Change Management

Posted on February 10, 2016 by Alicia Marie, One of Thousands of Business Coaches on Noomii.

The world, business and of course each one of us is in a constant state of change. Markets change, staff changes, strategies change, our bodies change, new trends and patterns of thought are always influencing us. How we navigate change itself is vital to our success as a leader. Therefore, leading ourselves, our staff and our organizations through change is a key leadership competency for success.

Our job as a leader is to look out ahead and to say “here’s what I see coming,” “here’s what’s possible” “How can we best prepare or adjust?” Most managers are stuck in the present and past dealing with problems versus preparing for what is to come tomorrow, next month and next year. Great leaders have vision, communicate the vision effectively and lead from there. They can inspire a future that others want to share and follow. There is nothing more demoralizing to a team than a leader that can’t articulate where were’ going and why. What managers often do is tell and direct, rather than engage their employees in change through articulating a clear and compelling vision.

There seems to be three commonly used strategies for implementing change.

1. Telling and Directing: The most common approach, this assumes that people are guided by reason. We know this is not always true. People are guided by beliefs and emotions, especially around change and uncertainty. This approach is not effective in situations requiring significant change, so when telling doesn’t work managers often resort to forcing change.

2. Forcing: Here power and authority is exerted to manipulate others to change or accept change. Using position, authority and/or performance discussions to bring about change usually evokes anger, passive resistance, subtle sabotage and damage to relationships. If there is fear and anger present in your culture, there may be forcing going on.

3. Participating: A collaborative and participative approach to change welcoming input, inquiry and dialog. The emphasis is communication and win-win situations. It can actually work, however it only works if leadership really wants to collaborate and is not just trying to manipulate people into being engaged in the change (if not it’s just forcing in disguise). People can easily become cynical if leadership is not truly open, transparent and willing to let go of control or people see right through it.

4. Alternative: Engaging through Vision Leading change by creating and articulating a clear and compelling vision, potential or possibility is a strategy that works, yet is not often used. This is also called the transformational strategy model in organizational change models.

Most managers use the first two which are easiest and also the least effective. Collaboration can work if people really have an opportunity to participate and provide input into change. Very few ever apply the fourth strategy. This is the one that not only works, it defines us as leaders.

A well-articulated vision has these qualities
•It is easily understood by others
•It paints a visual picture of what it looks like when complete
•It has a clearly set direction and purpose
•The person articulating the vision is clearly in the experience of what it will be like when the vision is realized, not just talking about it
•There is passion and enthusiasm present (If you’re not engaged in it, they won’t be either)
•It is clearly about the people and organization, not about you as a leader.

When done well and consistently others will:
•Be inspired and care by participating
•Inspire enthusiasm, belief, commitment and excitement in members of the project or team
•Believe they are part of something bigger than themselves and their daily work.
•Start sharing the vision themselves.
•Feel challenged to outdo themselves, to stretch and reach. They find their vision in your vision

How you communicate vision is through little conversational nuggets and consistent daily sound bites – not speeches!

When vision is communicated well and repeatedly, people get inspired by their involvement because they find their own vision inside of yours. It gives context and helps the people around you see the big picture. It gives meaning to all the little things they do. Then people start to share their own vision- it encourages them to reach, step up and create for themselves. They become engaged in the change and start stepping into that future.

About the Author, Alicia Marie
Alicia Marie, Founder and Managing Director of People Biz, Inc., has become a national leader in the field of leadership development. She founded People Biz, Inc. in 2000 with the intention of providing total personal and professional development solutions for individuals, teams and organizations. She specializes in creating customized programs based on desired outcomes that include learning vehicles such as training, professional coaching and consulting.
People Biz, Inc. is a leadership development organization that focuses on transformational leadership initiatives for individuals, teams and organizations. Their award winning leadership program “Leading Change” uses the fundamental principles of Transformational Leadership to not just talk about leadership but to develop powerful leaders.