Strategies
for Leading Through Change
by: Bea
Fields
I need to make a change in my company…How do I do it, and how do I
manage it?
This is a question I hear from business leaders every day . . . yet the
question often comes to me after the fact . . . when people are up in
arms and ready to bolt. A change can be something as simple as new
stationery or as tumultuous as a merger or acquisition, and while the
change is often seen by top leadership as necessary to move ahead of
aggressive competitors, this is not always the case for employees. Why?
I believe the answer is this: Your employees are not angry about the
change itself . . . they are angry because they are often the last to
hear, you did not get their buy-in, their vote didn't count , and bam .
. . Trust is shattered!"
Imagine this: During a strategic planning meeting, the executive team of
a large technology company makes the decision to launch a new product
line and ditch an existing one. Ditching the existing product line means
that a few talented employees will become obsolete, and the new product
line will require a new pool of talent. The executive team chooses to
"keep this quiet" until they are ready to launch (yeah right!)
They begin to meet after hours in a locked room to discuss their plans.
As human behavior often teaches us, it is very hard to keep a secret
when you know you have one inside you. So . . . Sally Smith, CIO, makes
the decision to tell one person outside the executive team: "I have
something to tell you, but you have to promise not to tell anyone"
(yeah right . . . again.) In addition, the janitor knows something's up
. . . he cleans after hours and sees the big dogs locked in a room every
night for three weeks, and he begins to whisper in the halls to his
comrades. Suspicion builds and the grapevine begins to circulate rumors:
"I hear the company is closing," or "I heard we are
merging" or "I heard that we are headed for a 20% lay
off" or "I heard that the company is in big trouble" and
so on. The fear, doubt, worry and anxiety begin to build. People are not
sure what is going on, but all they know is that it must be big, and
they are nervous . . . very, very nervous!
Change efforts are delicate, and they require finesse . . . they can't
be taken lightly, and they must be communicated from the top to the
bottom of the organization. I believe that the key to success during any
change initiative includes three very important aspects:
1) Communication- Communication needs to be clear, consistent and
repeated again and again. Repeat the communication until you hear
yourself and others saying "Okay, okay . . . we got it . . . we are
tired of hearing about it . . . we are on it!" Communicating a
change takes time for people to really hear it. The have to roll it over
in their minds, talk about it with others and get clear about what's
what. The first time employees hear about a change, they are usually
hearing it through filters of fear, doubt, worry, and confusion. So . .
. don't expect them to get it the first time, and by all means . . .
don't send it in a memo! Use verbal communication . . . talk to them,
talk to your managers, talk to your team, and keep repeating the message
again and again.
2) Gain Commitment - During a change initiative, it is critical for a
company to gain buy-in from everyone in the organization. You want each
person in the company to support the change and to feel as if they have
been a part of planning the change initiative. Empower your employees by
inviting them to collaborate during the change. The "town
meeting" format is perfect for this purpose and coupled with
smaller management meetings. This approach can provide an open forum for
people to be able to clear (a form of venting which is highly
constructive . . . allow for 10 minutes of clearing in the beginning of
each town meeting,) ask questions and above all to allow their ideas to
be heard and implemented.
3) Coaching - Emotions will be running high during a period of
transition, and I believe that coaching for the entire organization
during this time is not a luxury…it is a requirement. Managing people
during change is one thing but managing their emotions is an entirely
different animal. It requires listening, empathy and the giving of time.
Coaching during change can support an organization in building teamwork
and can foster a sense of support and trust. As thought leader Phil
Harkins, President of Linkage, Inc and author of Powerful Conversations:
How High Impact Leaders Communicate says "The organizational change
coach operates like a free safety-a term for the player who can move
freely around the field as the play requires. In other words, the coach
must be able to work when and where the need arises, in order to
facilitate the shift that is taking place." From The Art and
Practice of Leadership Coaching by Howard Morgan, Phil Harkins, and
Marshall Goldsmith.
Copyright (c) 2007 Bea Fields Companies, Inc.
About The Author
This
article was authored by Bea Fields. Fields is an Executive Coach and the
President of Bea Fields Companies, Inc. (http://BeaFields.com).
Fields specializes in leadership and team development and in
generational issues in the workplace. She is the chief principal of The
Gen Y Project and the author of Edge: A Leadership Story (http://Edge-Book.com).
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