Leading Change and Transitions
Change is changing.
In the past, change was the exception. Companies would do things in the same way over and over again...until it was determined a major shift was needed.
In those cases, those leading the change would "unfreeze" the old state and slowly move everyone over to the new process, system or way of doing business. Once the transition was complete, the business would continue to operate in the new state for the next five, 10 or 15 years.
In today’s business world, change is the norm. We’re constantly finding new and better ways to do things.
In addition, change is becoming more dynamic. Before, our starting point was known, our plan was straight-forward and the finish line was clear. Today, our plan is frequently changing and our desired end point is largely understood but somewhat hazy. Dynamic change requires organizations to be in a constant state of “analyze, plan, do, check, repeat.” It requires agility.
According to McKinsey, agile cultures have the following characteristics:
Quick to mobilize
Nimble
Collaborative
Easy to get things done
Free flow of information
Quick decision making
Empowered to act
Resilient
Learning from failure
As a leader, it’s your responsibility to develop agility in your people and manage change to realize business goals as quickly and efficiently as possible. The reality is productivity will dip following the implementation of any major change. However, the transition can be shorter and less intense with a proactive, integrated and inclusive approach.
A few things you as leader can do to help your people navigate change:
Establish and communicate the business case
Cascade communication level by management level down the organization
Share information when known but in a cohesive, “big picture” way
Ensure all affected individuals are consulted and informed
Model the way and stay positive
Create a supportive learning environment
Align and apply reward and recognition systems
Allow people to express their emotional response to the change
Acknowledge losses and compensate with training, status, turf and team membership
Monitor progress constantly
Interested in learning more?
Contact Elsey Consulting Group to deliver a Leading Change and Transitions workshop for your team/organization. This workshop can incorporate the Change Style Indicator (CSI), measuring an individual’s preferred style when faced with change.
