Case Study:
Changing the IT Division…In a Hurry
Paul (all identifying information has been changed) was a newly appointed CIO, heading up an IT division of about 400 people. He had been brought to replace the previous head of the division because cost of service was unacceptably high, prompting the company’s senior management to consider outsourcing IT services. Paul took drastic action to get costs and quality of service under control:
After several months in his position, he requested that I do a study of the division, evaluate the management team, assess the culture of the group, and recommend a series of interventions to improve leadership, communications, and morale.
My assessment interviews produced the following findings:
Our development strategy included the following steps:
1. Feedback, developmental planning, and coaching for the Directors, middle managers, and supervisors.
I met with key individuals to review my interview findings and their EQ Profile results. They were provided with my Personal Development Planning Workbook, to reflect and write about what they learned from the interview feedback and EQ Profile interpretation, and engage in developmental planning.
I met with them a second time about 10 days later. We met privately, reviewing their work and creating an agenda for a meeting with each person's immediate manager. In due time, the person’s manager joined us. We discussed the manager’s reactions to the individual's interview findings and EQ Profile and reviewed and amended the person's developmental plan. We moved on to agenda items, discussing current issues, roadblocks, and creating strategies to accelerate the pace of change.
2. An all-hands meeting was scheduled for the division.
The event began with a presentation on organizational change and its damaging impact on trust, communications, and morale. Two tall director’s chairs were provided for the meeting. At the appropriate time, the CIO and I sat in front of the group for a “conversation.” This informal conversational format allowed Paul to address the group without giving a speech. We had planned the topics but the conversational format allowed me to ask follow-up questions to draw out further details of his thinking.
The conversation allowed him to talk about his professional background and his vision for the division. He described what it takes for people to “make it with him” as an IT professional, given his style of management. He emphasized how pleased he was by the progress that had been made and promised that, as far as he could tell at this point, no further layoffs were expected.
After our “conversation,” people formed small groups to identify questions to ask and issues to discuss. A recorder in each group listed the points from the discussion, providing a measure of anonymity, given that the list was a group product.
We moved on to a large group process know as “The World Cafe.” Tables were arranged with each having a placard identifying a technical or cultural issue identified in my assessment interviews. People rotated between tables in ten-minute intervals, choosing the topics of interest to them. Facilitators sat at each table to record discussion points and suggestions generated by the groups who rotated through the tables for discussion. We then reviewed the ideas generated at each table, looking for actions that could be taken immediately. We prioritized remaining issues and groups volunteered to look into the top five, with the deadlines to report their findings to the group for further action.
3. Performance management training for all members of the management team.
The interviews revealed people were unsatisfied with the coaching being provided by the management team. Praise and recognition was almost nonexistent. Developmental coaching was often harsh and punitive or, conversely, indirect and ineffective.
4. Training in team development and challenging conversations for all managers and line staff.
Paul wanted people to raise issues up the management structure for resolution. But given new leadership, dramatic changes, and layoffs, people were reluctant to bring problems to managements' attention. Everyone in the division attended presentations on team development and the dynamics of conflict and organizational change. They learned how to “professionalize” issues that are easily taken personally and how to implement a structured method to prepare for and conduct challenging conversations more comfortably and effectively.
- He reduced a head count of more than 400 to less than 275 people.
- He fired several Directors and brought in people he knew and executives recruited from other companies.
- He redesigned of the division’s systems and processes, imposing a challenging deadline to implement these new operations.
After several months in his position, he requested that I do a study of the division, evaluate the management team, assess the culture of the group, and recommend a series of interventions to improve leadership, communications, and morale.
My assessment interviews produced the following findings:
- Paul needed to moderate his top-down style of management to encourage communication with people worried about job tenure.
- One new Director was abusive and intimidating. He needed to be replaced immediately, given his impact on an already demoralized and overextended staff.
- Although seeing evidence of improved service quality and lowering costs, people below the Directors had little understanding of Paul’s vision and change strategy.
- The company had purchased another organization, assimilating IT professionals used to a casual work pace and greater participation in decision-making. They were suffering from culture shock.
Our development strategy included the following steps:
1. Feedback, developmental planning, and coaching for the Directors, middle managers, and supervisors.
I met with key individuals to review my interview findings and their EQ Profile results. They were provided with my Personal Development Planning Workbook, to reflect and write about what they learned from the interview feedback and EQ Profile interpretation, and engage in developmental planning.
I met with them a second time about 10 days later. We met privately, reviewing their work and creating an agenda for a meeting with each person's immediate manager. In due time, the person’s manager joined us. We discussed the manager’s reactions to the individual's interview findings and EQ Profile and reviewed and amended the person's developmental plan. We moved on to agenda items, discussing current issues, roadblocks, and creating strategies to accelerate the pace of change.
2. An all-hands meeting was scheduled for the division.
The event began with a presentation on organizational change and its damaging impact on trust, communications, and morale. Two tall director’s chairs were provided for the meeting. At the appropriate time, the CIO and I sat in front of the group for a “conversation.” This informal conversational format allowed Paul to address the group without giving a speech. We had planned the topics but the conversational format allowed me to ask follow-up questions to draw out further details of his thinking.
The conversation allowed him to talk about his professional background and his vision for the division. He described what it takes for people to “make it with him” as an IT professional, given his style of management. He emphasized how pleased he was by the progress that had been made and promised that, as far as he could tell at this point, no further layoffs were expected.
After our “conversation,” people formed small groups to identify questions to ask and issues to discuss. A recorder in each group listed the points from the discussion, providing a measure of anonymity, given that the list was a group product.
We moved on to a large group process know as “The World Cafe.” Tables were arranged with each having a placard identifying a technical or cultural issue identified in my assessment interviews. People rotated between tables in ten-minute intervals, choosing the topics of interest to them. Facilitators sat at each table to record discussion points and suggestions generated by the groups who rotated through the tables for discussion. We then reviewed the ideas generated at each table, looking for actions that could be taken immediately. We prioritized remaining issues and groups volunteered to look into the top five, with the deadlines to report their findings to the group for further action.
3. Performance management training for all members of the management team.
The interviews revealed people were unsatisfied with the coaching being provided by the management team. Praise and recognition was almost nonexistent. Developmental coaching was often harsh and punitive or, conversely, indirect and ineffective.
4. Training in team development and challenging conversations for all managers and line staff.
Paul wanted people to raise issues up the management structure for resolution. But given new leadership, dramatic changes, and layoffs, people were reluctant to bring problems to managements' attention. Everyone in the division attended presentations on team development and the dynamics of conflict and organizational change. They learned how to “professionalize” issues that are easily taken personally and how to implement a structured method to prepare for and conduct challenging conversations more comfortably and effectively.