What are effective ways to build motivation and a sense of purpose during change management?

Los cambios nos movilizan internamente, por lo que es factible que sintamos distintas emociones a medida que transmitamos el cambio. Es importante reconocer con el nombre correcto cada emoción que sentimos, para luego gestionarlas eficazmente. Cada una nos brinda información crucial para entender qué sentimos. Es importante comprender el significado y trabajar en ello.

Most important is a CEO who takes all people together for 1 day. (S)he starts with an explanation to ALL employees and mgmt WHY a change project is necessary. Next in open exchange let people understand and get involved; especially respond to emotional reactions bc. that's the most important hurdle to get people involved and to prevent resistance. Then create groups of ca. 8 people and let them talk, exchange ca. 1-2 hours; a plenum summary of their ideas, fears, questions etc. to which the CEO spontaneous responds. CEO needs to propose the next step(s), how everyone will stay involved in the continuation of the project, announce an info/communication process (live and written). Make clear that CEO and management have open doors for all.

Be there for your team during change management. Provide guidance and support. Often, people who resist to change are more ready to adapt if they feel that they have support.

The adoption of change management is all in communication. Communicate early, communicate often. Then listen and most importantly observe behaviours for how the communication is being received. In a time of change, many people get anxious and nervous, so messages are not fully understood by everyone equally. People need honesty in their leadership and being respectful of those needs goes a long way in ensuring they will come to you for clarification. Buy-in for change projects is key, and everyone needs to be motivated to see how the change will benefit them- be sure to include in the communication, how they will benefit or how they will be contributing to the organization's new change goals. This allows them to feel useful and respected.

In my experience, lack of transparency creates the most resistive environment, especially when employees feel that the changes are shortsighted or made solely as cost cutting measures and not for the long term stability and growth of a company.

Additionally, communicate early enough. Every change is initially perceived as an adverse event and you need buy-in as soon as possible. Also, model the behaviors you wish to see in your team, as relatability is a key selling point and makes it easier to find purpose in the change .

If you are a leader then this is also important for your team. You have to be able to show the team how it will positively impact each one of them. This means already having an understanding of what each team member does, so that you can show how it will help them grow improve, or be more effective.