How This IT Team Couldn’t Change Their Culture and Communication Until They Changed Where They Sat

Oct 8, 2020 | Executive Coaching Blogs, Hot Mess Hotline Podcast, Workplace Communication

Mike Loggins and I discuss how to improve communication within a team on this episode of the Hot Mess Hotline. When it came to team communication strategies, Mike had some ridiculous ambiguity on his hands.

Mike used to believe that if the leadership of the organization just designed the best processes and bought the newest technology then, voila, there will be transformation and cultural change.

Here’s what it really takes: thinking from a new perspective. Mike and his team figured out that those beliefs were short-sighted and the current strategies weren’t effective. But even after this realization, their work wasn’t finished. Some people changed, others didn’t, and those that embraced change became overburdened.

Problems escalated beyond where they should, with top leaders being brought in to handle conflict that should have been taken care of by the immediate mid-level management. Furthermore, the leadership didn’t know what team communication strategies would be most effective or how to build trust at work among the conflicted teams.

Mike even encountered a situation where one manager went behind his back to bring in a new unapproved system. This manager didn’t understand what Mike had learned: tying success to a shiny new tool instead of determining the root cause of the problem will ultimately not work. Rather than help his team, this manager delayed success and caused conflict with Mike.

Listen to this episode of the Hot Mess Hotline to learn how Mike’s team initially tackled their change initiatives, then listen to part 2 of Mike’s interview here where we talk about how to really improve communication within a team and how Mike made quick but ultimately very impactful change on a low budget.

Listen on Libysn
Listen on Libysn
Listen on Libysn
Listen on Libysn

Lead powerful meetings and create purpose, participation and problem solving for your most valuable time

Download this toolkit and you'll get resources to:

    • Easily manage task items from every meeting
    • Design agendas quickly and allow folks the right info to prepare
    • Hold your next effective staff meeting with focused content
    • Run a quick daily meeting so your team gets more shit done
    • Have your staff turn in meaningful updates so meetings are shorter
    • Start meetings in an engaging way. Get everyone to laugh, not roll their eyes.

About Mike Loggins

With 20+ years of experience as an IT leader, I have been integral to strategic business alignment, performance acceleration, customer success, & standardizing global IT operations. As an influential leader, I have effectively led 300+ IT professionals worldwide to steer the direction of the corporate vision concerning the critical need for modernized IT operations. It is my passion to utilize my visionary approach to consistently pioneer change, advocacy, & critical IT involvement while also focusing on marketplace positioning for accelerated ROI.

 

Related Posts

Rich Leaders Have Rich Relationships with Jack Gibson

Rich Leaders Have Rich Relationships with Jack Gibson

A little-discussed asset class known by rich leaders is to have rich relationships. Jack Gibson is a leader who values trust over money; friendship over revenue. Just a few short years ago, he was feeling hot, hot, hot about real estate investing with a business partner. He referred his friends to this person. Everything was great while everyone was making money together.

Until it wasn’t and they were all losing money. Big time. Jack put on his cape and saved the day. While he’s learned since then that “saving others” isn’t his job, he’ll never regret saving a relationship at the expense of virtually everything else. Listen in to our conversation where lifelong friends have stayed trusted partners because he knows the value of the best investment out there: relationship capital.

read more
Insights into Uncomfortable Race Conversations at Work with Danielle Meadows-Stinnett

Insights into Uncomfortable Race Conversations at Work with Danielle Meadows-Stinnett

Have you ever wanted insights into uncomfortable race conversations at work but didn’t know who to ask? Our guest, Danielle Meadows-Stinnett, is generous enough to share a hot mess she found herself in as the CEO of her marketing company. She describes what it felt like when a client said to her teammate, “Do you even speak English?”

For those of us in more privileged positions in our American culture, we need to learn what it’s like sitting in the chair across from us as a person of color, a non-native English speaker, someone without a college degree whose colleagues all have college degrees, etc. etc. Unfortunately we’ve created too many ways to outrank each other. This conversation is a great reminder that we all show up to work looking to make a difference as a fellow human. Not a fellow human with all the labels we put on each other and ourselves.

read more
How Small Tweaks Create Big Change with Nikki Evans

How Small Tweaks Create Big Change with Nikki Evans

Big change is created by small tweaks. One of our faculty members, Nikki Evans, reminds us that change happens in small steps. Our brains are wired for overwhelm when we try to prioritize, do, plan, think through too many steps. Coaching reminds us to use our human superpowers of focus, critical thinking, and taking one step at a time.

Nikki shares her coaching perspective, why you might want to work with her, and what to expect. After listening I hope you’ll find her as amazing as I do and see why she’s a natural fit here at Stefanie Krievins & Co.

read more