Culture Change for New Managers and Running the Hill Until You Throw Up...

One of the things I'm fascinated by at the intersection of business and HR is the prospect of culture change.  You know it well, if you've been in the business world for at least a decade.  A manager is successful and has a good run, then something strange happens.  People stop responding the same way to the manager.  Maybe the manager stops being focused.  Complacency sets in. 

It's odd, but many times it seems like managers/leaders have a shelf live, unless they're aware of the need to shock the troops from time to time and change the game.

If they can't change their game to keep the approach fresh and the troops engaged, often times they look for another opportunity, or the organization decides that a fresh view is needed by making a change.

Thus, a new manager comes in.  Meet the new boss.  Hopefully different from the old boss, because you weren't responding to him.

The big question?  In that situation, what does the new manager do to show the troops that a new sheriff is in town?

If you're Mike Singletary, head coach of the 49ers, you send a star to the locker room during a game to get everyone's attention.  Once you have a little prep time during the off season, you build a big symbol outside the locker room that suggests involuntary vomiting may be part of the price team members pay to get better.

More on "the hill" from the Mercury News:

"Players who hear Mike Singletary's fiery speeches swear that the man can make the earth move.

In this case, he did.  Singletary ordered that a hill be made adjacent to the 49ers' practice fields. What had been a gentle slope is now padded with 2,500 tons of dirt. It takes a run of about 45 feet to get to the top — as the 49ers players will soon discover first-hand.

What does Singletary call his creation?

"Pain,'' he said Saturday before the second and final day of the 49ers' mini-camp.

Mt. Pain isn't quite ready for climbers yet, but the plan is to use it for conditioning drills. Singletary used to run hills himself during his playing days, as did Hall-of-Fame teammate Walter Payton.

The 49ers' Jerry Rice was famous for his sprint work in the hills of San Carlos.

Singletary said that athletes who trained that way "were a cut above some of the other competition around the league and had a long playing career."

"It's something you can't get in the weight room. Something you can't really get on the track,'' he said. "It builds something that's kind of a mystery."

You can call that a gimmick, but it begs the question.  Look around at the new leaders you know.  What's their symbol that a new sheriff is in town?  Symbols are important in the corporate/leadership world, although not always as visible as they are in the sports world.  They're still there though, you just have to work a little harder to find them.

Bonus track below - Singletary's press conference when he talks about winners.  The only concern with this type of leader is that the fire burns so hot, he'll burn out (or burn others out) after two years of intensity.  Fun to watch along the way, though...

Comments

[Art Petty]

Great piece, Kris and it brings back some outstanding memories of watching Walter Payton run the "hill" in Arlington Heights, IL. We did the same, but no one could keep up with Walter. I suspect if pushed, Singletary would highlight seeing this lesson first-hand from his late, great team member.

[Wally Bock]

I think this is a great post, Kris, but is it about culture change? That implies to me something that's at the values level.

[skkuumar]

Excellent post and good one cultural change