Leading Through Change

By now, most of us are familiar with the concept that the only constant is change. This paradoxical maxim is often central to the role leaders play in organizations. 

Whether faced with incremental adjustments to daily work life or sweeping transformations that affect entire teams or companies, leaders must develop skills to gain buy-in and adoption for whatever change lies ahead. 

As with most aspects of leadership, leading through change is an intricate and complex process that requires a great deal of skill and self-awareness to succeed. One can’t simply say, “This change is happening, and we all need to get on board.” That approach most certainly leads to disastrous consequences and is a mindset that contributes to the staggering rate of failure for change initiatives.

So, how do you beat the odds? The answer is deceptively simple. Follow a tried-and-true organizational change management process and adapt it to the specifics of the situation at hand. 

Below are five key steps to incorporate whenever you are at the outset of a change.

Articulate a Clear Change Vision and Strategy

As with anything in your organization, you first need to start with your “Why.” If there is no clear reason for the change and no benefit to it, then your initiative should not proceed. Without a defined purpose, you risk putting your people through turmoil with no ultimate gain. 

The leadership team needs to align with the core messaging, and you’ll find that you keep repeating the core messages until you feel exhausted from doing so. Don’t worry; that will be the moment when the message finally resonates! Consistent repetition of the ‘why’ can impact the success of your change initiative by a factor of 8X.

Don’t create your change vision in a vacuum. Ensure the right people are at the table when discussing the change, and include cynics and detractors in these early conversations, too. You must escape any echo chambers you might have so you can approach the change with a dispassionate and well-informed perspective. 

Once you have your reason for the change, you can develop a strategy for achieving it. Strategies will differ depending on the type of change, who it impacts, how far-reaching the impacts are, and your desired end state. 

Gather Buy-In From Key Stakeholders

Buy-in is essential throughout the change process. While you should start gathering your change coalition from the very beginning—your vision and strategy step—you should continuously expand the circle of people you bring along with each subsequent stage.

Every team and organization has a group of champions or early adopters. These folks are eager to try new things, generally optimistic about the possibilities of change, and enthusiastic about evangelizing change to their colleagues. You want these people on your team from day 1. Bring them into planning meetings, ask them how they think the change will be received, and seek their advice on the best way to ensure its success. 

Every team will also have its fair share of fence-sitters. Those folks are not necessarily jumping at the idea of change but are not vehemently opposed to it. Identify these people early on and solicit their thoughts and concerns. Try to address as many as possible while building your change strategy.

Lastly, each team will have a group of detractors. These folks are opposed to change. Some might be very vocal, while others are passively averse. While these folks might seem like an obstacle to overcome - the reverse is true. You need detractors to understand your blind spots. Their experience will often uncover things you might not have considered in your process for planning change. And while it might not be easy to engage with detractors, not doing so is often one of the causes of the failure of change initiatives. Seek them out and listen to them. The best leaders will be open-minded when speaking with detractors, and they will leave with invaluable insights that can truly change the course of their plans. 

Keep Employees Engaged Along the Way

This critical step can be seen as time-consuming, but it is time well spent. In times of change, as I suggested above, err on the side of overcommunicating. 

Equip all levels of leadership with talking points, FAQs, and resources to share the latest information about the change. Host office hours, town halls, or all hands to communicate updates and solicit feedback and questions from your people. Do this as often as needed throughout the change process. 

Provide employees opportunities to lean in. If they don’t understand the first step they need to take to support the change, then they won’t. And remember that involvement = investment.

The amount of communication and frequency of updates will depend on the scale of the change, but making space for these conversations is critical. 

Adapt and Evolve As Needed

Change strategies sometimes need to…change. And that’s okay. It’s all part of the process if you do it thoughtfully and methodically. New information might come to light as you go from one stage to the next, or internal or external pressure might exert itself on the system, disrupting the initial dynamics you assessed initially. Ignoring these things could lead to failure, and while we all would like to stick to our plans, it’s important to be adaptable, too. 

If your change plan changes, communication becomes even more important. Ensure people understand what is happening and why, and share any updates to your methodology, timeline, and goals. 

Track Successes and Areas of Opportunity for Next Time

All changes come to an end, but many leaders don’t take the time to reflect on what went well and what could be improved. We all know that change will always pop up, and assessing your previous change strategies will help you create more sustainable and resilient change plans in the future.

As with everything, involving your employees and, in particular, those most impacted by the change, in your post-mortem assessment is key. Listen with an open mind and capture their feedback in an objective and impartial way. Closing the loop on change when it’s over is one of the most important steps to take. 

Ask for Help

Even the most seasoned leaders might not be able to see the forest for the trees regarding change management. Throughout my career, I’ve helped countless leaders and organizations face change head-on and come out the other side stronger, more connected, and better equipped to manage the ups and downs of change in the future.

Get in touch with me to learn more about how I can help guide you.