How can you create urgency for change without causing panic?

Too often leaders are afraid of "spooking" their teams by identifying the problem and consequences of inaction. Spoiler alert - your teams already know these challenges and they've been waiting for you to address them.

the awareness of the urgency of change unfortunately arises from "panic", let me explain, until the problem belongs to "others" and is not experienced and everyone tries to defend their own safety zone or by denying the problem "we have always done it this way" or by opposing change, only when the problem is physically experienced do people begin to change because they look for an escape route from the sinking ship, either by abandoning it or by changing their ways I have seen several times attempts to explain the inevitability of change with reason, but very very rarely it works, it requires a truly rare level of self-awareness and maturity

Most people do not like problems. the word itself creates resistance. Challenge will be a much better word. There are two main forces in nature: Attraction and repulsion. We can create repulsion from an existing undesirable situation. We can create attraction to a desirable situation and we can use a mix of both to lead a balanced process on the way to change.

Share the ideas and the expected outcome, messages needs to be clear and expectations need to be set to avoid any misunderstanding, I would say its all about communication skills.

It is indisputable that a problem or a challenge can only be solved or faced with identifying it. Nothing is better than being in the field, spending time with your team, and permanently monitoring results to identify and understand problems and changes. Also, it's essential to understand your market and know the state of the technology. To correctly sell any change is mandatory for the success of the process. You need everybody on board, get supporters, convince neutrals, and minimize the number of enemies of the project. Many projects fail in this initial stage. For me, the success of an innovation is based on how this first phase is conducted.

In my view, a visionary leader is the greatest asset an organisation could have to address any urgency. A leader with a clear vision is a battle is half won. And that clear vision comes from competency and experience.

"Vision without action is merely a dream. Action without vision just passes the time. Vision with action can change the world." - Joel A. Barker One cannot have sight and no vision. It is very important to set forth a vision in accordance with the situation and aim to express how to achieve it thoroughly with everyone concerned. Active engagement of others concerning the vision and providing constant inspiration is highly suggested.

When going through transition towards change, the vision must be inspirational, motivating, empowering, provide a clear view of the future and provide reassurance that the goals can and will be achieved. All of these, will give the group the self-confidence, a clear direction, something to look towards to. This decreases panic among people.

Be explicit about the link between your vision (solution you are proposing) and how it will contribute to the solution of the problem. Too often it is assumed that people see the link.

Promoting a necessary change must not only be reflected in words or in beautiful presentations, it must come from within the leaders of the organizations, they must fervently believe that this change is good and necessary to continue growing. Changes can arise for a multitude of reasons, from business needs to regulatory issues. We must not forget to be honest so that it is understood why it is being carried out.

Sharing with the team what the process will be followed is essential, thus creating a feeling of belonging to the organization and, above all, generating a commitment to achieve it. To do this, leaders of change have the great challenge of creating a great plan that ensures that all the work required to achieve it is contemplated and, above all, how each person will collaborate in it.

Brainstorming with the audience why it is necessary for change is a great start to allow yourself and others to understand the situation in hand. Next step would be breaking down the change into steps. Let the audience express their thoughts and concerns with the issue. Lead them through the benefits they may gain as well as the positives rather than the negatives.

Creating a process is essential for change, the transition from one state to another, needs to be calculated and controlled. The process must include the steps from the current situation, the next steps to fulfill the vision, goals and the final destination towards change. People need certainty and a secure path for transitioning, for that reason, the process must be well though out, specific, measurable and proper dates and goals. This will eliminate the element of panic and will improve confidence in the group.

A great way to address concerns is to share best practice. If you can show how others overcame this kind of concern, your audience will be more likely to believe that it is possible. Add real stories, names, facts and your audience will be more easily driven and convinced.

Once the need for change has been expressed, it is essential that the organization listen to the concerns and doubts of the team. Do not forget that they are the ones who, through their actions and experience, will best contribute with the lessons learned to create the best possible plan. In this way, the team will be much more empathetic towards the change and will be much more willing to collaborate.

One way to address their concerns is by telling them that you understand their fears and then is by doing following the 4-step cycle: 1. Tell them what you need them to change. 2. Tell them how to change it. 3. Tell them what is not going to change in this situation in particular (what will stay the same) 4. Tell them how you will help them achieve that change.

I agree. Added to that, humankind should always be promoter of human values. Otherwise, there would not be any difference between human being and AI. With changing time and technology taking center stage, human values have become more important for human lives, I think.

One should never forget the humane part of themselves along the way. We all have concerns, problems, and fears. Aim at bringing out the audience's concerns and resolving them thoroughly. A hand can't clap on its own. It needs another to clap. Change is achieved with teamwork, with understanding, with respect, and thoughtfulness.

Focusing on risks and losses can create a sense of fear or resistance, leading to a negative reaction among collaborators. Additionally, an excessive emphasis on immediate urgency may overlook the need for long-term strategic planning. In such situations, I always recommend integrating a balanced approach by highlighting the long-term benefits of change, encouraging collaboration, and providing a clear framework for transition. Communicating a positive vision of the future while acknowledging challenges engages the audience in a constructive and enduring manner.

Sometimes, it might backfire. Transparency during urgent situation may create panic and havocs. The leadership need to decide on how much information should be made public and what information need to be kept confidential so that it does not create a chaos in society.

In order to create urgency for change without causing panic, I believe is important: 1) creating a culture where everyone values responding to situations promptly and place less stress on worrying about specific timelines. 2) making sure everyone understands the importance of having an urgent mindset. 3) describing the positive benefits for both the group an each of the individuals on the team. You can also mention the consequences of getting behind on deadlines, but remembering to balance this information with positive reinforcement.

As you go through your change process, some people will be up to the task, these are your ambassadors of change, recognize these people, give them incentive, to promote others to see them as great employees. Slowly, more people will be become ambassadors, as the ones that don't see the urgency and don't want to change or participate, those need disciplinary measures from light to strong.

I dislike the use of the word urgency to push innovation or change. I recommend talking more about the need for continuous improvement. Urgency could mean precipitation. It's important to avoid procrastination, but to develop any innovation, you must apply the correct methodology, which takes time. Any migration process must avoid collapse, it's better to maintain an inefficiency than a "nothing works" scenario because you implement a new system or procedure without testing it in depth. Migrations are risky. Continuous small changes and improvements are better than needing to urgently replace solutions or systems due to their obsolescence.

Make sure the set expectations (actions to take, ...) are elaborated in sufficient detail, meaning: close enough to the reality of your audience. Involve direct managers/leaders in shaping and sharing. This will not only ensure that the expectations (CTA) are sufficiently specific and close to our day to day reality, it will also show the support of 'my boss' for the change.