if not diverted, there will be a massive accident..."  

The driver has a number of choices and I will leave the conclusion up to the readers of this blog....

Of course we don't know what the outcome will be in this scenario, but we know that there are many that could either divert from or become disastrous.  In the article published in the Harvard Business Review, Chris Zook discusses what happens when organizations don't deal with the internal conflicts that have far reaching external circumstances.  Whether it comes from lack of leadership when external crisis occurs, lack of organization's ability to change with the times, or internal infighting, the end result are systemic problems that cannot be ignored. According to Zook, when there are large swings in organizational value, it stems from a total lack of recognition that there are internal problems that needed to be addressed.  So, what are some ways to change the course of this speeding wreck waiting to happen?

*Recognize
Organizational leaders must be astute in recognizing the existing team and realize that exhausted teams only yield little result.  Through interjecting new staff members, ideas,products, initiatives and mission plans, organizations will refresh the existing goals.

*Realize
Leaders must realize that if you want fresh ideas, you must have staff members who are willing to contribute to the idea of having change.  Without individuals with a spirit that thinks "outside of the box", the status quo and the protection of the past will become the norm, thereby being counter productive.

*Replace
Groups thrive only when new players are invited to the team.  Apple is the perfect example of this.  Although its brand has thrived on the I-Phone series, it's original branding was the Apple computer.  Question...do you believe that what worked in 1980 would still apply as we have moved into the second decade in the new millennium?  This is most difficult in larger organizations whose entire mission is to maintain the norm.

*Reverse
There are a number of examples of companies who are faced with challenges due to internal problems and with the ever increasing access to social media, giving only nanoseconds to respond.  Those who can reverse the trend and write their own story may be giving themselves a chance to reverse the affects of declining value.  Sometimes it involves going back to the core values that made the organization thrive in the first place.  As recently as this morning's news, companies including Wells Fargo, Apple, Samsung, the NFL and others are facing news reports that test the continuity of the organizations.

So, what's the end result of the organizational vehicle racing to an uncertain future with serious internal braking issues?  I leave the answers to discussion.

Regards,

TPP