Change like a Tiger
May 21st, 2008 by Edward FordTwice, Tiger Woods has made major changes to his golf swing despite his position as best golfer in the galaxy. In both cases, he had been successful with the old swing, winning tournaments and rich endorsement deals. People questioned why he would change something that had worked so well in the past. Tiger’s answer: the long-term benefit of change would make him more competitive against a field of players determined to take his top spot. It wasn’t based on disappointment over his previous results. It was a focused proactive effort to ensure that he continued to meet and exceed the high bar he had set amid an increasingly competitive landscape.
“Change is not an indictment of past performance.”
One of our clients used this anonymous quote at a leadership meeting we supported earlier this week. As executive leadership articulated its case for changing the organization’s culture, one nuance struck me: there was no negative impetus for the proposed transformation. None of the leaders had been embroiled in scandal. They hadn’t been the subject of damaging regulatory inquiries. And their financials weren’t tanking. In fact, they were performing exceptionally well. They simply acknowledged that to continue the accelerated growth they had enjoyed and to continue to be a dominant force in their industry, they would have to fundamentally reinvent themselves.
Our client seeks to position itself for future success by changing…now. Tiger, as one person simply needs to decide that he will change. Fundamental change within an organization, however, requires extensive, intentional effort. A key part of that is clear, strategic and timely communication that explains:
- what’s changing;
- why change is necessary; and
- what that means for each person in the organization.
To do that, it takes more than a meeting, even a good one. It takes a strategic, sustained and measured approach to communicating within the organization. In short, organizations have to change like a Tiger.