Innovation and collaboration are at their best when ideas from many people are used to build a path forward. Change leadership success relies on the connectivity of those ideas across an organization. Local ideas are built by experience working in each area and on a problem over time. These ideas are richer. As a leader, you need that insight and creativity to build an even more compelling vision than you could have built on your own in isolation.
As a leader of change you need to get input and insights from all levels of the organization, especially the front lines.
Engagement is a much talked about concept in the business world because engaged employees are more productive and give of themselves to their work. They bring a unique perspective and set of experiences that only they can bring to the challenge. If they are just showing up to collect a paycheck, ticking the box, they apply all that brilliance elsewhere. As a leader of change, you need this heightened level of engagement across the team to realize the 1+1=3 multiplier effect.
Remember that effective change is not as much about your vision as their ‘why’.
So how do you connect to their ‘why’, or their purpose? Getting to know your team as individual human beings with a complete set of concerns, hopes, and personal aspirations is a foundational requirement. A positive workplace culture is an essential element for success. Workplace personal and professional development is a key criteria. Although development plans are often required as part of a yearly HR cycle, the majority of the time they are an afterthought. Focusing on the development of your team is critical to the success of any transformation.
People remember how you make them feel and investing in them is a wonderful way to create a positive connection.
When you invest in bettering the person vs measuring the person, that connection and loyalty grows as does the mutual trust to be open and share ideas. Personal development uncovers and exposes aspects of purpose and empowers the team to engage fully. So, develop the team, invest in them, and teach your leaders and managers to be really good at change leadership.
FAQ
Why is change leadership important?
It tackles the people aspects of any transformation in addition to the strategy and process elements. The lack of focus in this area is sited as the most frequent reason that organizational change fails.
How do I get everyone to contribute?
Consistency is key here. Employees have gotten accustomed to waiting the change out. Meaning, is this just blowing by, or will it stick and does my leader seem invested? You must also mirror the change to want to see. Show them how the new behavior should look otherwise you’re leaving it up to the team to guess.
How much time do I need to spend with my team?
If you currently don’t feel as though you know your team well enough, there will be a concerted effort required in the short term. It should then become a natural part of daily interactions. Time getting to know them is time well spent.
I want to shift the culture. Where do I start?
Culture shifts are a big deal. It’s possible to have subcultures in one part of an organization that are different from others. So, the first thing to keep in mind is to focus on your part of the organization. The second thing is to consistently act in the new way. Show the team the new culture by your behaviors.
There doesn’t seem to be accountability for getting this done. Recommendation?
We often say – start by starting. Hold yourself accountable for the change you can demonstrate. It’s our experience that you will soon find followers who also want a part in it.
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