CEOs at Jay Holstine’s Dallas executive peer group are coming together to discuss the more challenging organizational issues and opportunities they face each month.
Sharing experiences in leading change:
“This group of trusted leaders, from non-competing companies, bring perspectives from various industries, while sharing the common experience from years in organizational leadership,” Holstine said.
“How do you implement changes through an organizational resistance to change?” was the question. One member shared that, often, the work of learning new techniques can lead some to sabotage important progress.
“Ultimately, the group identified key factors in resistance to change, and offered their most effective strategies to moving forward to success,” Holstine said.
1. Clarity. If the new changes feel like walking into the dark, many people prefer to remain in the less-optimal scenario that the Know. So, clearly outline the benefits of the change, and inspire a sense of safety by sharing timetables, and clear steps to a better plan.
2. Emphasize the Upside. It’s not just change-for-the-sake-of-change. Highlight the new advantages of the change, and encourage and reward involvement.
3. Maintain what you can. Too many differences at one time is confusing and unsettling. If you can minimize the number of unrelated differences of a corporate-wide change, and retain some of the familiar, people will adapt better to the necessary and important changes.
4. Enable competence. If people doubt their ability to perform well in a changed workplace, they have more reasons to resist it. So, educate, train and support your workforce, provide overlap between the old and new versions, and establish a mentor system to help make the transition successful.
5. Involvement. Change disrupts one’s sense of control over their environment. Successful change involves enabling those affected to make choices in the planning process. Give them a sense of ownership and they’ll help lead the change.
6. “It’s not you, it’s just time.” Defensiveness is natural among those who built the current status. Those who pioneered the previous directives don’t want to be seen as having steered ‘Wrong.’ Help those people maintain dignity by clarifying that the business landscape is what changed. Highlight the strongest aspects of the previous plans, or emphasize the parts that are staying and evolving, to assure those who might feel threatened, that it’s smart, and safe, to move onward and upward.
7. Change is never easy. It’s work. Unanticipated snags can make change appear unsuccessful in the midst of progress. Acknowledge the extra work and the temporary disruptions. Reward those who forged through a tough transition to an important change.
8. Be open and honest. When new technologies displace old ones, positions can change, departments and investments can be cut. The best way to lead is to be honest, fast, and fair. For example, one big layoff, with strong transition assistance, is better than successive waves of cuts.
“Everyone agreed that, while leaders can't make change ‘easy,’ there are a lot ways to help the workforce see the upside, acclimate more successfully, and invest in the organization’s future,” Holstine summarized.
