As concluded in yesterdays article, people need to believe that change will happen, that they can make it happen, and that it will benefit them.

These beliefs are cultivated by showing almost instant results in performance and efficiency, and creating high visibility around the small achievements that will grow into larger ones. The active ingredient to generating impact is that everyone shares the credit for results and that the leaders look for the tiniest successes in order to acknowledge those groups who achieve them.

Motivational strategies promoting opportunities to grow through training and more potential to advance in the company would be built into the process to maintain higher energy and job appeal. This process includes

Creating enthusiasm requires two components: a protagonist and an antagonist. The protagonist being some gratification (more rewarding place to work, more advancement, etc.), the antagonist would be an outside force that hinders this achievement (previous attitude of the leaders, a shrinking economy, etc.). The leaders must use the protagonist to unite the teams, departments, managers and individuals to create a greater force that is capable of defeating the antagonist. They must be wooed to understand that they cannot beat it alone and only as a team can they overcome the odds (just like a Lethal Weapon Movie, as good as Mel Gibson is, he still relies on Danny Glubber to vanquish the bad guys). Teamwork Works.

The higher the perceived value the antagonist provides, i.e. what do they get out of it or what they don't they lose, will determine the level of cohesiveness the leaders can attain. And the better the cohesiveness, the better the results which can be used to enhance credibility and trust.

Trust can also be amplified by sharing information across all levels of staff. Access to information that would otherwise be considered "privileged", will augment the belief that the leaders trust them with it and therefore add to credibility of management's commitment. This will also add to productivity since information provides the tools by which individuals can make decisions and generate ideas.

It is also important that in the course of creating enthusiasm and building credibility that the expectations of the management and staff are managed to avoid disappointment, and therefore reduced motivation.
Unrealistic expectations can easily sabotage any good program and therefore its credibility. For example, if a friend tells you that a movie she saw was "absolutely fantastic", you may be disappointed when you go to see the movie. Not because the movie was bad, but because the expectations you developed from your friend's statement became higher than usual. So the next time your friend tells you about a movie, you may discount her statements.

Congruency of actions from the leaders is undoubtedly the most crucial for building credibility. The actions and words of the leaders must go hand in hand. One incongruent action can destroy any credibility that has been developed. While it may be considered "unfair", most employees will seldom give a second chance and simply brush the entire program off with a statement like "See, I knew he/she/they couldn't change!" Therefore, for at least the first few months of the buy-in period, the leaders must pull out their Superman Costumes and make sure they live up to the changes and policies they are trying to implement.

Reaching peak performance within a company that has culture problems is not a simple task, but it is achievable. And, the rewards are far greater than the initial efforts put forth to create an empowered culture. The benefits stretch beyond the productivity increase and extend to a better, more rewarding place to work for all involved. As David "The finance guy" Rogers once said in his Psychology of Money seminar, "If there is no change, your past will become your future"