Fire in the Corporate Belly

Tom FitzGerald

Web design and development by:

Page 2

For rekindling to take place, just seven things need to happen:

1. The members of the management team (or what is supposed to be the management team) must become in fact the spirit, the soul, the essential center of the company. And must become self aware, conscious of itself as that. And must believe in and acknowledge its authority as that soul.
2. The management team, now a true Team, must see and acknowledge the company and themselves exactly as it is, exactly as they are. Especially the corporate and human (emotional) drivers of performance. They must do this both as the soul of the company and as individuals.
3. The Team must generate a real, visceral revulsion against those factors within the company that it does not like. Individuals must share in this. A catharsis happens. Energy for change, for a new beginning is released.
4. The Team must define for the company, for itself, a new and detailed Business Blueprint. A blueprint that defines not just the usual strategies, tactics goals and objectives, but also the spirit of the company. The team here defines itself in terms as much different and greater than "culture" as the human soul is different and greater than psychology.
5. From the energy of catharsis, always great, always intense, the Team must create within itself a powerful emotional investment in this new future, in this new blueprint. Detail by detail. Corporate and emotional driver by corporate and emotional driver.
6. Again, with that same energy, the Team must commit, viscerally and emotionally, both as the soul of the company and as individuals, to explicit actions to achieve each and every element of the business blueprint. And commit to full accountability.
7. Then, implementation and follow-up must begin immediately. No time lost.

Ron began the process for RIBS by arranging for a detailed, in-depth, diagnostic of the company, its divisions and its departments. He hired a business Catalysts and a questionnaire was prepared. The questionnaire was designed specifically to be answered by managers, supervisors and senior key staff, not workers. It addressed some 150 factors that underlie, cause and predict the performance of companies. Some obvious and traditional, some dealing with the soul, the essence of the company. All recipients were told of the importance of the instrument and strongly "encouraged" to respond. This would be a 360 appraisal of the company, from within, through the eyes of those who were responsible. Through the eyes of those who would be responsible for the future.

The Catalyst and the CEO made the first diagnostic cut. It was immediately obvious that the company was in trouble.

A high performing, world class company, sure of its power and its potency will find some 30 items it does not like about itself. And perhaps one or two "gut" issues that must be dealt with in and through the emotional life of the company if they are to transform, to release the energy of renewal. RIBS found some seventy. Four or five were gut issues. Twenty or so were "three star". There was no doubt: The company was an accident waiting to happen.

What had to change was clear. What had to be done was clear. But, for the transformation of the company to actually happen, without firing half or more of the senior management, the Team had to come into existence and that Team would have to do all the rest. And there was no team. That showed in twelve different ways and everyone in management knew. Even Ron! And yes, the company was aging fast: The Psychological Age Index was high.

There was no report generated. That was part of the agreement. (Reports get shelved, especially uncomfortable reports. And this process would not give them the option of shelving anything.). And Ron would not leak the results either. They, his managers, would do the analysis, would face the reality of the company, cold. And in the process come together with him to form the soul of the company.

They met off site in a darkened room that had no tables. Just an arc of straight-backed chairs facing two overhead projector screens. There they would see their own answers and the answers of their subordinates. And in that room they would wrestle with the meaning of those answers. And the impact of what they saw on the performance of the company, on the performance of themselves. They would be in the deep end and nowhere to go but through. Being brave is easier when there is no option.

After the necessary learning on the junior slopes, the intensity mounted. The three star issues were dealt with frontally. Later, the "Gut" issues. And, piece by piece, a business blueprint developed. The Catalyst held the mirror so they could not slide off. After a little while they would not slide off.

Time after time, Ron asked: "What’s the real answer?". The average or the mean did not matter. Real was what they agreed it was. They held the mirror for each other; helped each other see. And, just in case, the Catalyst wore the black hat and brooked no easy denial. They answered. And it was the cold truth. The whole truth. Time after time, the Catalyst triggering catharsis, releasing energy into the room.

Time after time, Ron asked: "OK, What must it be in two years? I ask you, ........!" He had borrowed John McLaughlin’s mannerisms just for the occasion.

They again they answered. And their words appeared before their eyes, dominating their field of view. And, piece by piece, a business blueprint developed. And, piece by piece, they committed. Emotionally! Viscerally! Ritually! The Catalyst triggering the investment of the energy, keeping the pace up. Momentum now played a major part of the process.

Soon a clear, appealing picture of the future developed that attracted and excited their interest, their involvement, their commitment. Soon they passed beyond their embarrassments, their revulsions, and were actively hunting for, lobbying for, their picture of the future. Committing. Demanding commitment of each other. Ron too. He loved it.

Time after time, he asked:

"What’s the action?" They told him!.

"Who’ll do it?" They told him!

"When’ll it be done?. They told him!

"OK! Can I review on....?" They agreed!

And everything they said appeared before their eyes, dominated their field of view. Was transferred to their LAN as an on-line action plan for all to see.

And they pledged achievement. Before their boss. Before their peers. Before subordinates. Before the very soul of their company.

And they delivered! It would have been be impossible not to. They had not left themselves the option of failure. Emotionally, they had burned their boats.

One year later, four old products were phasing out, five new products were being developed, one actively being sold. Growth was up.

Once again, there was fire In the corporate belly.

Originally published in the CEO REFRESHER magazine,
September 1999

<<Back to Page 1

Index