Page 240 - Just Promoted A 12 Month Road Map for Success in Your New Leadership Role

Settling into Your Renewing Organization 225

Work flow procedures were redesigned, and the standard operating pro-
cedures were revised to reflect the new work flow. Much of the new design
was technology driven. All professional and support staff were supplied with
new software. New workstations were introduced into key design functions,
and tasks formerly completed in person were now being done virtually and
with the help of state-of-the-art technology.
The executive team met every two weeks for updates on the renewal. Each
executive team member was involved in at least one task force. Even though
consultants were used to facilitate the task forces and conduct much of the
information gathering, analysis, and solution identification, the effort had
nonetheless consumed about 30 percent of the executive team members’ time
and about 20 percent of the task force members’ time. After eight months, they
were dizzy from the pace of change, and many were feeling a discontinuity
from their work. Few in the department fancied themselves professional man-
agers. They were successful researchers who had been promoted to leadership
positions, and they were anxious to get back full time to their newly stream-
lined research projects.
Fortunately for Jim, renewal was manageable. He had an experienced and
stable workforce, good executive team leadership, and the support from above
that allowed him, within reason, the resources and consultants needed to
improve the organization.
Rob, named director of new product development, also hoped for a smooth
transition as he took over his responsibilities in a telecommunications equip-
ment manufacturer. But after a preliminary assessment of the 75-person func-
tion, he was less hopeful. Pitted against tough competition from Asia, India,
and Silicone Valley competitors, he felt that major shifts in the existing
approaches to new product development were in order. Projects were in early
development that could jump the competition, but to bring them to market
quickly, Rob would need a major infusion of cash in order to hire the right tal-
ent and provide the technology and equipment to attain this goal.
Under pressure from investors to reverse recent quarterly losses and a drop
in share value of stock, Rob’s management was reluctant to provide him the
resources essential to the renewal he knew was needed. One top manager said,
“We all have to manage with what we’ve got. We can’t do more than we can
pay for.”
Rob’s direct reports knew that in a competition between maintaining the
product flow and rejuvenating the organization, product flow would receive