The most rewarding jobs may not look the best at first glance.

If you’ve heard the phrase “Jack of all Trades", "Turnaround Artist" or my favorite "The Go to Guy" as you've entered or exited a reorg and strategy meeting that takes place before you implement strategy or personnel change. Then you know what it means to look at a project that for most, looks like a train wreck, but in actuality is the job you're going to enjoy. 

At a small conference the question came up “how to motivate or re-engage stagnant people?". As we discussed, it became clear that the underlying question was, "how do you approach the problem of a team on the slide down or that has flat revenue projections, when they themselves don't get it or even see it as a fixable problem?" The short answer I gave was....  "I think of my 62 Ford".

Yes, that's the actual photo above of the 62' on day 1 of the restoration. On one hand to my friends and family it looked like a doomed project and  the other I'm sure that even with a lack of heat or AC, the families of Squirrels, mice and countless insects, found this 62'  served its purpose well for the past 20 years sitting in that barn in Oklahoma, so why change?  

When a change of direction or turnaround is needed a simple first step for me is to ask the current team what they think success looks like. Then compare and contrast it to what the other stakeholders want to achieve. Checking the two realities before engaging. It’s key to let the team talk first as they may paint the same picture as the stakeholders, they just don't understand "how to get there, from here".  This is a core buy-in and will uncover other issues, keep this meeting focused on what success looks like - you can't change the past. 

Then, it’s important to see the project for what it is without dwelling on past data or what could have been done. Spare the rah-rah speech, instead look at what we want to see when it’s finished and what we are starting with.  Then agree to the actionable steps to get there.  Without this buy-in,  you'll get the same look you would after  telling the squirrels "I'm here to renovate" when they were perfectly happy with things the way they were, heck you may have them thinking you're a little nuts and need to be put away for winter. 

Side note: It's easy to see you’re on the wrong path when you start hearing, “it’s been this way for years", “it will never change" or my favorite "we've already tried that".  If so, take a step back you are missing team buy in.  

Change is never easy, but I find if you can paint an accurate picture of what you have to work with and what you want to end up with, take the time to  explain to the team how a few changed pieces can help achieve the desired product (with a little input). The change becomes easier to understand, accept and embrace.  

This allows the team to see that this former roadside hotel can and should become the driver it was meant to be. After all, the correct parts are already in place, we just need to inspect them, see if they can be salvaged or retooled or just need replacement, then decide the course of action to put it back together.