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Sara Moulton Reger Organization and culture change research "Perhaps the best advice is not to bow to intimidation." |
On the book: Can Two Rights Make a Wrong?: Insights from IBM's Tangible Culture Approach (2006)
What made you decide to write a book on this topic?
The book is about the challenge of business culture and some innovative approaches we've developed at IBM. I was one of the leaders of the Change and Culture workstream for the PricewaterhouseCoopers Consulting acquisition, and because we knew it would be challenging, we developed a new approach. After we tried it, we believed it had promise but knew it needed work and that's why I joined Almaden Services Research. We honed it, filed it for a method patent in 2004, and then had to do some soul searching about whether to also put our proprietary method into a book. In the end, we believed -- and still do -- that we have something truly innovative and that IBM will benefit from sharing it. So the book is about our development process, the method and how it applies in various situations. And we hope that the book will increase our brand permission to help clients with culture challenges.
How did you go about the research necessary to write such a technical book?
This was both the easy and the hard part -- I chose to collaborate by inviting 27 contributing authors across IBM Business Consulting Services (including the Institute for Business Value) and Research. It was a coordination challenge, but it provided what I had hoped for -- and so much more! These folks contributed research, expertise and ideas I would never have found on my own -- they made connections that few others could have made. Of course, I did my own research too, but it was so much better with their contributions. And their tremendous qualifications are also included in the book. Readers should recognize that few companies, if any, can boast qualifications like these! Despite the challenges, I'd do broad collaboration again in a heartbeat!
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What are the greatest challenges to you as an author?
The greatest challenge throughout this project was setting aside, and then jealously guarding, blocks of time to get into a "writing groove." Constant interruptions are a way of life in business nowadays, but they can really mess up a creative moment. I took vacation at key junctures in the project to make sure that I could have full days devoted to writing.
What or who inspires and encourages you to write?
My primary source of both inspiration and help is my relationship with the Lord. Many times in prayer I received ideas that later proved to be instrumental, such as the broad based collaboration approach. I wish that I could take credit for them, but I simply have to admit that I had Help! And of course, my husband Steve was a constant source of encouragement throughout the project.
What advice do you have for aspiring authors?
Perhaps the best advice is not to bow to intimidation. There were a few times when I received difficult feedback or news. These times required that I make adjustments to respond to the feedback -- and then press through the intimidation that tried to come with it. I'm glad there were relatively few of those moments -- and that I did press on because the positive and encouraging feedback has more than outweighed the negative -- by a factor of at least 40 to 1! If I had allowed intimidation to rule, I wouldn't have heard people say that the book is a meaningful advance on the difficult topic of business culture -- something I've been very gratified to hear! Another thing I would do again was hire a literary agent. I'm a novice at publishing -- and still am. He was my advocate and walked me through the process, giving me great coaching along the way
Who are some of your favorite authors today?
My favorite authors are constantly changing -- based of what I am working on since I tend to target my reading. Right now I am helping to take IBM's Values to the next level, so am hovering over various books about values and culture. Charles O'Reilly, Jeffrey Pfeffer, Richard Barrett, and Lynn Sharp Paine are in my current book stack!
What role did books play in your childhood?
Interestingly, I have reading problems. As a child, my teachers used innovative reading techniques to train my eyes and brain to better coordinate -- all of which I hated at the time. Although I'm still a slow reader, I know those techniques helped me. So as a child, I learned to be a purposeful reader -- and I'm still a purposeful reader, seeking to get value out of everything I choose to read.