| Organizations are often in continual change mode. | | | | advance. |
| Let's face it...rapid change is the nature of business | | | | - Communicate. Frequent, regular and transparent |
| today. Managing change is one of the key | | | | communication about the change builds trust, |
| business leadership skills executives must develop. | | | | gives you the opportunity to explain what you |
| Change is something not all employees are | | | | want from your staff, and allows them to openly |
| comfortable with, and because of this fact, it's | | | | communicate their concerns, issues, fears or |
| common practice for organizations to blame | | | | perceived challenges related to the change. |
| employees and middle management when a | | | | - Be clear. When employees show resistance, |
| change fails. The prevailing thinking being that the | | | | speak openly and honestly about this. Times of |
| employees need to 'get with the plan' and change | | | | major company transformation call for straight |
| with the company. That's true enough. But what | | | | talk rather than "beating around the bush." |
| this demand doesn't recognize is the impact the | | | | Communicate that you need everyone to |
| company leaders' behavior can have on how the | | | | embrace the change, and clearly outline the |
| change is planned, received and implemented by | | | | consequences of not doing so. |
| their people. | | | | - Force accountability. It's important that you don't |
| Developing the business leadership skill of | | | | take responsibility if people are not embracing the |
| managing change is critical for all executives. The | | | | change. Be clear, care about their feelings and |
| way a leader manages organizational change has a | | | | issues, but each person needs to be personally |
| significant impact on whether it's supported or | | | | accountable for either stepping up or stepping out. |
| resisted. The focus should be on what the leaders | | | | All executives need to develop the business |
| do - and what they fail to do. | | | | leadership skill of creating an affirmative change |
| Change can be effectively managed with | | | | management culture. By following the above tips, |
| leadership involvement. Take a look at a few tips | | | | an astute leader can build a change management |
| based on what has worked for us and for our | | | | strategy that addresses issues before they |
| clients: | | | | become problems. In other words, avoid |
| - Be up-front. As soon as you know that change | | | | resistance by building trust first. Leaders can |
| is coming, begin preparing the people. One of the | | | | effectively manage change through involvement - |
| best ways to overcome resistance to change is | | | | it's Change Management 101. |
| to inform people about the change effort in | | | | |