| Introduction | | | | First of all, if you are in a leadership position, you |
| This is the first in a series of Change Management | | | | are already a teacher. Every day you're guiding |
| Concepts articles. | | | | people in the expectation that they will think for |
| Change Management is about introducing some | | | | themselves and apply your guidance in their jobs. |
| combination of new people, new processes and | | | | (If you're telling them what to do, you're not a |
| new technology to a business or organization. The | | | | leader -- more like a supervisor). |
| organization has a lot to learn, and someone | | | | Granted, there's a difference between day to day |
| needs to be the teacher. | | | | guidance and formal teaching. Even if you're not a |
| Often executives will hire consultants to drive | | | | great speaker or don't enjoy the formal |
| their change management initiatives, and the | | | | classroom setting, just think about some of your |
| teaching job falls to the consultants almost by | | | | qualifications: |
| default. Save some money. Hire consultants if you | | | | You know the subject matter |
| need them, but focus their teaching efforts on | | | | You know the students |
| your leadership team. Then let the leaders | | | | You have a vested interest in their success |
| (yourself included) teach everyone else. | | | | You have a passion for what you're going to |
| Leaders Are The Best Teachers | | | | teach (hopefully!) |
| When a management consulting firm conducted a | | | | These are advantages that are going to outweigh |
| study a few years ago, they formed two groups | | | | any limitations you have as a result of not being a |
| of people to be trained in new systems and | | | | trained instructor. |
| processes. One group was trained by professional | | | | Some Tips to Help You Succeed as a Teacher |
| trainers. For the second group, the professionals | | | | Commit the Time - When you're teaching your |
| trained the boss and the boss trained the people. | | | | staff, you have the luxury of spreading the |
| Immediately after training, both groups were | | | | training out, perhaps 2 hours per day for a week |
| tested to determine how well they had learned. | | | | instead of a dedicated day and a half. Go for it, |
| Which group tested higher? Well, um, uh, well, it | | | | but whatever time on whatever days you |
| was the professionally trained group. | | | | schedule for training, stick to it. Don't cancel, and |
| Wait a minute, there's more. The same testing | | | | don't allow interruptions to the training schedule. |
| was conducted six months later. Guess what? | | | | Teach, Don't Preach - Your goal is to share |
| The retention of the material was much higher | | | | information and enable people to apply it. Help |
| for the group trained by their own boss. | | | | people understand what's in it for them as you |
| If you think about it, neither result should surprise | | | | address what's changing. |
| you. Unless a boss is a very gifted teacher, he or | | | | Ask Questions - It's a great way to test |
| she won't be as effective as a professional | | | | understanding, for you and your students. |
| trainer. The professional trainer, however, won't | | | | Invite Dialogue - That's what asking questions will |
| be hanging around when the formal training ends. | | | | do. Your job gets easier when the students are |
| The boss can reinforce the training materials, and | | | | discussing what's being taught. You just have to |
| can ensure they are applied on the job. | | | | step in when they get stuck. |
| Teaching, and specifically leader led teaching, is an | | | | Repetition - Change management concepts need |
| important and often overlooked change | | | | to be repeated in order to be absorbed. In other |
| management concept. | | | | words, change management concepts need to be |
| You Can Do It | | | | repeated in order to be absorbed. Enough said. |