Business Transformation - hooked on different perspectives!

What was Captain Hook’s name before he lost his hand?

I recall one of my sons asking me that question when he was about 4 years old. I was shocked, proud, and amused all at the same time.

At least it wasn’t one of those awkward moments when they ask you a tough question in public, and you know everyone within earshot is waiting to hear your answer!

I loved the fact he was curious, that he'd looked beyond the norm, and wasn’t afraid to ask. I’d never really thought about it before he asked the question, but it’s such an obvious and intriguing thing to ask. You could say I was Hooked by his fresh thinking!

Hiding in plain sight

I remember being asked to watch a selective attention video from Simons & Chabris on a training course. Spoiler alert. Please check out the short video (it's less than 90 seconds) using this link before reading on, if you haven't already seen it, and you want to live the experience yourself.

We were tasked with counting the number of times a basketball was passed between players, but only those who were wearing white shirts. Most of my colleagues celebrated when they got the correct answer, but their initial joy soon turned to confusion when the trainer asked them if they'd noticed anything strange about the video. They proffered a few trivial suggestions before I sheepishly asked: "Is nobody going to mention the gorilla walking across the screen?"

I was the one only in the group who'd spotted it. I can only assume that everyone else had been concentrating so hard on the people in the white shirts that they'd blocked out the person dressed in the gorilla costume!

You can't miss it when you know what you're looking for but try it out on unsuspecting colleagues - preferably in a group session to add that competitive edge and extra tension. You'll be amazed by how many of them fail to see the gorilla, and then can't believe they missed it, when you play it back to them.

The elephant in the room

In business transformations, senior leadership teams can sometimes be so focused on their strategic plans that they fail to see, choose to ignore, or trivialise the elephant (or gorilla) in the room. In my experience, you should address it sooner rather than later, so that it doesn't become an unnecessary distraction.

It's easy to get carried away with the excitement and euphoria of a new initiative, especially if you're surrounded by like-minded people. A useful tactic after the initial planning phase, is to take a time-out, step back, and consider the bigger picture to see if you've missed anything obvious.

It's also a good idea to ask somebody from outside the steering group to have a look at your plans with a fresh pair of eyes and an open mind. That's why I'm amazed whenever an organisation embarks on a business transformation journey and only uses its existing people, or insists that new recruits to the SLT must come from within the same sector. Then they wonder why nothing radical or different is ever delivered!

Buried treasure(s)

I remember joining an organisation and a team member (let's call him Trevor) being described to me as "a bit of a maverick". Apparently, Trevor asked lots of awkward questions in town halls and team meetings. He was box office gold, and everyone wanted to be in the same town hall as him, so they could squirm and experience schadenfreude at the same time!

True to form, Trevor gave me a hard time when I attended his team meeting. I spoke to him afterwards and queried why he'd behaved in that way. I was pleasantly surprised when he replied "Most people tend to avoid asking difficult questions during the meeting, and then they talk about them afterwards when it's too late. Well, I'm not afraid to ask. We need to discuss the contentious points with the Business leaders so they can do something about them."

I quickly came to realise that this 'maverick' was a hidden gem and a rough diamond. Yes, he could definitely do with some coaching so that his questions were delivered in a more positive way, but he was probably the most committed member of the team, and he cared deeply about the organisation. It was a light-bulb moment for me when I started to think of him as a passionate supporter rather than a disruptive adversary.

I recognised that Trevor could be a great sounding board and ally. If there was a perceived issue with our plans, I'd rather know about it - I certainly didn't want to be left in the dark like Captain Hook in that earlier picture! I made a conscious decision to discuss my plans and presentations with him in advance, so I could request his feedback, advice, and support.

I'm delighted to say that it had the desired effect. Trevor embraced his new responsibilities, changed his questioning style, and went on to enjoy a very successful management career, and people started talking about the town halls for all the right reasons. I still think about him now when I'm drafting presentations or preparing for Q&A sessions - what would Trevor want to know? I've made a habit of seeking out similar sounding boards ever since, and I've also enjoyed a reciprocal arrangement with my colleagues.

I've captured the above points on a slide - I hope you find it helpful. Please use this link to view it on SlideShare.

By Hook or by crook

I guess what I'm saying is, it's always useful to consider a different perspective because sometimes you can’t, or refuse to, see what's staring you in the face. Having said that, I'm sure you've noticed the small elephant that's standing to the right of Captain Hook (in the picture near the top of my article) or did I manage to trick you - Hook, line, and sinker?!

And what was Hook's name before he lost his hand? The jury’s still out - JM Barrie confirmed that it was a nickname, but he said he hadn’t given his antagonist a real name.

So, who's looking out for the elephants in the room (or cave) within your organisation, and where are the hidden gems?

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