Embracing Change when New becomes Normal

These days we're hearing a lot about the "new normal." What life will be like when the pandemic is finally behind us. How things will be different moving forward. But the truth is that change is something we've lived with all of our lives. Change itself is normal – and it's something we need to fully embrace when "new” becomes the norm.??

Certainly, the pace of change has quickened. We've gone through more dramatic and sudden shifts in the last 18 months than many of us have experienced over the course of our adult lives. But that doesn't mean all the changes have been bad.

We've vastly increased the speed and efficacy of vaccine development, leaving us better prepared for future pandemics . We've learned how to fortify our supply chains , making them more automated, resilient, and collaborative. The acceleration of telemedicine will increase access to quality healthcare for people in remote areas and those with mobility issues. The adoption of hybrid work , which allows us to split our time between the office, home, and other locations as needed, allows for a more harmonious life/work balance for many of us.

But with change comes uncertainty and frankly, sometimes frustration. We don't always know how to react. The pandemic has shaken up interpersonal etiquette in ways we haven't fully adjusted to yet. When introduced to someone new, do we shake hands or bump elbows? Should you ask someone if they've been vaccinated before you hug them?

Enterprises face similar challenges when attempting to implement changes across their organization.

So how do we embrace inevitable change?

Transformation at Cisco

At Cisco we're intimately familiar with the challenges of implementing major change. Over the last decade, we've been transforming our business by moving from a hardware-centric sales model to one based on software, services, and subscriptions.

This transformation has come in response to changes in the marketplace. Customers now demand flexibility. They want to choose exactly the services they need when they need them, with the ability to upgrade or switch at any time. For our part, Cisco gets the benefit of predictable, recurring revenue; instead of waiting for the standard three- to five-year hardware refresh cycle, we can stay in constant contact with customers and help them as their needs change. It's a win for both parties.

Change is not only good but is also essential for growth, as employees, as people and as a society. A well-marked road map can show a path to our new destination.

Inspiring employees to MOVE

It was the need to build a connected and diverse community of employees that can navigate and become comfortable with transformation that inspired us to start the Bridge Book Club at Cisco and kick off with the book MOVE: How Decisive Leaders Execute Strategy Despite Obstacles, Setbacks, and Stalls, by former HP and Siebel executive Patty Azzarello . MOVE stands for "Middle, Organization, Valor, Everyone." Each month, for four months, our community of readers dives into one of the four areas of MOVE and discusses insights and questions with executive guests from across Cisco.

Patty's book details how the hardest part of transformation happens in the middle of the process, where people often get stuck. It talks about how organizations must respond by building the right teams and getting them fully engaged. She describes how managers can maintain their courage when others express fear, uncertainty, or resistance. And finally, she reveals the most effective ways to communicate change so you can get everyone in the organization on board.

I've found Patty's book enlightening and re-affirming as we undergo our own transformation at Cisco. A few ideas that emerged from our book club discussions about our business really resonated.

Define your strategy by defining the desired outcome

What is it are you trying to achieve? We often waste time over-analyzing problems in an effort to build the “perfect strategy.” The perfect strategy does not exist. As long as you have your vision and an execution plan, backed up by data and actionable insights, you can mobilize your strategy and bring everyone along.

Inspire people with your vision

You can drive tactics all day long. You can tell people exactly what to do, but you can't really get them to join you until you can give them a place to land. The vision provides context, which helps them internalize what they need to be doing differently.

Instill a sense of urgency

I often tell my team: You can take all the time in the world to get something right. But the industry and our customers are not waiting. If you want to get ahead of the curve, move with speed, agility.... and urgency.

Find the right people for the role

The secret sauce to successful transformations is finding the right people. But sometimes the right people don't match your preconceived notions of the right profile. Everybody is great at something. The key is figuring out what they're great at, and then be willing to throw them into a new role because they're passionate and motivated to succeed.

Organize to outcomes

It's crucial for business leaders take time to build the right teams, so everyone can drive toward the same outcome. Patty's advice about “blank sheet org charts” is spot on: Start with a blank sheet of paper, write down the outcomes you're seeking, and the roles you need to deliver those outcomes. At that point you can start to look at people to fill those roles. When you start out with the same people in the same roles, it's hard to do anything brand new.

Change can be a good thing. In fact, it can often be invigorating and a catalyst for innovation and growth. Embracing it is the first step to moving forward, both professionally and personally.

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