This disconnect between the calendar and my spirit reminded me of my desire to showcase a book authored by two of my PSG colleagues Dr. Mary and Dr. Chuck Lofy called Vitality: Igniting Your Organization's Spirit.
There is a simple, twofold purpose to Mary and Chuck Lofy's work. First, they define what constitutes vitality in an organization. Vital organizations, they write, are those in which the "form" (embodied in its structures such as mission, buildings, rules, processes) and the "spirit" (embodied in its human side including culture, values, its intelligence, energy) are in sync. Secondly, they provide practical methods for aligning form and spirit. From day-to-day operations to the enthusiasm of its people, the Lofys show how three essential forces -- change, trust, and leadership -- can galvanize vitality from within.
This book's release in spring 2004 could not have been timed better. Each spring governmental organizations struggle with shrinking budgets. This book offers leaders hope and direction. Coauthor Chuck Lofy explains, "Amidst struggle, energizing changes can emerge that transform organizations and the employees within them."
Change that is energizing is not dependent on the nature of the change itself. Change - whether actual or perceived, whether dreaded or anticipated - evokes reaction, such as anger, fear, joy, or puzzlement. If those reactions are not processed, they go underground as unfinished business and resurface in disguised forms such as conflict or low morale. If, on the other hand, the reactions are processed, even difficult changes can become an occasion of renewal. According to the Lofys, it is not so much what the change is, but rather how the organization and its leaders choose to deal with it.
Among other counsel in the book, the Lofys cite four factors for successfully energizing change:
- Facts, information and data. Information is essential to bring clarify what is really going on. People undergoing change must have a clear and complete set of facts about the essential issues facing the organization.
- Reflection on the meaning of those facts for the individual. An individual needs time to react to these facts, and to work through his or her reaction to what is going on.
- Dialogue on the meaning of the facts. In conversation among colleagues, the organization needs to work through the various reactions of the individuals. A dialogue about individual responses and reactions is essential for the entire organization to effectively navigate through change.
- Guidance, facilitation, and support. This is the factor that assures safety, creates a trust context for individual reflection and group dialogue, and leads the organization through difficult moments.
One 'aha' for me is that information is necessary, but inadequate. I've often advised leaders of transformation - "Silence is your enemy. Tell people both what is known and what is not." But I have too often shortchanged the time to process the personal and different reactions by the receivers of that information. Adding both reflection and dialogue has proven beneficial. Often now, I ask client teams in the midst of change to answer each of these questions in turn, "What facts are known? How are you reacting to them? What do you want in the new forms being created?"
This focus forward has worked well. Asking about desired new forms caused one group to draw striking contrasts in pictures. I remember one person's 'from' picture showed an old waiting room with hard mismatched chairs, a sign saying 'take a number', and a woman shackled to a rulebook. His 'to' picture showed a customer self-serving from a menu of Web-based choices while sitting in her own living room. Another person simply showed a set of eyes - first closed, then wide open. When asked to explain, that person said, "Our organization has been snoozing. In particular, we need market research about our customers." I was struck by how animated people became when talking through the new 'forms' their organization's basic work could take that were more in harmony with their spirits.
This reflection led me to a play on words. In PSG's other writings, we refer to an organization's basic work or purpose as Core*. I started thinking about the inherent passion folks evidence regarding their organization's core. I had never considered before how similar 'spirit of core' sounds to 'esprit de corps.'
So check out the Lofys book! And, whether you remember organizational vitality as "FORM + SPIRIT" or as "spirit of core" + "esprit de corps," use this spring season to re-awaken your winter organizations.
*To get to your organization's Core, try completing this sentence, "In ten words or fewer, our mission is _______." No cheating; ten words are the max. Compare answers!
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