What's New, What's Not edited by Polly Labarre Fast Company, January 1999 pp 73-81

Change is a word you hear many times a day in very different contexts. At the store, you will hear, "Here's your change." At the garage, you might hear, "Can you change my oil?" Kids often need to "change their clothes" and then there's the infamous line about "the weather is going to change again." The word change is heard several times a day and we don't often think much about it. Until you hear it used like this, " we are changing our guidelines" (or job standards, dress codes or rules). People become very unhappy about change, especially when we tell them it's going to happen. Often they don't notice change has happened until others start to reminisce and say "remember when we used to".

Change has some benefits, but we aren't always quick to embrace them, because we don't always see the possibilities (or even want to). I don't know of very many people in this day and age, and especially in mid-February, who are still wishing we'd go back to the days of the horse and buggy. Personally I am glad someone put ink in a pen rather than continually dipping my feather in an inkwell. Change has brought some opportunities as well, as we look at the availability of personal computers in homes and offices compared to the mainframes of years gone by. Another opportunity is technology related as we can carry phones with us in case of emergencies. Change has caused some good things to happen and has made life more convenient for many people.

In the discussion of what's new and what's not, I was struck by many of the comments made by the business leaders who were interviewed in this article. I jotted several down because they caught my interest.

7 Andrall E. Pearson of Tricon Global Restaurants, Inc. talks about in the past it was clear who had the financial muscle to be on top, but today money isn't separating people out. The financial resources are accessible to lots of people. Ideas given to the employees just doesn't work anymore, you need to be hands-on and work with them and listen to their concepts. A new style of leadership is necessary to beat the competition, not money!

7 B. Joseph White, Dean of the University of Michigan Business School says information technology and biotechnology have the potential to change society as deeply as the automobile did a century ago. In response to those developments, they have moved students past the four walls of the college into companies and organizations around the world. These new opportunities are valuable to the students and allows them to learn in hands-on ways. The experience of working side by side in an actual workplace is as important as learning methods, theories and formulas in the classroom. Students can then decide if they like the experience and because they have had some training they are more marketable when they begin the job search.

7 Carol Bartz, CEO and chairman of Autodesk, is often asked to be a mentor to new employees. She is concerned about a new employee being led by only one person. She would rather see a "personal mosaic" of influence, experts and guides. In essence, a variety of people who can help a new employee at various stages of the career and with an assortment of issues, etc.

This is an important concept to remember as the University of Minnesota Extension Service looks at the mentoring topic. Currently one district assigns a mentor to new employees. This mentoring experience is given by three people, with different expertise and experience. That's a valuable resource for new employees, but only one district is currently doing so. A thought among some of the cohort group was to provide mentors to new employees who work with 4-H, by having different people take a topic area and serve as a mentor in that area. (Examples could include volunteer screening, county fair related items or community club issues) In this way, a new employee would receive guidance from several different educators and could find people whom they feel most comfortable with, allowing them to become the most successful educator possible.

7 Jay Chiat of TBWA Chiat/Day says the challenge isn't about introducing the new, it's about reinventing the old. Marketing is returning to older more basic issues and that's something we need to remember. Keeping logos the same and slogans on the tip of one's tongue can be valuable for business. That's another lesson the University of Minnesota Extension Service needs to remember. People need to identify with a business and then they will feel comfortable with it. Showing how Extension hasn't changed can also be valuable for marketing. Many people will like knowing that services they once used or remembered are still available to them.

7 Samir Arora of Netobjects, Inc. has seen how the Internet is changing time and the rules of industry. Because of all the changes, leadership has become more important. Samir says leadership is the "articulation of a vision and values, but also a continuous dedication to being brutally honest with yourself, your employees, and your customers - about the realities of this new environment."

Leadership is vital and people who are running businesses or organizations need to remember that they need to sell their ideas to employees. Many ideas have gone by the wayside when employees aren't convinced of the opportunity or possibility in a new idea. Leadership needs to have a plan as well, to help those ideas move forward. A dictatorship where ideas are commanded has different results than leadership with vision and the support and ideas of employees.

7 Orit Gadiesh, chairman of Bain & Co., knows how fast business and technology is changing. She knows that in business leadership, "what matters is understanding how people react in times of uncertainty, when they have less ability to manage their external environment. Creating a set of guiding principles that apply, no matter the situation, is an important step in reassuring people during surprising times. Those guiding principles allow people to make quick, confident decisions that fit in with the strategy laid out. Helping people find a comfort zone in the midst of change will help to get the work done rather than cause a panic and prevent a work stoppage.

7 My favorite response about what's new and what's not comes from David Duffield of Peoplesoft, Inc. He talks about how the Internet has barely scratched the surface of possibilities for business in the future. The possibilities are endless for the future of the Internet and how it is used. The Peoplesoft principles are 1) make customers happy 2) have fun 3) be profitable. But as you work toward those principles, leadership is a must as you strive to be profitable, have fun and make people happy. Those three principles are challenging as employees strive for achievement of one principle and customers are seeking another.

The key to achieving those principles for everyone is in leadership. "It's no longer about the boss having all the answers or issuing directives, it's about getting people to do things for you without your having to ask them." That means you have to convince people of the potential that they are contributing to. Sharing ideas, listening to comments and having people buy in are important concepts in the new leadership style. That's another lesson to be learned by big business.

7 Ford Motor Company's William F. Powers says it best and succinctly. "There is one magic ingredient: a strong, motivating goal that everyone on a team can easily understand and embrace." If you want success in today's business world, you need to point out the goal and what it can do for everyone. That's how you encourage a climate of success, pride and achievement. When you haven't spoken in a language everyone understands, or you haven't shared the results of the goals, employees don't often see the value and the process becomes tedious and not everyone strives for the goal, since they aren't sure what they'll find at the end of the road.

I found some consistent themes on leadership that I feel are extremely valuable. I believe those business leaders have had their eyes opened by the changes going on, but I also think they realize what the employees of the future are expecting, to be treated as valued members of the team. It is important to listen to the ideas of others. You don't always have to use them, but often bits and pieces filter their way into the overall plan. The more ideas you have, the many different ways that surface to complete a plan.

This article could be very valuable to the administration of the University of Minnesota Extension Service because it shows so many new ways of thinking, or at least responding to issues. Leadership is important, but so is mentoring, moving beyond the usual walls and marketing. Keeping employees feeling valued and an important part of the team and proud of the work they do is as important as the image you are portraying to the community. An employee who has been mistreated can do more damage than any marketing campaign and employers and administrators need to remember that.

A coworker and I discussed this over coffee and decided that we can set these models into action within our own county programs. As we provide leadership to the 4-H programs, we can use these leadership styles, as well as serving as a mentor to a new co-worker. It's important to remember that just because the administration might not practice this or put it into action, it doesn't mean that we can't all practice these things in our own ways. Employees can make a difference as well.

-- Anonymous, February 15, 1999