Who Killed Change?: Solving the Mystery of Leading People Through Change

Despite his passion, Commitment was not able to convince the leaders of the organization to act on his knowledge. As a result, the people left out of influencing Change reminded the leaders that they could derail or even kill him.

Were Culture and Commitment viable suspects? At this point in the investigation, McNally didn’t know. He had more questions than answers.

Did Change understand Culture well enough to align with her or try to change her?

Did the senior leaders understand that while it is true that decisions can be made faster when fewer people are involved, such decisions do not usually translate into faster, better or more sustainable integration of Change because there’s no Commitment without involvement?

Did those leaders who knew a lot about Culture and Commitment do everything they could to help Change become a real part of the organization?

Suspect #3: Sponsorship (#ulink_da473426-d754-50c5-8e2b-84e5101b649d)

SPENCE Sponsorship was a walking advertisement in a men’s fashion magazine. From his shined shoes to his perfect hair, he hadn’t missed a single detail. Agent McNally glanced at his own wrinkled shirt, loosened tie and dull black shoes, and made a mental note that he could not allow himself to dislike Sponsorship because of his image. Dispassionately, McNally asked, “So, what do you do here in the organization?”

“One of the main jobs I have,” replied Sponsorship, “is to be the executive sponsor of a Change’s major effort here and ensure we have a Change Leadership Team that works well together. What I mean is that for Change to have a major success at ACME, there must be one person—someone in an influential position—who takes what I call ownership of the Change. To that end, our organization is structured so that I am the one to whom most departments eventually report. Granted, I have directors and managers who take care of the day-to-day operations. But the staff here is keenly aware of my position. If I endorse, shall we say, a project, staff members know that it’s going to happen—one way or another.”

McNally took a mental note that in Sponsorship’s opening discourse he used the word I six times in six sentences. “So how many Change initiatives have you had in the past year?” asked McNally.

Sponsorship did not hesitate. “Four,” he said.

With virtually no attempt to mask his sarcasm, McNally asked, “And other than relying on your status and position, what did you actually do that might be perceived as true sponsorship?”

Sponsorship looked puzzled and responded, “I organized meetings and communicated my expectations.”

There was a long pause. Finally McNally prompted, “And what else?”

“I have directors and managers to take it from there.”

“How well did you know Change?”

“Oh, we were good friends. We played some golf and every once in a while we would get together for a game of racquetball.”

“What about your professional relationship?”

“Certainly at these meetings I would put Change front and center. I would leave no doubt in anyone’s mind that I was behind Change one hundred percent.”

“Then you would let your directors and managers take it from there?” McNally asked.

“Well, yeah. To deal with Change is one of the things I pay them for.”

“Let me ask you a question,” McNally said. “Married?”

“No.”

“All right. Let’s say you have a girlfriend who one day tells you she loves you. After that day, you barely talk except when you say hello as you pass in the hall. Is that a relationship you think is going to work out?”

“Well, no, probably not.”

“Do you see the connection?” asked McNally.

Sponsorship, looking puzzled, did not respond.

McNally lost his patience. “Look, you cannot expect Change to be successful based on putting him front and center in a few meetings!” Weighing his words carefully, McNally stood up and began pacing the room. “You’re overestimating the power of your words. As Sponsorship, you must do more than introduce Change. You must be visible and supportive way beyond the introductory meetings. Your actions are much more powerful than your words. You must remain connected to Change throughout the change process. It’s your role to get Aidan Accountability and Isabella Incentive involved. What you reinforce is three times more powerful than what you say. Do you understand?”

McNally looked over at Sponsorship, who seemed mesmerized by his own reflection in the window of the interrogation room.

“Do you understand?” repeated McNally, raising his voice.

Sponsorship turned and looked at him.

“I never thought that much about what I had to do to help Change succeed,” he replied with sincerity in his voice. “I guess I thought that because of my position in the organization, I could get people to buy in to Change by just making an announcement.”

Spence Sponsorship’s comments were interrupted by the ringing of his cell phone. Much to McNally’s chagrin, Sponsorship took the call and left the conference room.

McNally sighed. It had been almost impossible to get on this suspect’s calendar and McNally had no idea when he’d see him again.

Suspect #4: Change Leadership Team (#ulink_b69a50f6-ce6a-55f8-bbbf-5d33a1ea8e78)

AGENT McNally pulled out his little black notebook and looked at the list. So far he had interviewed Carolina Culture, Chase Commitment and Spence Sponsorship. Next on the list was Chester of the Change Leadership Team.

McNally knew from previous cases that a Change Leadership Team was a key ingredient to integrating Change into the organization. The members of this group were chosen because of their influence in the organization. Quite often, the members of the Change Leadership Team had positional power—that is, their title or position in the organization caused people to pay attention to them, but this was not always the case. A wise leader forming a Change Leadership Team would also include informal leaders from all levels of the organization, people with strong technical or people skills in the area in which Change was going to be introduced. For Change to succeed, lots of voices needed to make the case for Change.

As McNally entered the room, he had no doubt as to who was sitting at the opposite end of the table—in the same place where Change had died. Chester of the Change Leadership Team was massive. His biceps had to be three times the size of a normal man’s. Where his shoulders intersected with his head, there was very little evidence of a neck.

Agent McNally introduced himself by first and last name and Mr. Change Leadership Team responded in kind. “Look,” he added, “most folks just call me Pecs.’” He tightened his pectoral muscles, straining the confines of his pullover shirt. “Feel free to call me ‘Pecs’ if you like.”

McNally was reminded that he really should start making it to the gym as he had resolved to do last New Year’s Day.

“Okay, Pecs, how well did you know Change?” McNally inquired.

“Fairly well, I would say,” replied Pecs. “Change had been here only five or six months and he needed to be elevated in the organization. He needed to be seen by others as important. So that was my job, you know, to hold Change up.”

“Did that get old for you, holding him up like that all the time? That must have been tiring,” said McNally.

“That’s one way to look at it, I guess. But I really considered it to be a free workout. See these biceps?” said Pecs, flexing them. “I put about two inches on them after Change got here.”

McNally noted Pecs’s unabashed self-confidence.

“Hey, you mind if I get a bottled water?” Pecs asked as he eyed the small refrigerator in the corner.

“Not at all,” said McNally. “We’ll send the bill to Budget.” They both laughed.

When Pecs got up and walked over to get his water, Agent McNally just about fell out of his chair. From the waist up Pecs could double for a world-class bodybuilder, but below the waist he had—well, what came to McNally’s mind were pencil legs. McNally had in his head the image of poodle legs walking around with a pit bull’s torso. Pecs got his water and returned to his seat.

This new view of Pecs led McNally to change his original line of questioning. “So your main job was to hold Change up?” he prompted.

“That’s right,” replied Pecs with what seemed to be a note of pride.

“And who carried him out into the organization?” asked McNally.