Change. You're not doing it right.
Thousands of years ago, Heraclitus said, "There is nothing permanent except change." We'd all agree that statement is still valid today, despite the millions of technological advances we've seen since his time.
At a minimum, you should consider three things when seeking change within your teams or organization.
1: No matter how comfortable you are with the change, your team isn't.
Innovators do just that: innovate. I speak from experience when I tell you that I have no allegiance to systems or processes once I find a better way to do something. Having said that, though, it took me a long time to learn to slow my roll and involve my team in developing the change I sought.??
In Building a StoryBrand, Donald Miller says, "The number one job of an executive is to remind the stakeholders what the mission is, over and over." It's also an accepted psychological truism that people need to hear something seven times before they believe it.
I implore you to learn to include your team in your change processes. Communicate with them. Over-communicate with them.??
Bringing your team with you on the change journey will set you up for success and remove unnecessary future drama.
2: Most people live in a state of fear regarding ANYTHING new.
Never underestimate how much resistance to change lives within your team. No matter how long you've worked with them, the sad news is that they most likely won't tell your their true feelings (emotions) regarding upcoming changes.??
Too many executives and project managers wrongly take this silence as consent/acceptance for changes.??
You do so at your peril.??
Fear drives teammates to act irrationally. These actions are often deliberately contrary to the outcomes you seek and serve to do little more than add drama and confusion to your workplace.??
Fear also kills previously established trust. Remember this: trust is established much like a bank savings account: it takes a long time, and many deposits to build but is quickly and easily wiped out without discipline.
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3: Change will not be as easy as you think and will take far longer than you imagine.
Optimism bias is real. We all tend to convince ourselves of the ease of our chosen path.??
In the military, we have a saying that is highly relevant to business, "No plan survives contact with the enemy."??
For the record, I'm not categorizing your staff and teammates as "the enemy," just making a point that once outside elements come into play, your plans rarely survive intact.??
There is even a word for this. What was it, again?
Oh yeah:?change.
DOL,
Scott...
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Maritime Cyber Engineering Advisor | Advisory Board Member | System & Network Administrator | Ex-Amazon
2 年Managing change is an inevitable result of projects and managing that change can be a hurdle within itself. During my kick-off meetings I always add a section that discusses this variable. "Change will happen and it will happen at the most inopportune time." With this one simple statement I lay the foundation that change will happen and I drive home that it can happen anywhere along the projects path. Great points in the newsletter!
Clinical Professor at Hart Center for Engineering Leadership, Lyle School of Engineering
2 年Scott, my Brother, as always, you speak truth across many areas. It's important for people and organizations to understand that change is inevitable in anything you do. Being able to help people understand what that change can do, is sometimes the hardest part of management. Good leaders are the ones that help mitigate the uncomfortable factors and become successful. Thank you for your words and insight!
Experienced Learning & Development Specialist | Team, Talent, Program & Project Manager | Providing creative solutions to stagnant processes & transforming team performance!
2 年I really like the information and perspective these newsletters provide, Scott. I hope lots of readers share with their own organizations! Spread the knowledge! Knowledge is power!
Joint C-sUAS Office (JCO) US Army | Operations Analyst | US Air Force Veteran
2 年We’ll written and thanks for the advice. I can’t hear this one enough (maybe I haven’t heard it seven times yet) so thanks for the reminder.