Balancing Act

My job involves changing how people manage manufacturing lines.  This can be challenging technically.  But I find it much more challenging emotionally.  Even though the change involves equipment, I'm still asking people to change what they do, and any request to change behavior triggers emotions.

These are the kinds of things I hope my customers will think and feel:  "I never realized that the way we were doing this was so flawed.  I can see that changing our approach is going to really help.  Ben seems to sincerely want us to do better, and he's willing to work hard to help us get there.  If the line starts to run better, it's going to make me look good.  It will be good for my career".

However, if I'm not careful, they could easily think and feel these things instead:  "Who does Ben think he is? I've been working on this line for years, and he thinks he can come here and turn things around in just a few days?  And what's he telling people about me and my lines?  That we don't know what we're doing?  Maybe people will think I've overlooked obvious opportunities.  Maybe this will be bad for my career even if it DOES help my line run better.  Maybe Ben's trying to claim all the glory even though all my hard work laid the foundation for success.  I built it, he tweaked it, and he gets the credit for my results!"

So how do I ensure my customer's thoughts and feelings support change instead of making change impossible?  I'm still studying leadership books on this topic and trying to put their ideas into practice.  Here are a few things that have helped so far:

• Don't come in with a detailed plan.  Emphasize that I'm exploring ways I can contribute.
• If I point out a flaw, send the message, "This is a problem, but I've seen it on many other lines.  We've fixed it on those lines and we can fix it here."
• Work very hard to solicit their ideas, and then add those ideas to the plan.  Then it becomes "our" plan instead of "Ben's" plan.  In the book, Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us, the author, Daniel Pink, talks about how people feel motivated at work when they feel autonomous--when they feel they are able to choose how to do their work.  If they input into the plan, then they are helping to choose how they will do their work.  They retain a feeling of control and choice.
• Avoid saying that they HAVE to do it my way.  Even if higher levels of leadership have asked me to roll out some system or method to all the lines, don't play that card.  Instead, find opportunities to ask for their approval.  "Would you be OK with running this test tonight?"  "Which of these things do you think we should do first?"  Giving them opportunities to decide "yes" or decide "no" further builds their sense of autonomy and control.
• Respond positively to any criticism. "You don't like the layout of the spreadsheet?  What would you prefer?"
• Build personal rapport with people at all levels:  technicians running equipment, line leaders, department managers, and the plant manager.  Get to know them personally.  And find out about their concerns at work so that I can help them see the link between their interests and the changes I'm proposing.
• Make progress early, even in something small, so they start to believe that working with me will be good for them and for their lines.
• Finally, only do and say things that will build trust.  Even if I get frustrated about something, don't vent to others about them.  If this gets back to them, trust will be destroyed.

All of this is very challenging for me.  I have NOT mastered this, and I see plenty of people around me who seem to be more naturally collaborative, who more automatically seek consensus versus jumping to an answer and trying to sell it.  But I'm excited about developing the mastery.  It's just another skill, like getting better at tennis or golf.  It feels good to know that I CAN learn this, I can see the way to get there, and I'm anticipating becoming a much better leader in the years ahead.