Before You Direct or Lead a Change
April 2024
Change can be good. Change can be necessary. Change can elevate your recognition and that of your team. Change can lead to growth and improvement.? Yeah for change, right? ?Yes, BUT…
When you think you see the need for change and think you see a solution, that likely means you’re paying attention, looking at the big picture and working for solutions, improvement and growth, but before you make the decision, there’s a very important step to take
Don’t miss this step!
Ask the right questions of the right people.? What you may be seeking to change might have been developed or implemented to solve another issue that preceded you or that you had no knowledge of.? Before deciding to make a change, do your research to find out why it’s been done that way.? When did this first come into play and why?? What problem did it perhaps previously solve?? Is that still a factor?? How is it working now?? What would happen if you implemented your proposed change?? Ask people for their input.? Ask the first line users and find out the secondary and tertiary implications of removing the current system and replacing it with your proposed change.? Who might be impacted and how? ?
Now, keep in mind that you will need to discern between legitimate objections to your proposed change for reasons that could take you in directions other than what you intend and all kinds of objections people are giving you when really, they just don’t want to have to deal with change.? Change is hard for people and many will object to change just because it’s a change.? So listen carefully, ask deeper questions and assess well. ?
Leaders?who?seek?to implement change because they can or?because they may be a new leader or newly promoted wanting to show the positive difference they can make, can be more about their authority, ego, desire to impress or even good intentions than about showing?wisdom and genuine leadership.? Making a decision in a vacuum can lead to the wrong path and the result can be the opposite of the outcome that leader has envisioned. ?
Always ask front line workers!? They usually know a lot that managers may have no knowledge of.? They are very valuable employees for their knowledge and experience about what works, what doesn’t and what the implications could be of a hasty change. ?
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Likewise, if you’re looking for ways to improve processes, cut costs, increase revenue or other way to make improvements, ask front line workers.? They will usually have great ideas, but often don’t offer them simply because no one has ever asked for their opinions or they don’t think their opinions or input?would get any attention if they did speak up.? If?you implement any of their suggestions, please remember to give them credit for the ideas.? Managers who take credit for others’ ideas damage relationships and break trust rather than building those things.? You’ll still get credit for seeking out the information, listening and implementing.? There’s plenty of credit to go around. ?
Are you leading a change effort?? Reach out.? I have a number of tools I can share which help ?leaders bring their folks along with them and make it a successful process and I'm happy to work with you.
Joy is a conference speaker, team and leadership development consultant, customized trainer and facilitator and a Certified Professional Coach with expertise in personal career coaching, job offer and salary negotiations and leadership?coaching.
As an Insights Discovery? licensed practitioner, Joy provides clients the added value of the Discovery? Portfolio of tools when working with individuals, teams, leaders and organizations to create inspiring visions for collaborative, cohesive teams to produce superior results.