Three ways to transform organizations with effective change management

There is no question our world has been disrupted by a boatload of uncertainty since early 2020.? The world of work has been thoroughly turned upside down and shaken by a global pandemic, digital transformation with the emergence of machine learning, the effects of climate change, and economic factors like inflation, interest rates, and employment rates.? So how can organizations make sense of the current disrupted environment and meet this moment???

To me the answer is clear – people!? People are incredibly resilient and creative.? Leaders can harness the power of their people through a change management program that accomplishes three objectives: offers a process for understanding the current environment, takes people on a journey together with engagements and communications, and then measures the effectiveness of the change process.????

When considering a post-pandemic design strategy, we must first realize that things have changed.? And second, as an organization, we might need a different strategy that considers all the disruptions we are experiencing.? Finally, we must be prepared, as leaders, to lead change.???

My advice for leading change is to:??

1. Start early if you can;?
2. Cultivate self-awareness and get to know your team; and??
3. Get comfortable with emotions.??

Start early if you can?

Change takes time.? Getting used to a new way of doing things will take an adjustment period.? So whenever possible, start the change management process as early as you can.? Of course, there are times when confidentiality is important and might even be legally required but there are some things that you as a leader can do when the rumors start.? By saying you are setting up a change management process can help squash rumors and give people a place to go with their questions!????

There are also distinct phases of a change that need to be considered when setting up a change management program.? The first is ‘getting ready for the change.’? In this phase, as the leader, you are interviewing your teams to understand where people are with the change.? Most of the time people are aware of the change or that one is being considered.? The best leaders take the pulse and understand how much work it will take to get a certain level of buy-in.?

?The second phase of change management is ‘going through the change.’? This can take anywhere from a few months to a few years depending on the degree of change.? An important and often overlooked aspect of change is setting up and using a feedback loop for making adjustments as the change unfolds.? I feel like I could write an entire article about the benefits and challenges of feedback loops!? I will just say that when used properly, feedback loops can show people that leadership is genuinely listening and responding to concerns as they are able, as outlined by a recent client in our conversation on the Gensler Design Exchange podcast, “How to Manage Change in Today’s Evolving Workplace. ”???

?

The third phase of change management is ‘reflecting on the change.’? This is a time when the change has happened, and people are asking themselves if the change was worth it.? You might think that the tough work of change management is done, but it is not!? To make new behaviors stick, this is the time to ask questions about what went well, and what might still need attention.????

?

Cultivate self-awareness and get to know your team?

Change is about people, first and foremost, so any change management process must be led by a team that ‘gets’ people.? That means we all must know our strengths and tendencies so we can lead change effectively.? On my most successful change management programs, the client lead is paired up with someone who fills out some part of the leader's deficiency.????

For example, you are new to the organization, and you need someone who has insights into the history and culture of the team.? Or you are a real people person who enjoys spending time one-on-one with the individuals most impacted by the change. Perhaps you should team with another senior leader who is more tactical and achievement-oriented to stay on track with the change process.????

Getting to know yourself and your team is time well-spent.? An honest self-assessment can reveal areas where you need support.? And when paired up with a colleague with different but relevant strengths, you can become a dynamic duo!? For myself, I am a bright yellow on the Insights wheel.? I am known to be inspiring and warm, but my tendency is to stay in creative ideation mode and be a little soft on executing the details.? In my case, I need to have people on my team, like Brenna Kearnan and Mikayla Hernandez , that will help keep me focused on the tasks each week.????

If you need tools to get to know your strengths and those of your team, there are so many assessment tools available like Enneagram, Strengths-Finder , Myers Briggs, Insights , and many others!?

?

?Get comfortable with emotions?

Change is also messy.? People will be experiencing emotional ambivalence as the change is explained and experienced.? What does this mean?? It means that people will be feeling losses and gains simultaneously.?? For example, if the change is moving from one part of town to another, someone might be sad that they are not going to pass by their favorite coffee shop each morning on their commute, and they might also be feeling excited about the idea of having a brand new office with new space types where their teams can innovate and collaborate.? Human beings can ‘feel torn’.??

We also need to understand our emotions as providing valuable information, as articulated by Dr. Susan David , as she describes in her research and her book “Emotional Agility. ”?? Often the strong feelings we have tell us what we value and let us process when we experience loss.? So, when leading change, make time and space to hear from people who seem to be resisting the change.? You may find through these conversations that people just need an invitation to view the change more holistically.??

Another great resource for understanding what people are thinking and feeling in the workplace is the book, “The Progress Principle ”, by Dr. Teresa Amabile where she describes her construct “Inner work life.”? She aptly describes “Inner work life” as inner because it is happening inside people as they make sense of the events of their workday.? When facing change, if a reason is not supplied, people will produce their own explanation, and research has shown that in the absence of information, people go negative!????

So please consider how you as a senior leader can help your people face changes – internal, external, global, economic, and unexpected changes by giving them a place to go with their questions.????

As a senior leader considering how to transform your organization through change management, you might be wondering:??

• Do we have the right processes now to meet this moment??
• How might we harness the creativity and innovation of our people through change management??
• How might a process like change management connect our people with our vision and strategy so they can do their best work???

If you are wrestling with a post-pandemic design strategy and could use advice on leading change, let us know!?