Fleet Management News & Business Info | Commercial Carrier Journal
Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/303798
that the slides had to be in a certain format with no omissions and that the suggested course of action had to be what senior management (of the logistics company) had pre-ordained (taking advantage of empty space in their existing warehouse locations), analysis and client needs be damned. At first, I attempted to persuade and convince my higher-ups that we didn't need 15 slides on the history of our company and all the services that we offered. I further attempted to use the innovation card to allow for my different slide format than what was in the established slide deck. All of this was unsuccessful. Finally, I stated that since I was the lead person for the project, that I would present the analysis and suggestions in a format of my choosing. If they didn't like it, they could remove me from the project and then present whatever they wanted. While this bordered on insubordination, I felt that my mission was to lead innovation and that I needed to push resisters to go along. At the client presentation, I impressed the client executives with not only the bold, clean format of the slides but with the suggested actions as well. My suggestions were the best for the client company, even if it meant that they wouldn't be using our pre- packaged solutions. e suggestions offered an annual savings of $10 million and the opportunity for us to be the lead consultants in its implementation. At the presentation's conclusion, I was asked to come back again and give a more detailed implementation presentation. Sadly, I never had the chance. Upon my return to the office, I was reprimanded for not using the official company slide deck and for not suggesting the pre-ordained (in the box) solution. It made no difference that the presentation was enthusiastically received and that we had the real opportunity for significant consulting revenue. I strayed from the "box" and for that I needed to be flogged. Aer exhausting my efforts to persuade anyone in senior management, a mutual parting of ways soon followed. I was particularly perturbed about being misled regarding "leading the revolution" and/ or innovation initiatives. Are you simply giving lip service to innovative change or do you actively support change initiatives? e logistics company struggled and stagnated for nearly 10 years aerwards before finally becoming better proponents of change, primarily due to competitive forces. In the interim, few people were willing to actually offer up new ideas. ey saw what happened to me (and others who dared to think differently) and were afraid of the consequences of repeating my "audacious" attempt to innovate. How many great and forward thinking initiatives were never realized because of the enforced silence? How would we ever even know? e lesson: If you intend to be innovative and creative don't just say that's what you want. You must be willing to accept that the innovation and creativeness will change established processes and that the ultimate result will be rewarding. You must be willing to encourage and listen for these ideas without adverse reaction and/or consequence. You must be willing to accept limited initiative failures as learning opportunities and continue to encourage experimentation. C O M P A N I E S P AY L I P - S E R V I C E T O T H E N O T I O N O F T H I N K I N G D I F F E R E N T LY. . . B U T W H E N S O M E O N E A C T U A L LY T A K E S T H E M U P O N T H E O F F E R , T H E R E A C T I O N I S B O T H S W I F T A N D A D V E R S E . B E W I L L I N G T O A C C E P T T H AT T H E I N N O VAT I O N A N D C R E AT I V E N E S S W I L L C H A N G E E S T A B L I S H E D P R O C E S S E S A N D T H AT T H E U L T I M AT E R E S U L T W I L L B E R E WA R D I N G . " " " " Moe Glenner is Director - Global Logistics & Innovation for Steel Warehouse Company. Moe continues to present and speak about change management, innovation leadership and culture transformation. He can be reached at moe@moeglenner.com and on Twitter at @MoeGlenner Vo l . 8 , N o . 3 TRUCKSTOP.COM 9