The Bum Rush Strategy and Why It Fails
Not a political commentary.
You know a good way to get change to happen? Flood the system. Start changing things so quickly and in such quantity that no one has a chance to assess, intervene, or stop from happening. By the time they are done assessing one thing, three other things are already underway. You might call it bum-rushing, blitzkrieg, or flooding.
I’ve seen this behavior a lot in companies, especially with new leadership. A new CEO enters the picture and has a laundry list of things to change. Or a new department head who wants to make a good impression and starts overhauling things. Sometimes things do need to change. But you can break more things than you fix with this approach.
Many times, employees are aware of those things that need to change. But those things haven’t changed not because there isn’t a need or desire. It’s because it’s more complicated than simply declaring the need for change. It’s usually tricky and requires a unique and creative approach to solving it.
The majority of processes and technologies in an organization have grown over time. Like a weed, they start to pervade other parts of the operation until they are so integral, you can’t simply rip them out and replace them with a new, thriving plant. You not only need a scalpel, but time and patience to remove it without upsetting the other plants around it.
And this is why many leaders struggle to gain traction in their new role. They walk in with fresh eyes and see problems they know are holding the company back. But they aren’t new problems. And without knowing how and why these problems came about, they’ll have no insight on how to effectively solve it. I had COO one time who gave this great advice — he said, “I know there’s a lot you’ll see that you want to fix. But do nothing. Take the next 6 months to fully understand the business, the operations, and why things are the way they are. Only then can you start using your experience and insight to attack it.”
And not all problems need fixing right now. When you think about all the changes your business needs, there’s a natural hierarchy. Maybe the things that are costing the company the most money are most urgent. Or things which create a lot of risk. Or things that impact the safety and health of the company and culture. But the hard part is weighing those choices. All need to be done, but you can’t do them all at once. So order of operations is important.
If you’re that person seeing everything that needs to change, and are frustrated with the lack of action, you’re not alone. But it’s not just about seeing what needs to change. It’s knowing how to change it effectively, efficiently, and elegantly. It’s knowing what order things need to change in for the most beneficial impact. But how can you make that happen if you’re bum rushing change through an organization? Without knowing why things are the way they are in the first place? You can’t. You’ll just create a lot of short-term chaos until things fall back into their old operating rhythm. And then nothing really changed.
About the Author
Trained as a behavioral scientist and customer-centricity expert , Andrea leads executives in the art and science of operationalizing corporate strategy through understanding organizational and mindsets. She is the author of and an ongoing contributor to multiple major publications including Harvard Business Review, Entrepreneur Magazine, INC Magazine, and Rotman Business Magazine (University of Toronto). What to Ask: How to Learn What Customers Need but Don’t Tell You
Andrea is also a world traveler, having worked in over 12 different countries throughout her early career. Andrea also serves as an instructor for the University of Iowa Venture School and a Business Coach for their Tippie College of Business Entrepreneurial Programs. Please contact Andrea to access information on her book, keynoting, research, or consulting. More information is also available at or www.pragmadik.com . www.andreabelkolson.com
Originally published at https://www.linkedin.com.
