January is a time when individuals join gyms and start diets in an effort to get fitter and healthier for the year ahead. It is the same for organisations the Christmas break gave many leaders /Chief Executives time to think about the year ahead and how the organisation could be better prepared for the challenges the new year will bring. No doubt they will have considered making the organisation’s management structure flatter and possibly thinner and how the organisation could be faster at adopting new ways of working and generally more agile.
Just as many people join a gym in January but after two weeks never go again organisations have good intentions for improving the health and wellbeing of employees, introducing a slimmer management structure and becoming a fitter ,faster, flatter organisation only for the day to day business of running an organisation to leave no time or energy for getting stronger and healthier.
So what makes some people keep going to the gym after the initial burst of enthusiasm where others equally determined at the outset fail to keep it up? What is the difference between the organisation that manages to change it’s shape, become stronger and healthier and the other who’s intentions are good but never quite finish that management restructuring, have some good sounding health and well-being policy statements whilst continuing to have high rates of absenteeism and reports of harassment and bullying.
The two top reasons why individuals stop going to the gym are a they lose motivation or they don’t see the results they expect. It is the same for organisations. When the motivation to become a healthier, fitter organisation is driven from the top there is a risk that there is little enthusiasm from employees and so they find it easy to identify ,”legitimate” excuses for making it a low priority. Like wise Senior management is notorious for losing interest and getting diverted into other areas if they don’t see the results they expected. To counter this individuals often employ personal trainers to provide encouragement, support and advice. Organisations can do something similar by engaging management consultants and coaches. But in both the individual and the organisation success is most likely to be determined by self motivation or employee engagement.
Personal fitness trainers often quote the 30/70 rule that is fitness is 30% exercise and 70% diet. In organisations this would translate to 30% recruitment 70% culture. Individuals would prefer to think being fitter and healthier was all about going for a run or to the gym when in fact it’s more about what they eat and drink/ life style. Leaders of organisations would like to think a healthier more agile and robust organisation could be achieved by making the right key appointments when in fact it’s more about changing the culture within the organisation.
By all means review the flabby management structure, streamline processes, engage management consultants to oversee the process and coaches to improve skills but unless you engage employees to tackle the cultural issues the chances are the organisation will look pretty much the same this time next year.
