Ch-ch-ch-ch-Changes
(Turn and face the strain)
Ch-ch-Changes
You should know by now that I like music, and this time I have turned to David Bowie to lead us in to this installment. I actually used this same lead in back in March 2012 when I penned Business Lesson from a Nurseryman: Change Can Come Up Roses. Back in March 2012, I was talking about changes in a “family” business. Today, the scope of discussion tackles a much larger business.
For the fourth time since I started at Harte-Hanks in 2001, a new CEO has been announced. That means I am faced with working under my fifth CEO in 12 years; so change in leadership is nothing new for me and nothing new for millions of other people working in companies, large and small, across the world. What is different for me is that this CEO, unlike the other ones in the past decade, is a complete outsider.
The day of the announcement I had several people come into my office and ask me if I knew anything about this new guy. While I had not met him nor spoken to him, I had done a quick Google search on him that scored a few interview clips. While I did not know much about him, I shared what little I did know while trying to not throw in any conjecture. I made sure to tell them that I liked his Irish accent, especially since I claim to be (if you trace back enough generations) part Irish and that I was hoping we might see St Patrick’s Day become a company holiday. Sadly our VP of People has since told me that offices will NOT be closing on March 17 each year.
It was the second question I was asked by those people that I knew probably a large majority of other people in the company wanted to also ask:
“Do you think things will change with the new CEO?”
Each time this question was asked of me, I provided the same initial answer:
“I certainly hope so, otherwise why would we make a CEO change.”
I am not sure that was the answer people wanted to hear, but it felt like the right answer to me. Yes, I expect there to be changes. I expect some of the changes will be ones I like, while others may not be to my liking. But driving change is part of what makes a successful leader, so I fully expect a new CEO to make changes. Organizations must change in order to stay competitive and succeed, and leaders, at all levels, must be the champions of change.
I am not sure what the coming months will bring as our new CEO takes the reigns, but I do know it will be different from what it is today. I also know, I will do my part to champion those changes because that is what leaders do.
I hope my fellow co-workers are ready to say “game on” and embrace the coming changes as well. Of course the transition will have its bumps but hopefully we can anticipate and brace for those challenges. In the words an old high school basketball teammate liked to say before the big games against our toughest competition: “Buckle Up, Buttercup!”
Robert Not Bob 