News of Microsoft’s corporate restructuring received hopeful applause from those who’ve been concerned about the company’s dwindling innovation. One observer, my colleague Randy Ottinger, says this is only the first step toward a corporate transformation. Randy Ottinger, an expert and executive coach on large-scale corporate transformations, said that Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer must put several more pieces into place in order to complete the cultural change that will get Microsoft innovating again. In Fortune.com and Seekingalpha.com, Ottinger said the reorg is a great first step toward kick-starting innovation but, “The real question is what are they going to do post-reorganization to actually change the culture.” Ottinger’s main concern was whether new types of incentives will be put in place to change the way people behave and act. Ottinger was also interviewed by Lydia Dishman for FastCompany, saying, “It is going to be less about telling people what they need to do differently and more about engaging their hearts and minds to pursue the exciting opportunities ahead for Microsoft.” Analysts and investors will continue to watch and see if Microsoft will ride this momentum, continuing to take the further needed steps in order to institute sustained cultural change throughout the organization. Randy Ottinger is an Executive Vice President at Kotter International, a firm that helps leaders accelerate strategy implementation in their organizations. John Kotter is the chief innovation officer at Kotter International, and is the Konosuke Matsushita Professor of Leadership, Emeritus, at Harvard Business School. *** For more about how organizations can develop the agility required to succeed in today’s rapidly changing world, read Dr. Kotter’s recent article, Accelerate!” available from the Harvard Business Review. Follow John Kotter: On Twitter: @KotterIntl On Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/KotterInternational On LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/johnkotter Sign up for the Kotter International Newsletter. …read more
Source: FULL ARTICLE at Forbes Latest
