This week’s Inspirational message and interpretation comes from a topic that comes up frequently in my executive coaching experiences. It typically surfaces when someone is new to their position and attempting to find that fine balance between making initial observations and wanting to implement change right away. It always reminds me of a story that I use to help add some much-needed perspective:
A new camp commander was appointed and while inspecting the organization, came across two soldiers guarding a bench. This seemed unusual, so he asked them why they were guarding it. They replied, “We don’t know. The last commander told us to do it, so we did. I think it is some sort of regimental tradition.”
The new commander searched out the contact information of the previous commander and called to ask him the background regarding the guarding bench. The previous commander replied, “I’m not sure. When I took over, there were guards on the bench and I didn’t want to break the tradition.”
This duty remained a mystery until the new commander was able to reach a now 100-year old retired General who had been in charge of the post three commanders previously. When the general answered the phone, the new commander respectfully asked, “Excuse me Sir. I’m now the commanding officer of the post you led 60 years ago. I found two men assigned to guard a bench. Could you share the background on this tradition?”
The general replied, “What? Is that darn paint still wet?”
Right before I took command as a Rifle Platoon Leader (my first real Army position), one of my mentors gently advised me to remember that I have two ears and one mouth– they tend to equal the proportion in which they should be used. In other words, keep your ears open and your mouth shut – at least initially. No one likes the new leader who comes into their role with an immediate “I’m going to fix this organization” mindset, especially when they haven’t given themselves the opportunity, or their organization to share the feeling for its pulse or flow. Paradoxically, those same people also start to question a new leader who seems to remain a passive observer within the new organization, not willing to play a more active role. Quite the conundrum…
There is a lot of research, literature, and autobiographies of successful leaders and entrepreneurs who list among their most successful best practices and lessons learned, some sort of checklist for your first 90 days in a new position. These invariably include tips on how to quickly gain a systems-level understanding of the vision, mission, and scope of one’s new environment, as well as gain some insight on the current and future goals/objectives of the organization. One of my favorites though, is to go against your base instincts to enact change, and practice patience for at least the first 30 days. This is your all-important “information gathering” window. While it may seem passive due to its more observational role, it’s absolutely critical in gaining a full understanding of the organizational culture/climate (i.e., learning the context for “how things are done around here”).
But I get it – it’s hard to initially sit on the sidelines. We have an instinctual drive to “lead” with an accompanying burning desire to put our unique stamp on the organization. Our mental model for occupying these new leadership roles tends to scream “When in charge, take charge!” This is sometimes further complicated by the time spans leaders may have, either in a normal duty rotation or fulfilling a shorter “detail” assignment. Although these positions typically last anywhere between 6 months to multiple years, there seems to be an ever-present expectation to rapidly make an organizational difference that shows a quick return on investment in order to confirm that the faith your superiors had in selecting you for this position was well founded.
So what do we do? I’m not sure there is a tried-and-true timeline for navigating this careful balance between observation and action. A lot depends on the organizational context. It could very well be that you were brought in to usher immediate change (a la Lou Gerstner of IBM fame). However, for the rest of us mere mortals, we’re typically brought in under the belief that during our tenure, our official mandate is simply to leave the organization better than we found it. And your initial first steps, although in “information gathering” mode, can be anything but passive.
“Actively” attempting to gain a better appreciation for your organization’s culture when you first come on board is certainly a worthwhile endeavor and time well spent. Not only does it allow you to learn the context of “what we do here,” but also gives you the opportunity to ask “the doers” that other important question of “why?” The information you pick up in their answers is invaluable and helps you initially uncover the accurate (or potentially inaccurate) nuances behind the most dangerous phrase in our language - “We’ve always done it that way.” It also helps you put together a more complete picture of the organization’s value proposition and provides some crucial indicators needed to determine if the current vision and mission remains relevant.
In some situations, like learning “Is that darn paint still wet?” it may be appropriate to implement some much-needed immediate change. In others, your “personal organizational stamp” may not necessarily require implementing wholesale change. Instead, it may reflect the streamlined operation and many efficiencies you are able to create by leveraging the bottom-up feedback received from your (initial and then periodic) careful observation and genuineness in asking the right questions.
A while ago I captured a reflection in my “A-ha” journal that seems to fit this careful balancing situation. It reminds me that while patience may be a virtue, it still holds pretty impressive power. And while some may interpret the practice of patience as an absence of action, I’d like to think that it reflects a conscious decision of timing. In other words, patience helps us in leading and managing others by understanding when the right time exists to act, in order to ensure we’re engaging in it under the right principles and for the right reasons. This is something that takes time and experience to fully appreciate. Perhaps that is why this balance seems so hard to achieve early in our careers. How are you doing in balancing patience with your desire to take action?
Comments