WANT TO INITIATE CHANGE IN YOUR ORGANIZATION? THERE ARE FEW THINGS YOU SHOULD KNOW
If you put 6 people in a boat together and 3 are rowing in one direction and 3 are rowing in the other direction, what do you think the outcome will be?
That same thing happens in organizations every single day, but senior level executives fail to see the correlation between overall performance and change management. When leaders, managers and staff are not 100% IN with new initiatives; organizational structure changes; or simple process changes - it means that a portion of them are OUT. That is no different than trying to row a boat upstream when half the people on the boat are rowing downstream.
It is not easy to get everyone on board when change occurs – and it is even more difficult to realize that you must deal with those who choose not to get on board vs letting them continue to row in the other direction….or simply float. The fact remains that true change can’t occur if half of your organization ignores the change altogether.
By nature, most human beings do not embrace change, so it takes effort; patience; and stamina to effectively effectuate organizational change. It can – however be easier if you keep the following points in mind:
WHERE ARE WE GOING?
Everyone – at all levels – needs to understand the vision, mission and strategy of the organization as well as their team/business unit. If they don’t see the big picture, nothing else makes sense. This starts with clear communication from the top that must then be reinforced at all levels. It takes time and effort, but it is well worth the investment.
WHY ARE WE GOING THERE?
When there is major change, a big question everyone has is “WHY”. Why did we merge with that other firm? Why do I have to learn how to work with this new software? Why did we make that acquisition? Why did we re-structure? Why do I have a new boss? Those questions need to have answers and those answers need to be shared - Even if it is uncomfortable. If you don’t answer the questions honestly, employees will make up their own answers and their corresponding performance will be aligned with their assumed answer.
WHY SHOULD I TRUST YOU?
One of the biggest reasons that change initiatives fail in organizations is a lack of trust. When there is a foundation of trust, people will be on board even if they don’t completely understand the WHY. If there is no trust, it will be almost impossible to get all levels to embrace change and/or be motivated to achieve the stated goals. Trust is something that must be earned by establishing a culture of honesty; accountability; follow-thru; support; and consistency. If you don’t exhibit those attributes and require the same in all leaders, it will be almost impossible to build a strong foundation that is able to adapt to change.
WHAT IS IN IT FOR ME?
Let’s face it. We are all human and when faced with a new challenge, we want to know how it will impact us. It is important for leaders to be able to link all new change initiatives within an organization to the individual jobs/roles on their team. Every single role in a firm has a direct correlation to the success/failure of the firm. Each individual should have a clear understanding of their impact on the outcome.
WHAT HAPPENS IF I DON’T GET ON BOARD?
I saved this one for last as I see this as one of the most difficult issues that all firms we work with face as it relates to change management. Many of the individuals who will be most resistant to change are those same individuals who have been with the organization for many years. Sometimes decades. But the fundamental question remains: If they are rowing in the opposite direction or simply floating and not rowing at all – how does that effect the forward motion? There absolutely has to be accountability in this area for firms to be able to react successfully to the ever-changing environment. You are not doing anyone any favors by allowing them to “float” when everyone else is rowing, and if you do that, you are eroding trust because you aren’t applying the same expectations to all staff members. If there is a stated vision and clear expectations outlined, every single team member should be held to the same standards for execution and performance. When you allow the ‘sacred cows’ to be exempt, you lose the trust of the remaining team members.
BOTTOM LINE
Change is constant. You can adjust in accordance with what changes around you or you can choose to stay the same, but if everything around you changes, the chance of success is greatly diminished if you choose to do nothing different. That same concept applies to individuals, teams and organizations as a whole. Embrace change; develop strategies to react to/implement change; and deal with the individuals who don’t get on board to row in the same direction.