State of the Art Best Practices Report

The Top 12 Strategic Management Mistakes by Corporations

Problem #7 Continued...

The Parallel Involvement Process is detailed in our FREE article of the same name and is based on the basic truism of Life that “People Support What They Help Create”.  This includes tasks such as sharing the working DRAFT Strategic Planning and Change documents with them for their feedback as well as sharing Draft Department Work Plans in a Large Group Annual Review Team Meeting Day (top 50-70 managers).

A key here however, is these are NOT decision-making meetings but information sharing and feedback meetings.  They should come with:
         
         A Guarantee—that you will seriously consider what was said at the meetings—BUT:

         A Limitation—in that we are talking to many people and the final decisions will be made by the Planning and Change Team (CLT) at their next meeting.  The key, then, is to ensure feedback goes back to those involved as to what and why the decision was made.

Prevent the Rubik's Cube Effect of Unintended Consequences
By following the
“People Support What They Help Create” basic truism in life.

Societal Example:
In 2009, our new USA President Obama is trying to get legislation passed.  However, the legislation was developed without the leadership of the Republican Party in the Congress that has to vote to agree with the new legislation.  As a result of failing to use a Parallel Involvement Process of some sort, the fundamental tenant of “People Support What They Help Create”  came to the fore and the Bipartisanship he wanted did not occur with the Republicans.
 
Organizational Example:
There are many examples in firms of all types where the strategic plan is developed by just a few top executives or senior management in the planning or finance department.  Even worse is the tendency to hire a large consulting firm (Booz Allen) to study the organization and write the plan for the firm. 

As a result, even the senior management does not know or understand the Strategic Plan as they were not involved in writing it—more less become committed to implementing it.  No wonder 75% of all major changes fail to be successful.

Training and Organizational Development Example:
Training Departments are notorious for thinking they know better than Senior Management what the leadership development program should include.
“People Support What They Help Create” actually applies first and foremost to Senior Management.  They need to be actively involved in all decisions in any Leadership Development System—from choosing the topics, to the Purposes and Benefits, to the Design and Agenda, to the actual delivery—even if just the Kick Off and Ending of the Workshop.

TO PURCHASE THE FULL REPORT, FOLLOW THE LINK BELOW:
State of the Art Best Practices Research Report: Leading Strategic and Cultural Change

TO VIEW ALL REPORTS FOR PURCHASE:
State of the Art Best Practices Research Reports

FOR RELATED KNOWLEDGE AND BEST PRACTICES: www.SystemsThinkingPress.com for items related to this topic, including:
Article: Code APP—Parallel Involvement Process
Model:  Code MBPC-01—Parallel Involvement Process
Instrument: Code IACI—Acting with Conscience Intent