Change Won’t Rise If You Don’t
The sun does not rise or set, we do. In dealing with change, leadership needs to rise to the occasion if they expect to succeed at the change. All too often the team at the executive table decides on the change and tells managers to make it happen. There is much missing in that approach. What’s missing?
Include these, to fix what’s missing.
WHY Share WHY. Leaders may have spent months or longer digesting information and analyzing issues to arrive at the needed “change”. Further down the organization, those not part of the evolution of that decision, need to understand the context, the need, the reasons for urgency and the destination.
SPECIFICS What is expected? Not just a “get behind this and make it work”. What is to be done and what accountabilities exist. Who is involved, what is the time-line and who is the executive sponsor. Be specific. Provide the measures of success on how you will measure this journey and success.
SUPPORT Change is a constant. Executives need to be guided to understand they must be involved and must support this change as well as on-going operations goals. You need a coalition of leadership to succeed. Managers should be given the tools necessary to achieve the change. That includes training them in the management of change, negotiation, having difficult conversations and providing and receiving feedback. Just because you have promoted someone, doesn’t mean you have prepared her for success. Invest in this.
RESOURCES Pick a team. Project Team members must represent the organization: HQ and field, key departments, and both potential resistors as well as advocates. Not just “the usual suspects’, that you always pick to get things done; but, some of the naysayers and key resisters to draw them into the fold rather than have them outside the project, throwing rocks. Build a communications plan that addresses the concerns of ALL the involved personnel. Don’t say what you think they need to know. Include answers to their fears and concerns that you uncover in interviews, workshops and surveys.
COMMUNICATIONS As with the three “L’s” of real estate (Location, location, location) the three “C’s” of change are all, “Communications”. But newsletters, posters and emails won’t get you there. In major change efforts, you need to have an open, honest and transparent conversation with employees. Have “town hall” sessions or time at all-hands meetings for give and take. Have more time for listening to the audience than time for telling the audience.
SAD I have guided change in organizations where the CEO would not get involved. That is a tough project weakness to overcome. You must demonstrate, across the leadership team as a group and as individuals that THIS change is one which you all support. That support must be visible, vocal and consistent. No one ever left a trench and entered a battle field, or left the bench and entered the game just because someone said…”ya’ all go out there now and fight.” They need training, preparation and they need leadership in the fight with them.
This is meant to help you think about some of the bricks you need to put into the foundation of a change effort. There are, many more things to consider. But, every journey begins with a single step. Change won’t rise if you don’t.