Top 10 Tips for... Leading Change Successfully
Unfortunately change is often as unpopular as it is inevitable. People don’t like change – they fear it and feel threatened by it. As a result, any leader who wants to implement a change programme successfully needs to plan carefully and ensure they communicate effectively and get everyone in the organisation engaged in the process. Here are our top ten tips for success:
1. Model the behaviour you want to see in others
The best leaders lead by example. If you are leading a change programme people will be watching to see how they should respond to the change. You must set the pace and tone for the rest of the organisation in a positive and realistic way. If people sense that you are afraid of the change and not fully committed to it they will respond accordingly. However, if you are clearly enthusiastic about the benefits of change and determined to make it happen people will also pick up on your energy and enthusiasm.
2. Involve every layer of the organisation
Leaders often fail to take into account the extent to which midlevel and frontline people can make or break a change initiative. Frontline people often have important knowledge about where potential glitches may occur, what technical and logistical issues need addressing, and how customers may react to changes. Getting their full-hearted engagement can smooth the way for complex change initiatives, whereas their resistance will make implementation an ongoing challenge.
3. Communicate early, consistently and often
The more surprised people are by change, the more resistant they will be to it. Keep information about the change programme constant and flowing from all directions. You can never over-communicate when it comes to change. Ensure that communication is two-way – encourage feedback and be prepared to take on board any new ideas that emerge from the process.
4. Make a rational and emotional case for change
Leaders often make the case for major change on the sole basis of strategic business objectives such as entering new markets or growing by xx% over the next five years. These are reasonable objectives but they won’t engage people emotionally in a way that will ensure they are genuinely committed to the change. Try to communicate a call to action that will engage people’s hearts as well as their minds and convince that what you are proposing will mean they are part of something really significant.
5. Paint a clear picture of what success will look like
Communicate the vision for your change programme clearly and concisely while appealing to hearts and minds. If you try and sell a vision that is unclear or confusing it just won’t happen. People won’t engage and will quickly get demotivated. Keep your vision of the future simple and make sure you repeat it frequently so it is at the forefront of people’s minds.
6. Explain the benefits of change
Your people are more likely to get on board with a change programme if they can see that they and the organisation as a whole will benefit in some way from the effects of the change. Acknowledge their efforts and sacrifices (such as increased workload) and give them evidence that these sacrifices will pay off in a tangible way when the process is completed.
7. Harness the influence of informal leaders
Change has more chance of cascading through the organisation when everyone with authority and influence is involved. As well as the company’s recognised leaders, this can also include people with more informal power relating to their expertise, personal qualities or length of service. Identify these people early on in the process and find ways to involve them as participants and guides. These informal leaders include ‘pride builders’ who are naturally good at motivating others and helping them take pride in their work; ‘trusted nodes’, the go-to people who are repositories of the organisations culture and ‘change ambassadors’ who instinctively know how to live the change that’s being implemented.
8. Implement formal change solutions
Persuading people to change their behaviour is only half the battle. Lasting transformation won’t take place unless you implement formal elements to support behavioural changes. These may include creating a revised organisational structure, and redesigning reward systems, ways of operating, training, and development.
9. Make sure everyone is aligned
The larger the organisation and scale of change, the more important it is to have consistent support from all levels of managers. If a change programme is to succeed, it’s vital that all management delivers the same “talk and walk” whenever they communicate. Managers must always address expectations, rewards and consequences around the change clearly and consistently. Otherwise, credibility will be destroyed and people will quickly get demotivated and disengaged from the process.
10. Recognise and celebrate progress
Change doesn’t happen overnight. Any change programme is likely to take a significant amount of time and effort to complete. As a result, it is important to celebrate victories as they occur. Success breeds success. Identify milestones and important steps and communicate those examples of progress to the organisation. This will reinforce the change and encourage renewed efforts from the whole team to work together to achieve your ultimate objective.
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