Most organizational changes are designed not to so much to transform the organization but to modify it in hopes of fixing its problems. After the company-wide strategic change was implemented, we had too many people whose skills and experience were no longer applicable to the business model. And even then we saw the writing on the wall and recognized that it faced a high improbability that it would actually get funded.
Remember all the new acronyms the dotcom vernacular spawned, including B2B and B2C? Well, we switched from a consumer-centric model to a business-to-business model focused on the development and implementation of tech-based channel distribution solutions for the apparel industry. Basically, we would shift from a B2C e-commerce engine and website to a supply chain support technologies provider for the same industry, but with support all the way through to the bricks-and-mortar retailers. In acronyms, it was now B2B2C.
In his master’s text exploring organizational behavior, Robert Vecchio states that “norms are the expectations for the behavior of the organization’s members, while values are preferences among activities and outcomes.” One of our leaders was the founder and Chairman, the other was the CEO he hired. They seemed to be aligned in views of the opportunity and what needed to be done, and I believe they communicated their values well.
I still hold respect for their positions and approach, although back then I wished I had known more about the company’s fate to be able to prepare my parachute (albeit decidedly not “golden”). The Chairman communicated his values through his actions, with nearly a million bucks of his own money into the venture. The CEO’s approach was more paternal, in a been-there-done-that sort of way, and he was a consummate storyteller, keeping us calm (if not wholly distracted) with his abilities to conjure up cheers and bear hugs in the locker room when we’re losing 65-0 at halftime.
However, what “norms” we had established were mostly no longer applicable — we were too young a company, only about seven months old, when the major shift occurred. You can imagine the underlying tension.
To be continued….
Posted by: Colin Mangham