I have always been a mediocre golfer with aspirations of being a good golfer. This year I decided to make a concerted effort to work on my game as opposed to just playing rounds of golf. In the process, it struck me that my efforts to improve are just like trying to make a change in any organization.
It all starts with understanding what I am supposed to do and why, and then buying in to that concept that the changes will be good. In previous years I just played golf. I got some tips along the way and read a couple golf magazines, and I would try things out on the driving range before going out to play. Then when those things did not deliver immediate results, I reverted to my habits. This year, I signed up for a series of lessons, during which I can ask questions, clarify exactly what the instructor means, and ask him to show me specifically. If I do not understand, I keep pushing until I do. That has been a big help. I also watched a few online videos which said things slightly differently than what I heard in lessons. I then discussed what I heard in the video with my instructor in the live lessons and that improved my understanding. I am now much clearer on what specific changes need to be made and why they are needed.
Those principles hold in any change management plan. The employees involved or affected by the change, who need to do something differently, have to understand and buy in to the change. Usually gaining that buy-in takes more than just explaining the change to them. It requires giving them multiple perspectives of the change, letting them ask questions, and letting them digest the concept and ask more questions. But like my golf swing, if the employees are not clear on what they need to do and why, it will be much more difficult to execute.
In addition to knowing how I am supposed to change my swing, I need to have the ability to actually do it. For me, that means I need to be shown the swing, and I need repetition. I need to practice what the pro is teaching me. Even though I have seen and heard the changes I need to make, if I just go play golf, muscle memory kicks in and my old swing comes back. I need to practice the new swing repeatedly and try to develop new muscle memory. When my old slice or pull hook appears, it can be discouraging, but I know I need to keep working on making the new swing a habit.
Repetition is a critical part of change in any organization. Any employee who has been doing something a certain way for a long time can’t just change because someone tells him or her to. He or she has to practice it repeatedly. So in training workshops or ongoing instruction, employees need a chance to practice the new techniques, not just listen to them. They also need ongoing opportunities to practice after the initial workshop.
Change management also requires reinforcement. In my golf life, that has been critical. After the first couple lessons, my scores went up. I was trying to concentrate on the mechanics of the swing I had been taught, but it was not natural yet. Sometimes the swing worked and sometimes it did not, so I struggled with how to adjust. At one point, I said to my instructor, who is a PGA club professional – “At least I could break 100 with my old swing.” Thankfully, the pro provides reinforcement. He reminds me I could never get to the low scores I want with my old swing. He also watches me and provides small corrections where elements of my old swing were combining with elements of the new swing and resulting in terrible shots. He also suggests small drills I can do to reinforce the new swing.
That is giving me empathy for the sales people who struggle to adapt to more sophisticated pricing structures and price optimization. If they are used to hitting target margins or one-size-fits-all prices it is easy to revert to that anytime they receive customer push back. So it is critical that the organization have reinforcing processes. The most obvious reinforcing mechanism would be adjusting the incentive system to reward the new behavior, but smaller steps can be taken. Simple things help, like publicizing success stories and offering recognition from senior management for those who have made great progress. In addition, it is important that the exception management process should not simply approve all requests for lower-than-target prices. Rather, the company needs to explain to the sales person why that target makes sense. For example, the sales person could be shown the frequency with which that target is achieved in the market, or the nuances of the customer that drive that target. Sales leadership can reiterate the value proposition and why it should be compelling to the customer. Rubber stamping requests for deviation from targets will fail to reinforce new pricing paradigms and be a detriment to real change.
My last point about the similarity of golf and change management is – “watch the pros.” That is what my instructor told me. He said “there is a tournament on TV every weekend. Watch how they turn. Watch how they finish, and try to copy them.” It seems simple, but it is true. By watching the PGA pros, I can see in their swings the elements my instructor is trying to teach me. I may not be able to do it perfectly, but I can see it and copy them. Those guys are good golf role models.
Every business trying to make change needs good role models. Whatever that change is, there needs to be someone doing it the way you want it done that the rest of the organization can emulate. So if it is pricing more strategically, the CEO and senior management team need to be emphasizing that in their meetings and communications. It also means that when senior management goes on sales calls or reviews large sales opportunities, they can’t cave at the first sign of resistance. They have to be seen explaining to the customer how their offering delivers value and why the quoted price is fair. Similarly, promotions, President’s Club awards, and other honors should reflect the new desired behavior.
Good luck in whatever changes you are making – in golf, business, or elsewhere. If you follow these principles, you will have a good chance of success. I may never have the skills to be a single-digit handicapper, but I know I will get better than I am today.