5 Big Ideas: What to Change Now- In Management Consulting

Call it the changing of the seasons, as we transition from spring into summer, or, a reckoning of years of observations; this post is inspired by a call to change. I've worked in multiple industries as a management consultant. I've seen successful initiatives and those that have fallen flat. I'm writing today's post with some ideas for the management consulting industry, though frankly, I believe these big ideas could positively influence and complement any industry or workplace. 

Here they are, five big ideas of what to change now:

1. Bring more coaching/management care to the workplace- Empathy

Steve Kerr and his brilliant coaching staff in Golden State would tell you, caring instruction and empathetic listening make an enormous difference between winning and losing. Schemes and sets matter, to be certain, but strategy only gets you so far- at any level. Personal touch, true, heartfelt empathy is often the difference maker, whether in the NBA or in another high-pressure environment: management consulting.

The Warriors are a true team- one on the verge of a second consecutive championship because they don't care who gets the credit, as long as the team benefits. Golden State led the league in assists for a second straight season, the mark of a truly unselfish team that cares more about winning than individual glory. They spread the floor, have otherworldly ball movement and always look to find the open man.

Their motto is, "Strength in Numbers." This emanated from a concentrated effort to focus on the team's depth and to utilize each member of the team. 

Coach Kerr is also a "player's coach," which is an endearing way of saying, he listens to his players. It helps that Kerr played in the NBA and understands the game in a way his colleagues, who never played in the league, do not.

The lesson in this for you is, the success of the Warriors is, in many respects, due to a leader who listens with empathy and cares deeply about the feelings and opinions of his players. Ask yourself, when have you been in an environment where this type of leadership was present? Weren't you and your team more successful? It makes the opposite look like an unpleasant alternative, by comparison.

2. Define the fundamentals of execution

Despite what many employees bring to the table from past experiences, it's critical in any business environment- particularly project-based situations- to define the core fundamentals of successful execution. We all define success for ourselves differently. The key in business is to define success for each project. 

The 4 Disciplines of Execution lists their fourth discipline as, "Create a Cadence of Accountability." This involves weekly meetings that, "share stories, check the scoreboard, celebrate successes, and talk about lapses and what to do about them." All team members, from those on the ground-level of delivery to senior leadership, are engaged and aware of what's going on. 

A lot of time is spent developing project plans and adhering to the statement of work but not nearly as much time is spent focusing on the fundamentals of execution. What that means in one organization could be completely different in another. Ensure that everyone is on the same page in the initiating stage and, that everyone understands how to excel in any endeavor.

3. Concentrate on the professional and personal development of the individual

The great President Theodore Roosevelt once said, "Nobody cares how much you know, until they know how much you care." Amen. I've worked with some extraordinarily sharp, intelligent people that seem to know the solution to a client's problem after the first day. They're bright, perspicacious and... well, terribly unpleasant time to be around. They're only in it for themselves. 

Psychologist Fredrick Herzberg's Motivation-Hygeine Theory sets the table for what matters most to the satisfied employee. Things like recognition, achievement and advancement matter dearly. But not just professionally, personally as well. People want to know that their team members and managers care. Otherwise, it seems like we're dealing with robots. And that sucks.

The development of trust and empathy on both a professional and personal level have mattered much more to me than any other qualities in the workplace. And I know many others who would, deep-down, say the same thing. These factors drive employees wanting to stay at a company. And even if they leave, they will hold a favorable view of your company, which will matter in word-of-mouth stories and on websites like Glassdoor.

4. The encouragement to "Be Yourself" in all artistic, creative and imaginative ways

The secret to unlocking the potential of a worker is to allow them to find their creative imagination and let them utilize that within the work required of them. Some people spend their whole lives trying to be someone else when all they need to do is think deeper about what matters most to them. Once you have that part figured out, it's easy to line up the type of work that resonates most with who you are.

As St. Catherine of Siena once said, “Be who you are called to be and you will set the world ablaze!” Managers- heed this advice: Provide your employees with a sound structure, then, give them the room and ability to create and be themselves. Your organization and project will be much better for it.

5. Room to Grow- elimination of "big brother" over how you create, ideate and develop solutions

For growing businesses, long gone are the days of micro-managers and "over-your-shoulder" supervisors who relished meddling in their subordinates every move. The reason why? That style of management is extremely limiting and suffocating. It doesn't work. Related to #4 above, great managers recognize that their employees need space in order to feel confident and less anxious. When we have room to create, we operate with less stress and pressure. This clears our minds to put forth our best effort.

Closing Time

I spent a good portion of the beginning of this post talking about Coach Steve Kerr and his player-first approach. I'll finish with a quote from the Warriors general manager, Bob Myers speaking about Steve Kerr. The quote encapsulates all five of these ideas and speaks to a larger ethos of what makes an individual and team successful. In order to change, it would do us well to heed Myers' words

"His willingness to collaborate and seek input... it makes the job better to feel like the coach cares what you think."

Chris Connors is a management consultant, writer, blogger and leadership coach who writes about success, emotional intelligence and faith. Check him out here to connect on Facebook and here on Twitter. 

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