Page 236 - Just Promoted A 12 Month Road Map for Success in Your New Leadership Role

From Resistance to Renewal 221

8. Lead with a “velvet hammer,” that is, a personal blend of well-
developed interpersonal skills combined with tough and courageous
leadership.
■ Three strategies utilize these principles to effect organizational change:
Strategy 1. You can add positive forces, norms, or actions to the work
environment where previously there was a void or unproductive
activities.
Strategy 2. You can decrease or remove negative forces, norms, or
actions from the work environment.
Strategy 3. You can add positive forces, norms, or actions while reducing
or removing negative forces, norms, or actions (a combination of
strategies 1 and 2). This strategy is usually the most effective.
■ Organizational improvement efforts fail for important reasons. The just
promoted leader can learn from the unsuccessful experiences of others
in order to avoid making similar mistakes. These mistakes include the
following:
1. Not developing senior management support
2. Perpetuating win-lose behaviors in the organization
3. Not adequately involving all levels of employees
4. An inability or unwillingness of employees to see the big picture of
organizational improvement
5. Falling victim to homeostasis—not achieving or maintaining
momentum to change and improve
6. Not creating or maintaining high levels of expectation to improve the
organization
■ Organization politics are always at work. They can work for you or
against you. You need to employ legitimate approaches that will aid you.
■ Your personal awareness of the politics that could affect you is very
important. Complete Your Personal Political Inventory several times
during your first 12 months as a leader.