Why does change seem so challenging?
by Rachel Woodman
Change. Do you welcome it or do you fear it? For leaders, managing through change can feel overwhelming without a plan.
It takes time to cultivate a world-class team, and a large change can quickly disrupt workflow and derail your efforts. Changes, although they may be necessary, can cause team morale and efficiency to slip. So how can you manage disruption and get your team back to doing what they do best?
It takes time to cultivate a world-class team, and a large change can quickly disrupt workflow and derail your efforts. Changes, although they may be necessary, can cause team morale and efficiency to slip. So how can you manage disruption and get your team back to doing what they do best?
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Do you know?
How to address change as an employee:
As an employee faced with large organizational changes, Ron Butterfield recommends being proactive with your supervisor. Ask questions to clear up confusion, if you have recognized an alternate approach, share this with your supervisor. Consider how this change will impact you, look for ways it can help you grow.
As an employee faced with large organizational changes, Ron Butterfield recommends being proactive with your supervisor. Ask questions to clear up confusion, if you have recognized an alternate approach, share this with your supervisor. Consider how this change will impact you, look for ways it can help you grow.
“People have an aversion to change because they are worried it’ll have a negative impact on them,” shares Ron Butterfield, owner of Butterfield Pathways, a personal and organizational effectiveness company.
“We naturally get bored without change,” says Butterfield. “But we still can find change upsetting when we don’t understand the ‘why’ behind it.”
Many companies in the local market have experienced drastic change and have had to adapt to remain competitive. Business leaders should communicate honestly with teams when a change is happening in the organization.
“As a leader, it’s important to communicate the vision,” advises Bill Albrecht, president and publisher of Argus Leader Media, a division of Gannett Company, Inc. “It’s important to ensure the team understands the incentive to change and how they fit into the mix.”
“We naturally get bored without change,” says Butterfield. “But we still can find change upsetting when we don’t understand the ‘why’ behind it.”
Many companies in the local market have experienced drastic change and have had to adapt to remain competitive. Business leaders should communicate honestly with teams when a change is happening in the organization.
“As a leader, it’s important to communicate the vision,” advises Bill Albrecht, president and publisher of Argus Leader Media, a division of Gannett Company, Inc. “It’s important to ensure the team understands the incentive to change and how they fit into the mix.”
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5 Elements Necessary to Facilitate Change Management Within Your Team
- The team to understand the vision
- To believe they have the skills to do what is now being asked
- To buy into that there is a benefit/incentive to actually change
- To know they have the resources to execute the change
- To have an action plan so they know what specifically they are being asked to change and how they fit into the plan
“Understand silence is approval,” says Albrecht. “When implementing change address any alterations or elements that are not being implemented. Do not let it go unaddressed. Otherwise, it will be considered an acceptable action.”
Cultivating a world-class team takes time and communication. Be sure to over-communicate, communicate honestly, and communicate your team’s value as your lead them through change. Butterfield recommends engaging the natural leaders in your team to help carry the momentum you build. An educated team is an engaged team, and an engaged team will handle changes in stride.
Cultivating a world-class team takes time and communication. Be sure to over-communicate, communicate honestly, and communicate your team’s value as your lead them through change. Butterfield recommends engaging the natural leaders in your team to help carry the momentum you build. An educated team is an engaged team, and an engaged team will handle changes in stride.
As published in the March 2016 issue of BizNOW Magazine.