What do People Want to Hear during Transformation?

What does it take to keep employees motivated and open to embracing change? To willingly serve clients and collaborate across teams. What do they most need to feel motivated?

Employees today are used to change! They know their organisation is in constant flux, that they do not have a job for life. They are open to change when they feel they are making a difference and their efforts are recognised.

There is a clear tick list we can use to identify whether teams and individuals are willing to embrace change:

• They know what is expected of them in their role
• They know how well they are meeting these expectations
• They believe they matter to more senior people and that what they do is important
• They know how they can best contribute to the organisation’s future success
• They trust leaders to choose the right path for the businesses.

What does that mean for those of us leading transformation programmes? It means that before we can ask people to change the way they work we need to answer six essential questions.

We may be able to answer them through engagement and communication activities, or we many prefer to provide resources to line managers as the best placed people to motivate their team members.

Question One: What is my role?

Firstly, we explain the purpose of their role and what is expected of them – this is very different to their job description. Instead, it is the link between what they do each day and the business imperatives of the organisation.

It will also explain their responsibilities, where they are expected to use initiative, how much autonomy they have, priorities and deadlines, plus who they should work and collaborate with.

Question Two: How Am I Doing?

Secondly, we give feedback on their performance against leaders’ expectations and the business needs. This becomes lots of small conversations so people can make continuous adjustments and ask for coaching, training or other types of development.

Feedback focuses both on their strengths, what they are doing well, and areas of development. It is designed to protect self-respect and feelings of self-worth so individuals feel valued, to motivate them to be open to continually changing in response to the organisation’s needs.

Question Three: Does Anyone Care?

This third question is about feeling appreciated. We confirm that leaders do notice individual and team efforts, the personal sacrifices people make for their customers and colleagues, their willingness to go beyond the minimal requirements of their jobs.

We compliment people for the good things they do and have achieved, accept their apologies when they make mistakes, listen when they want to talk, ask for their ideas and concerns, are kind and courteous.

Question Four: How is My Team Doing?

Fourthly, the individual is now ready to ask the first three questions of their team or business unit. They are open to understanding where the team fits within the organisation and how they and their colleagues are performing.

We respond with information about the customers they serve, how customer needs are changing, which of their efforts are appreciated by customers, the gaps between delivery and customer expectations, industry sector best practices, and more that helps them understand how they are viewed externally.

Question Five: Where Are We Heading?

With the first four questions answered, employees are open to hearing about planned transformation, to lift their heads up from daily responsibilities and look into the future.

We respond with information flows about market place changes and customer demands, how competitors are changing, emerging disrupters, and the responses executives are developing. We show leaders have the wisdom and emotional intelligence to lead the organisation into a brighter future.

Question Six: What Can I Do to Help?

Employees are willing to get involved in helping the organisation to change and indicate this clearly through conversations and behaviours.

We respond with opportunities such as participating in pilots, sharing their ideas, volunteering for sub-projects, sharing their experiences – there are a myriad of ways they can get involved and we choose the ones that will make them feel they are making a worthwhile contribution to transformation, that is recognised.

By now you will have realised that as transformation leaders we can only respond to questions five and six. Answers to the first four questions come from line managers and business executives. If they are not answering these first four questions, people will not be ready to hear us talking about transformation and change.