Managing through change after change after...

Change is intriguing, arduous and tumultuous at times and even refreshing for some, but most would agree it is constant, and it has come to be a part of our society and workplace. Take a look around and you'll see every facet of life being redefined at a pace, unimaginable a decade ago - so much that I would argue, change isn't constant, rather it is exponential. And if that's true, are we prepared to deal with it appropriately? Do the calls to action work in an environment where change is faster than ever before? And if not, how do we deal with it and manage through change when the future continues to evolve?

A lesson I learned around change a few years ago, was also a turning point for me in my leadership journey. I was a leader of people, a path breaker, an out of the box thinker and prided myself at being able to adapt to any given situation. Even the most crappy problems thrown my way, couldn't cloud my vision. More often that not, I chose to "take one for the team", absorb impact personally, put on a brave face and lead the way. When change was thrown my way one after the other, I simply ignored it and focused on the task at hand, and knew that it would eventually settle. Yet, I would come to realize later that, in some cases I didn't live up to my own high expectations when helping my team and peers deal with change upon change; it wasn't so simple.

Figure 1. Kubler-Ross Change Curve

In our corporate lives, we'll inevitably come across the change curve (See figure 1.) or the emotional cycle of change, that predicts most people go through the phases of denial, anger, optimism and acceptance. We'll also be told what to watch out for and how to compensate for it (See figure 1. the action boxes on the right). But when change is so frequent that we don't have the luxury of time to meander through the emotional change curve, how do you manage through it? Stepping back, if you are going to change as often as you do, why put your team through the change cycle in the first place, can you avoid the curve or maybe even flatten it? Yeah I know, that's why we combine changes to minimize impact, but what do you do when that's beyond your control?

I summarize my thoughts in three words: Acknowledge, Challenge & be Transparent or ACT.

Acknowledge the gravity of the change, and let's be brutally honest with each other on what this change could mean. Talk about the elephant in the room, seek out the true emotion that is festering. Think about it - why does one come to a stage of denial, is it probably because as leaders we don't do enough to explain the why quickly, and because we allow too much time for pessimism to fester? What are we afraid of? Showing that we're just as clueless as them? Or worried how they'll react knowing that change is still afoot? Just because the change is the right thing to do for the company, or because you firmly believe in it, doesn't make it personally right for everyone right out of the gate - just like the change will be met with cheers, it will also be met with a fair share of shock, disbelief and frustration - realize that you had way more time to accept and design the change, and you owe it your team to make this easier on ALL of them. The slower you acknowledge it, the deeper the pit of cynicism.

Challenge, throw down the gauntlet. Whether the change involves growth or reduction, is big or small, internal or external, almost always there is a positive intent behind it. And if that's the case, give your teams an opportunity to hinge on to that positivity. If there ever was a better gossip killer, then this would be the moment to unleash it, or challenge them with a newer, more loftier goal, an extension of their current responsibilities. Empower them and see them soar with productivity, everything else a fleeting memory. Some call this a deflection or diversion strategy, of not taking the bull by the horn, but remember, here we are not deflecting the problem or the impact, we're simply diverting energies to constructive action that help cope with the change.

And finally the key to staying true to the above - be transparent. I cannot emphasize this enough - we spend way too much time behind closed doors with the smartest and savviest, working through the perfect balance, considering all impacts, extrapolating the unknown future, only to get it all (or mostly) wrong. Transparency goes a long way is allaying fears, letting down one's guards, focusing on a collective best path forward, and assuring your team that you've got this. And in the off chance, you are human and mess up, your team will have your back, because transparency breeds trust!

Earlier in my career, with any change, I simply looked to focus on any aspect of positivity I could wrap my head around, but failed to acknowledge the broader impact and quickly realized I was on an island, with a mirage of positivity, and a "lucky" few. I didn't realize that for some, their path to normalcy was perhaps different. Some would say, taking the time to acknowledge the changes, challenge each person and have a heart-to-heart conversation, is anathema to moving quickly and isn't encouraging a fail-fast mentality, but I would counter that perhaps it is exactly the missing piece of the puzzle in helping your team find their "speed force", their cog in the wheel. I recently read Herminia Ibarra's Act Like A Leader, Think Like A Leader - wherein she turns the age-old adage "Think first, then act" on it's head. She encourages us to stop over-thinking the problem and to simply execute and transform by doing. In this context, I think it applies perfectly, to where the goal is to move quickly with changes, but learn through ACTion.