Here are some key insights from our panelists on successfulling leading change:
- When dealing with a change you are not expecting or happy about, get on board right away. There is only so much you can control in the process so don’t resist the need to go along with the change
- Often in a company merger there is a “culture clash”. People join organizations and leave organizations because of their values, so be clear about what yours are and how the (new) organization may or may not be aligned with them
- Look for the positive in all change; how can I make it work for me, what is the benefit to me?
- Ask for everyone’s input; co-creating your future together is important. People want to give their “two cents” and be heard
- When implementing change, start with the intention to bring everyone in; you may not get everyone but start with that goal
- The “life-cycle” of change is short these days; change is happening rapidly and concurrently; we are often making the change, assessing the effectiveness of the change and doing our “business as usual” at the same time. Women tend to be better at this since we are great jugglers, multi-taskers and managers
- If you are on board with a change initially but later disagree, share that with your boss; there may be a perspective you are missing, or a reason why you feel out of synch; they will appreciate your interest in understanding the situation and making the change successful
- Sometime you just need to move on if the change is not working for you; if you are working too hard to make a bad situation work you leave no “space” for the right answer about what to do to come to you!
- Trust in your instincts and don’t worry about what other people think!
- When communicating change, do a lot of listening first, and then make it “personal” to people; they need to be able to answer the question “What about me?”
- Consistently communicate the benefits – and celebrate the successes – along the way to implementing change
- Determine who the influencers are in the organization; seek them out and win them over early so they can also be advocates for the change
- Some qualities of successful change are: consistency, communication, positive attitude, outcomes-focused, participation, building trust, inclusion, having courage
**One final thought from one of our panelist’s: “When you are stuck – start moving boxes”! Great advice for all of us who live with constant change.
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