How can you keep a team on track during a change initiative?

Before you even deep dive into the change, reflect and remember on the fact that Change is hard at first, messy in the middle, and gorgeous at the end. People tend to be resistant to change. Change brings uncertainty, loss of control, extra work, and concern that you won’t be enough to make it happen. However, change also brings personal growth, increased opportunities, and offers the chance to make your life better than it was yesterday. Start with assesment of the team, how will it change what they are doing on daily basis, their regular work responsibilities, their stakeholders and then work on the plan to share the news, communications and be available to understand their side of the story.

Um ein Team w?hrend einer Ver?nderungsinitiative auf Kurs zu halten, ist es wichtig, Gesichtslesen und K?rpersprache zu nutzen, um verborgene Emotionen zu erkennen. Kommunizieren Sie klar die Ziele und den Zweck der Ver?nderung und bieten Sie regelm??ige Updates und Feedback. Schaffen Sie ein unterstützendes Umfeld, in dem Mitarbeiter sich geh?rt und verstanden fühlen. Identifizieren Sie frühzeitig m?gliche Widerst?nde und bieten Sie individuelle Unterstützung und Ressourcen. Halten Sie das Team engagiert und motiviert, indem Sie Erfolge feiern und Fortschritte sichtbar machen.

Step 1 has to be to explain the 'why' of the change.You cannot drive a change if only you are convinced why the change is required.All the stakeholders of the change need to see the 'why' of it Having explained the 'why', it's time to listen. How the stakeholders view it; their concerns and aspirations. Armed with this knowledge, re-look at the change planned and its implementation. See how it addresses stakeholders concerns and aspirations; make amends where required; communicate and negotiate with the stakeholders where required and then begin implementation. As the change progresses, keep the stakeholders updated. Be available if someone wants to share some concerns and address them. Communication is the centrepiece of change management.

Most people view change as loss. Understanding that is key to moving forward successfully. Let go of persuasion and invite their reactions. Seek to understand their concerns. Insight into what matters most to them will help you speak to the 'why' of the change in a way that resonates. There will likely be some questions you are unable to answer, at least initially. Rather than doing a song and dance, be open about the things you can't share or don't yet know. When team members understand what is in it for them, what is known and not known, and how they can participate in shaping the future, trust is strengthened and engagement will follow.

Create a sense of urgency and what is in it for the team. This will unfreeze them. Carefully build a guided coalition with an emotional bond. Communicate the vision and encourage ownership. Involve the team to take initiative and lead from behind. Carefully identify individual and collective barriers and help overcome them. Generate small changes and wins and celebrate them. Recognise the right efforts by using both intrinsic and extrinsic motivation .Motivate, influence and mentor to sustain momentum and cohesion . Reinforce, Empower , sustain and ebbed change slowly. This will freeze the desired change. Strategise beginning till end.

In the Change Mgmt PROSCI ADKAR model as well, make sure after awareness, you are checking the desire of the team and sharing the knowledge which is the WHY? and reasoning behind the change and timeline and then weigh the Risks. A good way to get around that uncertainty is the assess what you are risking by making that change. The worst possible outcome is typically not as bad as we originally thought. It’s also important to weight out what you are risking by not making the change. Change is inevitable in life. It is going to happen whether we like it or not. Why not embrace the changes and view them as an opportunity to grow? When we take on a learning approach, everything becomes a chance to expand our knowledge, skills, and talents

Managing emotions is challenging yet crucial during a phase of change. Change often moves people from their comfort zones to discomfort, eliciting emotional reactions as the first response. Given that multiple individuals are affected, it's important to recognize that while you might manage your emotions, others may struggle. Demonstrating strong emotional intelligence in these situations is key. By doing so, you can build strong rapport and influence others effectively, acknowledging the emotional impact of change and guiding them through it.

En mi experiencia las personas involucradas deben sentirse parte activa de ese cambio a través del involucramiento en las decisiones de sus áreas de responsabilidad y de estar al tanto de lo que ocurre en otras áreas. El feedback abierto, multidireccional y continuo es una herramienta que ayuda mucho en estos casos.

One example here is to be present, be aware of your surroundings, be there for your team and be receptive to their feedback and emotions. The great leaders are the most empathetic and servant ones.

I love a good checklist that makes sense to you and your team. After every meeting making sure that all are on the same page. Hand off checklist: (example. Your items may be different, look at your needs in regards to change impact) ? what are the priorities that you are focusing on and what is the desired outcome ? what concerns or ideas have we not discussed? ? What are your key next steps, and when do you plan to accomplish them? ? What do you need from me in order to be successful? ? Are there any key contingencies we should plan for now? ? When will we next check in on progress/issues? ? Who else needs to know our plans, and how will we communicate them?

How can you adapt to the new "system" that wants to be born? Along with dynamic and iterative, it's also not one to be done in a vacuum. Making sure that transparency, trust and the possibility of failure is accepted and normalized as you traverse the new direction being taken.

Concentrate on identifying and supporting your change champions. These individuals are akin to the innovators and early adopters in Everett M. Rogers' diffusion of innovation theory, playing a vital role in aligning others with the change. Once identified, it's crucial to keep these change champions both aligned with the change objectives and motivated throughout the process.

The only thing I will add here is the reminder that Change is the only constant in life and some other quotes which have stuck with me : -Change brings personal growth and development. -Change leads us to where we want to be. -Change makes us stronger. -Change causes a ripple effect and leads to larger, more ideal changes. -Change allows us to see things in a new way. -Change allows us to see and have more opportunities. Remember, change is not an easy roller coaster to get on, and it isn’t always a straightforward process. However, the result is always better than staying where you were and remaining the person you were yesterday.

Encourage 1:1 conversations. When conflicts arise, a one-on-one conversation is often going to be the fastest way to get in sync. First, clarify the purpose of the conversation. And clearly identify the problem each party is currently experiencing. If you want two people on a team to get in sync, it's far less likely to happen if they are only communicating via text or on group calls. One on one, people can't hide behind the tech or the other people in the group, and they will be far more likely to connect. If they try this and it doesn't go anywhere, then you can try to facilitate. Encourage people to come together in more frequent one-on-one calls and meetings. Once two team members get out of sync, 1:1 is crucial.

You can’t. There are so many variables to this, how could you possibly manage them all. Yet you can do your best! One thing that I noticed, is that human beings from kids to adults respond well to understanding and knowing why we are changing. Furthermore perhaps exploring the relationship with change can be interesting. Often times we are resistant to change l, yet we can all attest to an exemple in our own life’s where change brought growth for us. ??????