The other day in my Marketing Strategies (MKT 391) class, we had a class discussion on a case from Apple, Inc. The case talked about the changes during the early years of Apple, particularly the leadership changes. After Steve Jobs left Apple and started his own company, Apple went through four CEO’s in a span of a decade and a half. The main issue was the different changes that these CEO’s were implementing when they took over the company. During this period without Jobs, the company’s profit was little, if not stagnant. There were many changes being implemented but there were no results in terms of profits for the company. Finally, the company started to go in the right direction when Steve Jobs took back reigns of the company.
He did an interview a few years ago and was asked how he was able to implement change in Apple while his predecessors failed. His response was simple. The first step was to make it aware to everyone in the company that change was needed and encouraged ideas for change. He shared his ideas and welcomed feedback before proceeding. These were the reasons why he was so successful in bringing Apple back from the dead (so to speak).
After having this discussion in class it made me think of the changes that were happening in my business fraternity called Pi Sigma Epsilon at the Shilder College of Business. Pi Sigma Epsilon (PSE) is a national, professional, co-educational fraternity in marketing, sales management and selling. PSE prepares its members to become educated professionals in Sales and Marketing through various workshops and sponsored dinners with the Sales and Marketing Executives (SME) of Honolulu. Our fraternity this semester went through a structural change within the organization. Over the years, PSE was heading in the wrong direction. With the change in leadership came change in the purpose. In the past, the fraternity’s focus was brotherhood, networking, and keeping relations with alumni. About a few years ago, that purpose changed. The organization had more of a business mindset. The communication with people who built the foundation for the organization was cut off and the organization was spiraling downward.
Our organization was having the same trouble with change that Apple was having when it was going through changes in leadership. After reading the chapter called “Understanding Change” in our text book, Exploring Leadership: for college students who want to make a difference by Susan R. Komives, Nance Lucas, and Timothy R. McMahon, there was a section called “Facilitating Change” which explains the challenges organizations, such as PSE, face when there is change. As Robert E. Quinn states, “A challenge for leaders as they facilitate major change is to help other cope with their uncertainties and fears” (p. 341 – Understanding Change). Robert E. Quinn is Margaret Elliot Tracy Collegiate Professor in Business Administration and Professor of Management and Organizations at the University of Michigan Ross School of Business. He has one of the highest rates of repeat engagements in the speaking industry. Audiences regularly describe the experience as personal, powerful and practical and they leave the event knowing better who they are and the result they want to create. Instead of just talking about change, Robert Quinn actually helps people change.
The changes that were happening in our organization were not explained to the members first, therefore there was some opposition to the changes. As a result, it was very difficult for change to happen without running into challenges. This semester our President and I went with a different approach to changing the organization. After talking with a few of the older alumni, we had a better understanding of how the organization was run. Our goal was to change the organization back to what is once was before, an organization which benefitted the members and not just the organization. We wanted to make the organization a fun place to be. I remember in our Dynamics of Leadership (EDEA 360) class, we talked about the Relational Leadership Model. The Relational Leadership refers to a model or perspective on leadership that focuses on the idea that leadership effectiveness has to do with the ability of the leader to create positive relationships within the organization.
The chart of the eight-step model of change (p. 347, Exhibit 11.1) illustrated the similar approach that we were using to conduct change. This eight-step process tied into the Relational Leadership Model. A few examples of how we used these steps were 1) Increase urgency: we made members aware that change in the organization was needed; 2) Build the guiding team: the President and I formed a team with the Executive Board to work together in leading the change; 3) Get the vision right: our vision was to get the organization back to what it was; and 4) Empower action: we encouraged members to contribute ideas towards our goal.
In conclusion, though we only went through four of the eight steps, I feel we will soon complete all eight steps. Although I am graduating this semester, I feel confident that the changes that we started will continue. Our executive board is young therefore, will be here for awhile to see these changes take effect. This is how I plan to leave my legacy within the organization.
~Andrew Leong
