When introducing change to your team or organisation, it feels like almost anything can happen. You may start out buoyed up knowing you're about to implement a solution to a thorny business problem. But your excitement at how good this project will be for business can turn slowly into confusion and disappointment when met with other peoples' reaction to the change you're trying to introduce. Team members might be slow to see the vision and stakeholders slow to adopt planned changes. Our top three tips will help you make the adjustment from business-as-usual leader to future-focussed change leader.
Why Change can be Difficult for Leaders
Leaders may struggle to bridge the gap between strategic direction and implementation. This requires having stakeholders and the team understand and support the change. Quite often people know what's needed but can't seem to get into a room together to take proactive action or resolve the issues.
You may kick off a project to lead and support the change, but if business and stakeholder alignment is lagging, projects can stall while waiting for the right resources, input and momentum.
Once these kinds of people issues start occurring, it can seem like there's no end in sight, which can be enough to pour water on your enthusiasm for the business solution you've identified. However, imagine that you've managed to steer through these initial obstacles and lead the team to the kick-off point, you may then discover that sizing the change management work - without having subject matter expertise - isn't easy.
Change management can encompass a range of specialist functions like sophisticated communications planning, training development, organisational design, operating model development and so on. Confusion may seem to abound as getting the right person for the job, and understanding the specialties involved may prompt you to wish you could turn back the clock and never have begun in the first place.
Risk in Change
Leading change can feel like a risk. Chances are your team and stakeholders are not yet able to see the future clearly. You may start to doubt yourself, you've done your due diligence, but there's no full proof yet that the new solutions will work.
Taking a leap of faith like this while leading others through change can be difficult and confusing. Agencia Change helps leaders and organisations structure and deal with change. We can help you, but mostly we want you to know you're not alone. Sometimes change isn't easy - it's a people game - and people can be unpredictable.
It's important to include the people risks in your assessment of overall project risk. Here's some prompts for your next risk brainstorming session to get you started:
What's the risk that the proposed solution will not be adopted?
Which group is most likely to resist changes?
Who is most impacted by the change, does the solution cater to them, or does it involve more work and effort for them?
What new skills will your people need to learn?
Is anyone displaced in the future state?
What plans are already in place to support people through change? Are they sufficient?
While it's a sensible change management practice to assess impacts and people risks - and develop strategies to mitigate them - for some leaders it can be a daunting process. In some organisations raising a risk can be misunderstood and almost imply a lack of faith in the proposed solutions. Don't give up, because at the other end of your change are the growth, innovation, creativity and business outcomes you're looking for.
Top Three Tips for Change Leaders
Leading people through change is different to your normal leadership responsibilities because it focusses on transformation, introducing new processes and systems rather than managing and getting better at the existing workload. Change leadership operates in proactive mode, anticipating and preparing for the coming opportunity rather than fighting fires or maintaining the status quo. It also requires engagement and influence in ways that current systems and people processes may not be set up to handle.
Here's some top tips for shifting gears into change leadership mode:
1. Communicate Effectively: Clear and consistent communication is crucial. Leaders should articulate the vision, reasons for the change, and the benefits it will bring. Regular updates and open channels for feedback help in addressing concerns and keeping everyone aligned.
2. Engage and Empower Your Team: Involve the team in the change process by seeking their input and addressing their concerns. Empowering team members to take ownership of the change can increase buy-in, reduce resistance and assist with your workload.
3. Monitor and Adapt: Continuously monitor the progress of the change initiative and be ready to adapt as needed. This includes being responsive to feedback, addressing unforeseen challenges, and celebrating small wins to maintain momentum.
Persistence Beats Resistance
Perseverance is a crucial trait for leaders, and great leaders embrace change. Despite the challenges, there are many reasons why a leader should persevere with change.
When leaders persevere, they demonstrate commitment and reliability. This builds trust among team members, who are more likely to follow a leader they believe will see things through. Change often meets with resistance but a leader’s persistence can help overcome this resistance by consistently communicating the vision and benefits of the change, and by addressing concerns and obstacles as they arise.
Leaders who persevere set a powerful example for their teams. They show that challenges can be overcome with determination and hard work, fostering a culture of resilience and persistence. Change initiatives often take time to show results. Perseverance ensures that short-term setbacks do not derail long-term goals. Leaders who stay the course can guide their organisations to eventual success.
Adapting to market conditions is made possible through leaders and their organisations staying focussed on new technologies, and customer needs, and this is the key to staying competitive. Persevering through change provides valuable learning experiences. Leaders and their teams can grow from these experiences, becoming more capable and resilient in the face of future challenges. This, over time, builds the organisation's change management capability so that each successive change effort will be easier than the last.
Resources for Change Leaders
The Agencia Change Blog offers knowledge articles sharing deep resource in change management and change leadership skills. We also offer a specialised web page dedicated to resources for business leaders.
The following articles deal specifically with different aspects of change leadership:
A new way to Successfully Navigate Organisational Change as a Change Leader
Embracing Change Leadership: A Checklist for Transformative Leaders
Crafting an Inclusive Change Strategy: 6 Key Steps for Professionals and Leaders
Support for People Leaders during change: designing an effective Engagement Plan
Dealing with Disappointment in Constant Change and Transformation Environments
Change leadership can indeed be challenging, but it's the change process that will lead to the growth, innovation, creativity or business outcomes required to improve competitiveness, maintain stability or achieve the business growth needed to move forward. Organisations must take a long-term view, but cultivate a short adaptation cycle. Developing change leadership skills over time will help organisations achieve their growth ambitions.
For assistance with change management in your organisation, contact Agencia Change for a free consultation.
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