One Way to Up Your Change Leadership

“People don’t resist change, they resist being changed.” Peter Senge.

One reason your change leadership may not be working might come down to one simple habit: end the change communication where you started it.

People want to be included in decisions that impact their work. Done right that includes both input on the front end and a closing, informative discussion after the decision is made and before implementation.

It is simple, but it can be time consuming and feel unnecessary to leadership who have already processed the need for change.

Here is one way to bring your team along:

↪️ Seek input (interviews, focus groups, 1x1 meetings, surveys, etc.) from all stakeholders. This means anyone who is impacted by the change. Do it sincerely with a collaborative spirit, knowing the team has something positive to add.

↪️ Make a decision you can defend with data, information, and experience.

Then:

↪️ Why

Tell the stakeholders who provided input why you chose this decision with radical transparency. Trust your team with information. Sharing with clarity and detail shows them that you respect, trust, and value them as part of the process.

↪️ Risks

If you made a good, defensible decision then you can easily share the risks of not making this specific choice. Tell them the risks of not doing it this way. They are smart enough to understand that all decisions involve risk management.

↪️ Benefits

When change happens everyone wants to know WIIFM (what is in it for me). Tell them. Explain clearly the benefits of this decision to them, their team, and the organization.

This inclusive approach respects everyone and increases the likelihood you will get all possible ideas on the table and lead to the best decision. It’s a win-win.

It is worth the time.