Sometimes change management methods don't seem to apply to practical situations. You may start to worry that the problems you're facing can't be solved with the tools you have available to you. Sometimes it feels like the change management industry is moving ahead while you're stuck, frustrated, and unable to put a foot right.
Getting meaningful personal development isn't as easy as it sounds in the field of change management and change leadership. This is because change management is a broad field with multiple interpretations. Managing a strategic operating model realignment is completely different to cultural change, which is different again to a technology implementation. Yet change managers come from all these fields, and apply similar change management tools and processes to very different contexts. At times it would be reasonable if you don't feel you understand what's expected, or get thrown a curve ball you've never seen before.
When it isn't Going Well
When you can see symptoms that the change isn't going well, you may start to feel responsible because "change managers" are meant to "manage the change". On the one hand, stakeholders are lacking crucial information, and on the other hand you have leaders telling you not to engage with them.
There may be multiple levels of demands on you - everyone wants you to create a comms plan, but no-one wants to talk you through the details. At these moments, managing change can feel like being pulled in all directions, while simultaneously being denied a seat at the table.
Carrying on with positive energy, forward planning and a dedicated outlook can be difficult when you're feeling under pressure. You can feel you lack information and support, and that you're not an equal member of the team. At Agencia Change we can help you, and we also want you to know you're not alone.
Sometimes change isn't easy - because it's all about the people. Don't give up! Working through the change management hurdles provides a rewarding career with significance and purpose. And you're having more of an impact on others than you know.
Top Three Tips for Change Managers to Excel in Their Roles
To excel in this exciting yet challenging field, change managers must master the art of building trust, networking, and deeply understanding change management processes. Here are three top tips to help change managers enhance their effectiveness and drive successful transformations.
Build Trust with Stakeholders
Trust is the cornerstone of any successful change initiative. Change managers must prioritise building and maintaining trust with stakeholders, including employees, leadership, and external partners. This involves transparent communication, active listening, and demonstrating reliability. When stakeholders trust the change manager, they are more likely to support and engage with the change process, reducing resistance and fostering a collaborative environment.
Network, Become Known, and Cultivate a Broad Range of Relationships
Effective change managers understand the importance of networking and building a diverse range of relationships. By becoming known within and outside the change initiative or project, change managers can leverage these connections to gain insights, gather support, and share best practices. Cultivating relationships with individuals at all levels of the organisation - and the change industry - ensures that change managers have a broad perspective and can navigate the complexities of change more effectively.
Understand the Process of Managing Change So Well, That You No Longer Need to Rely on It
Mastery of change management processes is crucial, but the ultimate goal is to internalise these processes to the extent that they become second nature. When change managers deeply understand the principles and methodologies of change management, they can adapt and respond to unique challenges intuitively. This level of expertise allows them to focus on the human aspects of change, such as addressing concerns and motivating teams, rather than still trying to source the right templates or tools.
Excelling as a change manager requires a combination of many people-centric skills, including trust-building, networking, and deep process understanding. By getting started in focusing on these three areas, change managers can navigate the complexities of their role with confidence and drive successful outcomes.
Accelerate Your Change
Learn how to manage change end-to-end. Accelerate is battle-tested and proven to manage the process of change management by guiding practitioners to focus on the most value-adding steps to plan and deliver change in an express timeframe. See here for more.
Comments