It’s time to make the critical shift from leading the business by yourself to leading an organization of people. At P2Excellence, we help you navigate the uncharted territories of organizational growth with clarity and confidence.
I remember when Change Management diagrams spoke about “returning to a steady state.” Change was the unusual and we did the work to return to normal. Not anymore! And probably not ever again. Constant change is the new normal. We are continuously required to come up with something new and that means organizational shift and adjustment – culturally and practically. Those changes impact people, processes, products, services, and more.
Today, I am seeing more and more companies with dedicated “Change Enablement Teams,” whether they are permanent staffers, ad hoc committees, or objective third party professionals with change management credentials. In some ways, I like the idea of this – it sets an expectation of the need for agility and it also reminds us that good change management is a mindset, a behavior and a skill .
What does your “Change Enablement Team” look like? Do you have one? How do you integrate change into your workplace? Is everyone accepting and willing?
Typically, if people can see the value and benefit of change – and if they are enabled (empowered) to integrate it on their own – then they are more likely to embrace it. They can’t do that without your help.
A good starting point is a cultural assessment :
- With change, what are your expectations of your employees?
- What are your employees’ expectation of you (the leader/team leader)?
- How does the change impact existing processes?
- What training, tools, and processes are needed to be introduced to help employees learn to accommodate and thrive from the change?
Most importantly, how will you ensure that the proper continuous communication channels are in place? When change happens – especially significant change, leaders go inward and deep. It’s natural to not communicate when you are unsure. After all, you are managing your own change exploration and acceptance. While it’s natural to go inward, it’s also wrong. It creates anxiety, resistance, and distrust. Of course, you often can’t share everything – especially when you don’t have it figured out for yourself. Still, you can continuously communicate what you do know.
Adequate preparedness at all levels of the organization and being tuned in to how the change will impact individuals throughout the organization will be key to successful change. Give employees the ability to think through and talk about how the change will impact their responsibilities, interactions, and deliverables. Training, leadership panels, departmental meetings – formal or informal – are especially important to ensure everyone has the information and resources they need to implement and adapt to change successfully.
Organizations of every size are impacted by change and rely on the change enablement process to ensure smooth, rapid, successful, and long-lasting transitions. Are you and your organization aware of the goals and strategies at each level – and the people needs and wants – to make that happen? Getting employees on board and empowering them to enact change on their own doesn’t have to be difficult – it really is more science than mystery.
We’d love to hear your perspective on “enabling change.”
