Change in Organizations

Interview with: Dr. Peter Szabó, MCC Coach, co-founder Solutionsurfers Switzerland

Change in Organizations: What Is It? How Do You See It?

Organisational change is happening all the time, independently of change initiatives led by management. The challenge lies in identifying and supporting the change that is already taking place and moving the organisation in the desired direction. For example, if one department suddenly begins to perform better than others, it can be highly useful to explore this positive deviance, examine the details that made it possible, and consider how it could happen more often.

In your experience, what are the biggest mistakes leaders and CEOs make during times of change?

In my experience, the question you are asking is not a particularly useful one. To support change effectively, learning from mistakes is a slower and less effective route than learning from what is already working well and doing more of it.

Effective solutions are highly specific and often unique to each organisation and its environment. Rather than relying on general industry practices, I suggest paying close attention to those within the organisation who are already achieving excellent results, as they often hold valuable clues to the kind of successful change that fits that particular organisation.

You are a master of change using the Solution Focus approach. Can you explain what this concept or approach is about? What makes it different from other approaches?

Let me use the metaphor of surfing. Surfers, or wave riders, use the force of ocean waves to move forward with remarkable elegance and efficiency. They look for the waves that suit them, focus on the most promising one, and then build enough speed to catch it and ride it forward. It is a very simple process and, incidentally, a very enjoyable one.

Their way of moving forward is very different from the effort of swimming towards a goal, and different again from diving into the depths to discover what might be there. In the same way, many other approaches dive into the problem, emphasising what is missing and then producing a long and difficult list of changes that need to be made.

Surfers stay on the surface. They make elegant use of the movements of change that are already heading in the desired direction, and they enjoy the speed and progress this creates.

What is the best advice you can offer leaders on creating and maintaining a positive attitude for themselves and their teams during times of change?

1. Begin meetings by asking, “What has gone well since our last meeting?”
2. Gather success stories from team members and ask with curiosity, “How did you do that?”
3. In performance reviews, pay particular attention to moments of excellence and explore carefully the factors that made them possible.

Please give me 5 reasons why a leader should attend your workshop on 5 June. What benefits would they gain?

First, allow me to offer one very good reason why leaders should not attend:

If what you are doing is working well, please do not come. Instead, continue doing more of what works.

Despite this warning, my workshops are attended mainly by leaders who are already doing a good job. Some even return several times, although they already know what I offer in these workshops. Here is what you can expect to gain:
1. Confirmation to continue the specific actions you are already taking that work well
2. A stronger desire to do more of certain specific actions that appear crucial to your success
3. Curiosity to try new things, with a very clear idea of when and how you will begin, starting the very next day

Dr. Peter Szabó

Dr Peter Szabó is an executive coach specialising in Brief Coaching processes for leaders who want to achieve sustainable results through minimal intervention. He works with senior executives in international corporations and contributes to change projects around the world. His clients have included Lufthansa Systems in Budapest, Petronas in Kuala Lumpur, SAP in Heidelberg, and Andritz Hydro in New Delhi. He has more than 15 years of corporate experience as a lawyer, executive, and organisational development professional.