Tears of truth

The eyes of Lucie, the Human Resources Manager, blurred and she shed a tear. She apologized: "sorry but it's too beautiful, I feel like I'm in a fairy tale, that's what we need".

Laurent Laval, Arthur Hunt

What’s happening? This is the first time anyone has cried when I explain the alchemy of our corporate Business Transformation program:

  • The results the company wishes to achieve in the short and medium term
  • The definition of 3-5 projects/challenges that translate the business strategy
  • Internal communication “what do I say differently to the teams”
  • The evaluation of the professional qualities necessary for the top managers and key people to obtain the results
  • Go down to the individual level (When we go in details about what we expect from everyone and measure the results, solutions appear)
  • Establishment of indicators and coordinators per community who tell employees where to focus: "let's define for us what indicates that it works". Revenue and profitability will be the result. We don't get people on board with financial indicators or messages like "we're going to stop losing money"
  • Escalation processes with clarification of “approving” people
  • The departures of those who "will not be in the game"
  • Salary and bonus adjustments to reward employees who “will do tomorrow what they are not doing today”
  • External communication, the real reasons why a candidate chooses to join the company and will stay,

My interpretation of the emotion felt and expressed by Lucie: “Consolation with origin” *

Lucie had a pretty good understanding of everything that was wrong with the organization. What was missing to her was a method to drive the transformation. She saw what has to be done, not knowing where to start. Her tears say that she finds the start of the path that climbs the mountain. Her tears say also she is deeply committed to her work. We can speak of a « consolation with cause ». The presentation freed her from deep anguish or anxiety due to her feeling of not being able to do what should be done.

By visualizing the presentation of the transformation methodology, everything becomes clear to her, the pieces of the puzzle come together, she visualizes the final image.

She can already see herself in the driver's seat with the key to the method for employees to spend less energy and get more satisfaction and results. She also knows that this business transformation program will allow them to work differently to have fun building their future. In 3 months, they will get up in the morning knowing what they are going to do today differently from yesterday. The managers will be welded together to better grow as a person, that's the real business project she dreams of.

The last sentence of the future plant manager shaking my hand in the parking lot: “Laurent, send a proposal to Lucie”.

To be continued in a future article…

*Consolation is the deep feeling of internal peace, joy, trust, hope… Consolation with origin is a consolation generated by a fact.