You're tasked with leading a team through a major change. How can you get everyone on board?

In my experience the most difficult changes to a project or team can be negotiated if people feel they are kept in the loop. In my former agency, significant projects often changed, leaders moved on, or clients demanded rethinks. The best leaders handled these with a combination of townhall chats to keep the team in the loop, with open q&as encouraged. This was combined with 1:1 chats with key creatives and stakeholders as needed. A culture of openness and strong communication will ensure that even if things don’t go fully to plan, people will share the overall narrative and won’t feel alone. Don’t let a vacuum develop and you won’t go far wrong.

It's likely we've all felt the impact of change not being done well, and it's very easy to spot - lack of real consultation, lip service paid to values, team members with a foot already out the door. Change is hard but it can be done with compassionate leadership and that's key to getting people on board. Timely explanation with clarity on the impacts and benefits, how the change aligns with real goals and values. Get people involved early in the process for a sense of ownership and to gather valuable ideas. Acknowledge concerns and provide support, training or resources. Keep communication open. Celebrate the milestones to build momentum and reinforce the positive aspects. Trust through transparency and active involvement is critical.

One word….. VISION But not just a vision for vision’s sake. A vision aligned with the change. Aligned with the brand. A vision that will motivate the team and that they can play a part of.

All the above points are pertinent, what helps the most however is to ensure the team 'understands' the need to change and has a buy in. Once that happens, the transition becomes way smoother.