1947 - The International Organisation for Standardisation (ISO) begins operating.
“Change leadership is about creating a vision of smarter future ways of operating, inviting diverse global input, developing meaningful order, and continuously improving standards”
👏 Happy Friday!
On this day, February 23, 1947, the International Organisation for Standardisation (ISO) began operating, marking a significant milestone in the world of standardisation and quality management. Founded in Geneva, Switzerland, the ISO was established to develop and publish international standards to facilitate trade and ensure the quality and safety of products and services on a global scale. The creation of ISO was a response to the need for standardisation in the post-World War II era, where international trade and cooperation were becoming increasingly important. The organisation aimed to harmonise standards across countries, making it easier for businesses to navigate different regulatory environments and ensuring that products and services met consistent quality benchmarks. The ISO was created through the merger of two organisations. The first was the International Federation of the National Standardising Associations (ISA), which was established in New York in 1926 and operated from Switzerland. The second was the United Nations Standards Coordinating Committee (UNSCC), which was administered in London in 1944.
✅ On ISO’s 70th anniversary back in 2017, ISO President Dr. Zhang Xiaogang told us, “For 70 years, ISO has made standards that have shaped our history and accompanied the world’s greatest innovations.” Visionary change requires looking beyond present turmoil and imagining smarter future ways of operating, as ISO’s founders did by developing standards to enable post-war reconstruction. By inviting diverse global input, ISO standards reflect broad perspectives and gain wide cooperation and buy-in. They standardised selectively around what matters based on creating meaningful order rather than bureaucratic distraction. Living standards enable continual improvement as ISO incorporates new technologies and knowledge to keep standards relevant. Improve Standards Through a Shared Change Vision.
“Change leadership is about creating a vision of smarter future ways of operating, inviting diverse global input, developing meaningful order, and continuously improving standards”
👉 The first step for the leadership team in implementing their organisation’s change is to ‘Articulate the change vision’, The leadership should be continually explaining how it is aligned to the organisation’s vision, mission, objectives, and strategy. Leaders should outline why the change programme is important to the organisation, why the organisation has chosen this vision for change, the benefits, and what the disadvantages are of not implementing this change successfully. Unfortunately, some of those in leadership positions will not have the aptitude to articulate the vision effectively. Effective articulation requires strong communication skills, clarity of vision, and the ability to inspire others. Those lacking these qualities can undermine the change effort by failing to generate excitement, understanding, and commitment from their teams. To compensate, organisations may need to provide communication coaching or training, pair weaker leaders with stronger communicators, or shift responsibilities to give greater voice to those able to articulate effectively. Success also depends on two-way communication, so leaders must actively listen and invite participation rather than merely broadcast the vision. Effective articulation requires strong communication skills, clarity of vision, and the ability to inspire others. Those lacking these qualities can undermine the change effort by failing to generate excitement, understanding, and commitment from their teams. To compensate, organisations may need to provide communication coaching or training, pair weaker leaders with stronger communicators, or shift responsibilities to give greater voice to those able to articulate effectively. Success also depends on two-way communication, so leaders must actively listen and invite participation rather than merely broadcast the vision.
Have a fantastic weekend with the ones you love and care for, enjoy some fresh air, exercise, eat, drink and be happy.
Further Reading: Change Management Leadership- Leadership of Change Volume 4
Peter consults, speaks, and writes on the Leadership of Change®.
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Peter F Gallagher is a Change Management Global Thought Leader, Guru, Expert, International Speaker, Author and Leadership Alignment Coach.
Listed #1 by leadersHum Top 40 Change Management Gurus You Should Follow in 2022 (Mar 2022).
Ranked #1 Change Management Global Thought Leader: Top 50 Global Thought Leaders and Influencers on Change Management (2023-2022-2021-2020) by Thinkers360.
Ranked #1 Business Strategy Global Thought Leader: Top 50 Global Thought Leaders and Influencers on Business Strategy (2022) by Thinkers360.
Ranked #2 Leadership Global Thought Leader: Top 50 Global Thought Leaders and Influencers on Leadership (Aug 2020) by Thinkers360.
Business Book Ranking
Change Management Behaviour - Leadership of Change® Volume 6, listed among the 50 Books from Thinkers360 Thought Leaders to read in 2022.
Change Management Adoption - Leadership of Change® Volume 5, listed among year-to-date’s (Jul 2021) most popular books on business and technology from Thinkers360 member thought leaders.
Change Management Handbook - Leadership of Change® Volume 3, listed among the 50 Business and Technology Books from Thinkers360 Thought Leaders to read in 2021.
Change Management Pocket Guide - Leadership of Change® Volume 2, ranked within the top 50 Business and Technology Books (Jan 2020) from Thinkers360 Thought Leaders.