So let’s imagine you’ve been given the added responsibility of leading a change initiative within your organization. If this is new territory for you or it’s been a while since you’ve brushed up on your skills you may want to partner with a Change Management Practitioner. I’m going to share with you a few important things to consider to support your efforts and if you want to learn more, please reach out.
There are some important questions for you to ask before undergoing any change initiative:
► Where the change has come from and what makes it so important?
► What adoption rate are we looking for with our change efforts?
► What are the regulatory requirement considerations?
► What is the scope of the project, is it a new system, to meet client demands etc?
► How does this change contribute to the bigger picture?
Notice that many of those questions posed are all about the organization, which happens quite often. We need to also be asking questions that relate to the individuals who will be impacted by the change.
Individuals have an emotional reaction to change, they have very different personalities and their experience with change varies from person to person. Change takes time and effort on everyone’s part and you need to expect that there will be a dip in performance.
Having a partner to assist you in your efforts who understands the practice of change management and can support your leaders to move through the change faster and with more positive outcomes. Leading with a positive outlook, confidence and respect for the individuals previous contributions will help manage the normal reactions you are sure to see during a change.
Those reactions are:
1) Surprise or shock; people need to know the reasons for the change, of course this is true, and they also need to know how it will impact them and their day to day role. Do your best to lead and communicate in a transparent way and share that you understand this is a difficult time for them. Be available for conversations more often during this initial phase.
2) Anger; when people move from unconscious competence to conscious incompetence is makes them nervous and learning new things can be hard. Realize that this is a normal reaction and be open and available to hear their concerns. This is a great time to invest in Third Alternative Thinking as their feedback could provide helpful insights to build something better than could have been thought of otherwise. It is important throughout the change initiative that all sponsors and stakeholders are aligned, this is a critical time and needs to be present.
3) Confusion; this is an important time to be transparent, people will find out if you have hidden things from them and you want them to trust you, so be up front and communicate often.
4) Acceptance; get people involved in designing what the new work will look like and help them to understand the positive outcomes they can expect. Share the small wins along the way when the change produces great results.
As a change management practitioner, I work as a part of your team to move forward towards achieving your business objectives. Want support for your change management initiatives? Reach out to partner in possibility.
Maintain momentum and make it a great day!
Image credit and artist: LA artist and old friend Jennifer Verge Inspired by: My email sign off:)
