The Secret to Building High Performing Teams: A Podcast with Donnie Smith of Tyson – OC Podcast 017

 

 The Secret to Building High Performing Teams: A Podcast with Donnie Smith of Tyson - OC Podcast 017 [00:30:24m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Donnie Smith heads up Poultry and Prepared Foods team at Tyson Foods, Inc. But what sets Donnie apart is his passion for people and his unique ability to build high performing teams.  In this webcast, Donnie shares his secret to being a champion leader in the world’s largest protein producer.

An Unexpected Approach in Driving Change

Tomorrow I leave for a short vacation with my wife (no kids) that we’ve had to put off for a number of reasons this summer. We’re traveling to Sedona, Arizona where we can capture a little bit of peace and quiet and rest. I’m expecting that my days will be very predictable – sleep, eat, hike and chill. Our schedules will be far from demanding and hopefully very routine. In fact, having an ounce of the “routine” is of primary importance to me in a vacation, because only in a vacation can we experience routine in today’s constantly changing business environment.

Change is driving us, we’re not driving change. And nothing is routine or predictable, ever. Today’s champions must be comfortable with this. In fact, an IBM “Enterprise of the Future” study claims that the most extraordinary leaders must hunger for change.

I recently came across an article that caused me to, yet again, reflect on this change. However, this article, To Master Change, First Dread It, presented something new that I found interesting and right. So, with the contribution from the author, Rosabeth Moss Kanter, below are five considerations as you master change in your organization.

1. Adopt an attitude of exploration: Never stop asking questions; but rather, ask more questions of more people more often. This will heighten your own awareness of the business and create a curious and more collaborative culture capable of creativity. Creative thinking is necessary for driving healthy change.
2. Imagine the worst-case scenario of a change effort: By going all the way with your feelings and taking them to the dreaded end; only then, can you and others begin to move forward and beyond your fears. People who hate spiders quickly move beyond their fear when they are surrounded by them. For them, things can’t get worse. At that point, they begin to move forward. See Kanter’s article, To Master Change, First Dread It.
3. Prioritize progress over perfection: These are the times for leaders to play offense. As economic recovery approaches, those leaders who are playing it safe with a defensive mindset will find themselves far behind. It’s time for leaders to bring the pressure and to deliver a new level of competitive aggressiveness. Progress before perfection will bring risk. However, as companies rebound, failure loses a little bit of its bite. But those who learn quickly from failure will be smarter, faster.
4. Develop staying power (resilience): Today, it seems, nothing comes easy. I’m easily frustrated by those who promise easy success. What has always been consistent in my observations is that those who refuse to give up are the ones who own the success stories. It’s easy to bailout when change gets tough. It’s much tougher to see change through. But those who do, win.
5. Be intentional about your recovery – recharge your battery: Our organization has pushed a record number of change efforts through in 2009. Our business model has changed, we’ve created a new global brand, we’ve launched several new products and product lines and we’ve embraced new and healthy partnerships. Those who get ahead can push their intensity to the maximum. They can push their intensity to the maximum, because they’ve been intentional about their recovery. It’s time for me to recharge my battery. New change will be demanded and I need to be ready for it. So Sedona, here I come.

Onward!

Tags: change, hunger, initiatives, organizational, vacation