THE TRAP OF CONTINUOUS CHANGE.
Carmen López Hernández
CEO at Carmen López | LEADERSHIP & STRESS EXPERT: Do you want to succeed as a leader? Do you need to reduce your stress?| PSYCHOLOGIST | Executive Psychologist | Human Resources Consultant?? German-English-Spanish.
The average number of changes employees experienced in 2022 was 10, while in 2016 it was only 2, according to Gartner.
By 2024, the pace of change in companies is turning from a competitive advantage to a dead-end trap in many cases. Accelerating without pause can become a setback.
I have been greatly surprised to observe the dynamics of rapid change that some companies implement nowadays. I see leaders with whom I collaborate barely finish outlining a change plan or forming a team before they are immersed in a new project that demands another team. Or facing continuous changes in their roles. While it is true that change is essential for progress, it is equally true that it poses challenges for both leaders and teams, affecting their effectiveness and success.
When leaders tackle changes on such short notice and, in many cases, without proper planning and clear communication, the first mistake is believing you can handle everything. You drag your team along with you, and the situation becomes unsustainable.
Surveys indicate that employees are increasingly less supportive of changes. In 2022, only 43% supported changes, compared to 74% in 2016.
Recent study results show that rapid changes in teams are causing:
????A decrease in motivation and employees' trust in their boss and the company. They enter a state of indifference. They give up.
????A 55% increase in the tendency towards stress, anxiety, burnout, and other health problems.
????Half of the workers cannot find the information or the people needed to do their job. Imagine the waste in productivity.
Consolidation and success in changes this year 2024 lie in optimizing your people's energy, prioritizing, inspiring your team, and fostering psychological safety.
1. Prioritize and inform the entire company.
Don't pass the information only to the executive team. The organization is made up of everyone. It is vital that the entire company receives information on the priorities and change initiatives to focus everyone's attention, time, and energy.
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2. Managing fatigue in times of change is crucial.
Here are three key tools:
????Plan breaks. This way, you increase productivity by 26% and reduce burnout. Some tips: introduce meeting-free days, establish clear work schedules, and allocate time to recharge.
????Involve the entire company in the change. Gather everyone's opinions and take them into account.
????Support managers in building resilience. Many managers are overwhelmed and find it difficult to lead change effectively.
3. Inspire your team.
Tell them why the change you are implementing is important.
4. Make them trust you.
Encourage them to speak without fear, with respect, and not take things personally.
By adopting these strategies, resistance to change can be reduced, and the energy of employees can be better leveraged, making the adaptation to change more natural and less forced.
Carmen López, Business Psychology
#carmenlopez, #leadership, #change
Acquisition & Trade Finance Advisory · Talent & Leadership Expert · Business Strategy Advisor · Finance consultant · Change Management · Boosting business connections | soy #50más50 | EJE&CON
9 个月Love this post, Carmen. Not a single bit that I would change. The only thing that I believe that needs to be taken in consideration, both from a management and staff perspective, is that we are in a changing world, and hence, unless you sell a service or product that is based on "ancient methodology kept unaltered", you need to adapt to the environment. As I always tell those that work with me, if you are happy to assume that there is a new smartphone release every year, and expect it to bring new features, how can you possibly imagine that the rest of your environment, especially on the work side, will remain as it is forever? I suffered a line manager some time ago that frankly did barely add any value to me, to stay on the prudent and respectful side, but that always stated that "you need to undertake evolution and not revolution on a regular basis". And, leaving aside the moments where a complete turnaround is mandatory, this is a good way of approaching and embracing change.
Founder of Eeagli | Data visualisation, Keynote speaker, Investment Writer, Content Expert, Equities, Fixed Income, Economics
9 个月The problem is that these days the pace of change seems to be increasing. The pace of life in general has increased. This is particularly difficult for large companies that find it hard to quickly adapt. Unfortunately when they do, the staff suffer if they don't have the skillset to adapt. I think the solution here could also be to promote continuously learning within a company so that employee naturally lead the change, rather than senior management.
Mit meinem Team engagiere ich mich als Managing Partner bei herausfordernden Mandaten in Private Equity, KMU-Nachfolge, Restrukturierung & Sanierung.
9 个月Personally I get often the impression that managers initiate changes to strengthen their power. Very often the changes lead to absolutely no improvement.
Deutschlehrer / German teacher / Professeur d'allemand
9 个月Te deseo unas muy felices vacaciones, Carmen López!