Business Owner Breakthrough Podcast

Implementing new procedures doesn’t have to be so hard with Vaishnavi Hariharan

June 01, 2021 Pete Mohr Season 1 Episode 3
Business Owner Breakthrough Podcast
Implementing new procedures doesn’t have to be so hard with Vaishnavi Hariharan
Show Notes Transcript

Vaishnavi Hariharan brings her 20+ years of experience in Human Resources to the Simplifying Entrepreneurship podcast as we chat about how to implement new procedures and processes into your business! 

It’s something that all leaders have to implement, but many don’t do a great job at!

Here’s a glance at what you’ll learn from our discussion in this episode:

  • Start with the end goal in mind
  • The concept of appreciative inquiry
  • Value mapping the various areas of change
  • Understanding who’ll back you and who won’t on the changes

You can contact Vai by email at Vaish32@yahoo.com 

If you’re ready to transform your entrepreneurial frustrations into freedoms by cutting through the chaos and using frameworks that help you run an even better business and enjoy an even better life, simply go to:   www.Mohr.Coach

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SPEAKERS

Vai, Pete


Vai  00:00

When you're trying to initiate any new techniques or any new procedures, the first thing that you will probably identify is or established is the need, what was the need, why this technique needs to be established or this procedure needs to be established or a system needs to be introduced? What was the main reason why this whole thing has come about all this change has come about even. And when you are able to dissect the information, you are able to determine whether or not this change is really needed. It is a lot of introspection that goes into the decision.

 

Pete Mohr  00:36

Hey, it's Pete and welcome to the simplifying entrepreneurship podcast the series designed to help you change your entrepreneurial worries and wants into wins by providing the tips and tools that will help you cut through the chaos and create clarity for your business allowing you the ability to level up your business and your life. Always remember you lead your business, it shouldn't lead you this week. I'm talking to viotti Heron, and we're going to go through the whole concept of what are the best ways to introduce new procedures into your business. We'll talk about setting up frameworks and visualizing with the end in mind so that you know where you're going in a clear, concise way appreciative inquiry, asking the questions that go deep, including feelings with your team on how this is going to get through working with your cheerleaders and your naysayers and understanding why the whole thing is even necessary to begin with. So we'll kick it off here with my great conversation here today with VI. Hey, vi, it's great to have you here today on the simplifying entrepreneurship podcast. Thank you so much. Awesome, I always appreciate our time together. We don't know each other that well. But we've had a few good chats. And you've got so much to offer. I'm excited about you being a regular guest here with us talking about all sorts of cool things that simplify entrepreneurship. And today we're going to get into the idea of what are the best ways to introduce new procedures and policies and all that kind of good stuff into someone's business.

 

Vai  02:13

Thank you, Pete, the feeling is quite mutual, I'm equally excited to be able to share my experiences and my thoughts on these topics. And it's interesting to see, in my own journey, how various entrepreneurs have actually grown to be leaders and founders of great organizations. So I'm glad to be a part of their journey. And I'm sure they will be equally glad to be a part of my journey as well. Awesome. So most leaders, when they get onto a path of introducing new procedures are able to visualize the end result or the end product, but where they tend to lose focus, or they kind of lose the practicality piece of it is the caveats and the loopholes as to how to get there, that's the road, the road to either success or failure is the same road, you know, and that's what they know the end destination, but they don't know the how to get there. And that's where people in the organization, or people who are actually trying to administer that road tend to kind of either push back, or that's how the resistance to change comes. I'm sure most of our listeners and viewers would have heard of the book Seven Habits of Highly Effective People. And one of the habits is think of the end in the beginning. And while the example that Mr. Covey refers to in the book is about a funeral, it has got a very positive thought. When he speaks about it, what he wants to convey the message is that, you know, when you think about the funeral and your death, what you're trying to visualize is things that you need to be thankful about, capitalize on your strengths, capitalize on the benefits capitalize on what your journey has been in life, and up until death and value the people that are actually attending your funeral. So yeah, yeah, that's, that's the messaging that he would like to put forward. And as entrepreneurs, the most important thing is you have to be able to visualize and think about the end in the beginning. And when you do that, you are able to create a skeleton framework of the road that will probably lead you to that destination. And that'll be my first technique in terms of you know, how to, you know, how to probably introduce a new procedure, and the pump itself will include appreciative inquiry. So when you ask the questions in an appreciative mode, you tend to capitalize on the strengths of the people on the strengths of the processes and strengths of existing tools that you may have in the organization to be able to capitalize and get to the destination that you would like to get into.

 

Pete Mohr  04:46

I like that appreciative inquiry.

 

Vai  04:49

That's right. appreciative inquiry is a very interesting technique. You can use it in investigations. It brings out the best in people and it allows you in many ways until have changed management itself, and allows you to build that trust factor with your fellow employees, with your collaborators with your stakeholders, you're trying to not find faults instead, you're trying to see okay, these are our group's trends, as they call it these days, the herd immunity in the COVID era, this is your herd immunity, these are our collective strengths, and and how do we build on those? And how do we kind of, you know, use each other as a stepping stone to be able to build that road to success and the end destination itself? You know, even questions like, how would it make you feel, if we were to get on this path together? That opens up so many different emotions, even if the emotions are going to be some kind of a pushback, it will at least you will get an idea of what that pushback is going to look like. And that will allow you to establish those techniques, you know, on a firm ground word is is very stable.

 

Pete Mohr  05:56

Yeah, like that. And I mean, the idea, it's from my perspective of looking at that that's the internal perspective, when you're talking about feelings and the external or sort of the what it is, but the internal side is that that feeling side? And how you take that all into consideration and procedure development, I think is interesting. Yes. What kind of things are you doing in your side of things are you doing to ensure that that is part of the process, let's put it in all the different businesses that you've worked with.

 

Vai  06:24

So I had a very interesting interaction, when we were trying to establish some standard operating procedures, I was given the responsibility of a big team, who never thought that I had the skills to be able to manage that team, because it was not human resources, it was a completely different team, right? And when they would not come to me with any of their concerns, what I did, and what helped me through the method of appreciative inquiry is we just had a brainstorming session, you tell me what you do, you tell me how you do it, you tell me how long it takes for you to do this job. You tell me who are your touch points in terms of getting the job done. And then as a process of value mapping each of their areas, you tend to be able to, you know, recognize areas that are no longer needed to be done. And it was just a checking the box activity and it can be completely eliminated, thereby saving their time. And I didn't have to do anything just by asking the questions they can came back and I said, Oh, I didn't even realize I was wasting time on this thing. It is not even necessary. It's not adding any value to the process. So that's been one of my technique. brainstorming usually brings out the best in people, you know, you kind of become the take the learner approach. As a leader entrepreneurs must always take the learner approach be inquisitive about everything that they are learning, even if they know it. Yeah, there's always going to be a new spin to every time a new employee talks to you about it.

 

Pete Mohr  07:51

I couldn't agree more, I think. Yeah, I've certainly seen it in all the businesses that we've had over the years, and I do with people that I work with from the coaching side of things, too, you know, it's a big piece. Yes. Yes, that inquisitiveness is a big piece. Yes. Yeah. I liked that. How do you get that buy in that immediate sort of buy in? And how do you deal with the people that aren't on board,

 

Vai  08:13

when you're trying to initiate any new techniques or any new procedures, the first thing that you would probably identify is or established is the need, what was the need, why this technique needs to be established or this procedure needs to be established or a system needs to be introduced? What was the main reason why this whole thing has come about or this change has come about even and when you are able to dissect the information, you are able to determine whether or not this change is really needed. It is a lot of introspection that goes into the decision, even after the decision is being made. If that introspection is done at every stage, you tend to be able to be on top of the game and are able to deal with the situation or deal with the people as it comes. And in terms of how to deal with some of the not I wouldn't call them troublemakers, you know, we have to empathize and human resources or at least show that we empathize within human resources, compassion, care should come naturally as human beings, I would say, we have to empathize with employees or with fellow stakeholders, and that what is the real struggle? Why are they pushing back? Find out the reasons why they are pushing back, find your change agents. You know, some people are always happy regardless of you know, yeah, whatever the change is coming. Let's go with the flow. Let's roll with the punches, as they say. So you know, you try and find your change agents and your cheerleaders who are going to be able to make the noise and support the change, the others will always follow along. There's always going to be one or two people. But I would think as I say, keep your friends close your enemies closer, keep those critiques closer to you because that is what is going to make sure your process is fully enhanced and is robust when the system actually gets introduced, or the process gets introduced. Those people who have pushed back are the ones who are going to be able to tell you why this won't work

 

Pete Mohr  10:04

via I'm really interested to know. I mean, it's easy to know, in and we can say keep your enemies closer, it's easy to know who those people are in your organization that are against I mean, it's pretty obvious most times, and it's pretty obvious Who are your cheerleaders, right? Who are really in behind your the ideas and want to move it ahead? What I'm interested in learning from you is, how do you convert those naysayers? And when you say, keep them close? How do you bring them into the conversation and what or maybe a trick or two, to bring them into that part of it, so that you can advance it

 

Vai  10:40

when introducing any change? You know, as you rightly pointed out, who are your friends and who are your enemies, I mean, who are the pros and who are the cons are for and against whatever you may want to say, when you're brainstorming these sessions, you give them the tasks that they like to do. Tell me what will work great to the four people and tell me what won't work great to the against people. So they are actually doing what they are best at in pointing fingers and why this won't work. And what that will do in turn, is that give you a process that has ticked off all of those bad things. And you have now taken care of those why this won't work here is how it will work. Why this one won't work. This is how it will work. So you kind of are able to build your systems and processes in a way that is answering all of those questions, and then they don't have a choice but to buy into the change.

 

Pete Mohr  11:31

Yep, I like that. I like that. That's great.

 

Vai  11:33

Because now we have answered all their questions, they don't have a reason not to buy in.

 

Pete Mohr  11:38

Exactly. Why don't you give us another one or two techniques that you've encountered along the way and that have really helped you navigate through some of these issues,

 

Vai  11:48

I think I would share two more techniques. And one of them is able to communicate with the team some shared goals, you know, when when you allow them to share the goals, you make them one of yourself and thereby comes accountability. Now they've brought into it, they have accepted, it's their goal, they have no choice but to see the team succeed. And that's how you know the buy in can be created. And it can be created in a more organic way rather than, you know, come on come on board. Otherwise, you know, you don't have to use that finger technique there at all. So I think that's something that we can definitely use, or help entrepreneurs use in terms of how to get the buy in. And finally, if nothing works, I would like to give you an analogy in India, we've got a technique the famous politician, his name is Chanakya. He had a method. And he would say, I would say it in Hindi. And then I will probably kind of tell you in English what it means at some down dunderheads. Some his advice you ask, you know you first started your first approach, always ask always advice, always take advice, ask for advice. The second one is down Do you offer, there are multiple ways and this doesn't have to be in terms of monetary but there are many other parts to be able to get people to buy into your systems. The third one is done. Of course, in Canada and North America that's punishing in English. And you know, you cannot use punishment if you don't come on board. That's why we've got these models of servant leadership, we've got models of you know, making sure employees are engaged. So we cannot use that. However, punishment can be in different forms, or doesn't have to be put in use, but not in organizations at least. And paid is, you know, a mean secret, meaning exploit on the secrets. However, I would like to reverse that a little bit. Instead of exploiting secrets. Let's exploit their strengths, you know, kind of help them bring their strengths out themselves and elevate them out of their discomfort and bring them to a more comfortable level so that they're able to accept the change.

 

Pete Mohr  13:46

I love that changing it into their strengths. I think that's a great thing. And that's leadership. Yes. Ultimately, as business leaders, we want the best for our team and we want to elevate them and we want them to to be the best that they can be. And that's creating great culture in our organizations. Absolutely, yes. Yeah. Awesome. That's great. So via as we wrap up our session here in your work, how do you help entrepreneurs and business leaders simplify entrepreneurship,

 

Vai  14:18

by helping them getting out of that comfort zone? Nice. If you don't consent to leaving the shore, you won't be able to find new lands, you have to be able to either agree to not have a comfort zone, or always kind of become a better version of yourself and change that comfort zone and go to the next level. Entrepreneurship is all about never becoming comfortable with what you have. It's the drive to get more to learn more, to be more and to be to be the best and best can be bestest.

 

Pete Mohr  14:50

I love it. That's awesome. Thanks so much for your time today. And what I wanted to do here too is just to reach out if anybody wants to get a hold of you by What's the best way to get ahold of you? And if they have some questions for you?

 

Vai  15:04

Email is the best way to get ahold of me. I always respond to my email within 24 hours or less. Yep. My email address is Vash 32, which is the first five letters of my name we AI sh 30 two@yahoo.com.

 

Pete Mohr  15:17

Awesome. Well, that's great. Thanks so much for your time here today. And look forward to chatting with you again, real soon on another episode here of simplifying entrepreneurship. Make it a great day.

 

Vai  15:29

Thank you so much, Pete. It was a pleasure being with you today. Thank you right

 

Pete Mohr  15:31

on. Really enjoyed my conversation with vi today and I hope you did too. Thanks for spending some time with me here on the simplifying entrepreneurship podcast. Think about how you can apply today's simplifying entrepreneurship topic of how to introduce new procedures to advance your business and have an even better entrepreneurial life. If you liked the podcast, please share it with your friends and invite them to listen. For more information on my entrepreneurial programs. Visit more coach. That's mhr.co a CH more coach. And until next time, make it a great day.

 

16:22

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Pete Mohr  16:24

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