Leading Organizational Change

As leaders we often find ourselves directing team members to change. As a leader we understand that business and society is in a constant state of change. Our employees however may not be so aware. In fact they may find a great deal of comfort in the predictability of their situations and anyone that causes a disruption is met with conflict. Therefore it is important that we not make arbitrary changes to work schedules and routines. Any change should be well thought out and reasoned. Keep in mind that even when change may be good for those affected by it, people will often rebel against it. It takes skill to navigate change effectively the following guidelines will help.

Loss Analysis

When leading change it is important that you asses each person or groups of people involved in the change. Your assessment should be based on looking for what people have to loose when the change occurs. If you can identify those who have something to loose you may be able to work with them to make the change easier.

Talking

One of the key leadership tasks when conducting change is to get people to talk about the change. The process of discussing the situation will assist them in accepting the change. Give them some time to gripe in a controlled situation, and then guide their conversations to more positive areas. Many times people have unrealistic fears, or they have misinformation. By giving them a forum to speak you can uncover these issues and address them.

Listening

It is important that people feel as though they have been heard and their concerns are taken seriously. As a leader you must take the time to actively listen to people. Good listening means that you hear and see the words, body language, and the context of the message. A good method to use to make sure that you clearly understand what is being shared with you is to mirror back the message in your own words. This gives you confidence that you understand, and it lets the team member know that you understand their position. This does not mean that you have to agree, or commit to their requests; it simply means that you hear and acknowledge their point of view.

Force

People are more likely to go with a change if they feel as though it is not something being forced on them against their will. One thing true of most of us is that we do not like to have things forced on us. This however is necessary at times and the astute leader will anticipate and act appropriately.

Build a Tribe

A good leader will know which people on their team they can rely on for support. Before the change process you must build your Tribe and use them to help make change. Give them the most critical assignments. Use them to help role model behaviors that you want to encourage. Do not treat others unfairly, but reward behaviors that move the change effort forward.

Managing change in an organization can be confusing and frustrating for all involved including the leader. However it is up to the leader to understand the principles of change management, team building and organizational behavior to effectively bring about the change they would like to produce.