CHANGE TAKES COURAGE, BUT WHY SHOULD THEY CARE?

C-H-A-N-G-E – six little letters that can perpetrate so much anxiety. Reactions to a changing environment are always unpredictable. Being prepared to address the resistance to change is a key success factor necessary to achieve your goals as a change leader.

According to the Institute for Corporate Productivity, managing and coping with change is the number one critical issue faced by organizations today. In fact, in a survey of 631 executives, three of the top ten issues anticipated in 2013 relate to change! Surprise anyone? Not me.

Organizations and cultures must transform to win. It’s just that simple!! More of the same just isn’t going to allow a company to survive in the future. To thrive, we must embrace change.

See, here’s the thing. People don’t change because of policies or mandates or threats. People change because of people! Your role as a leader is to be the motivation that enables your team members to push beyond their uncertainties and make change possible. Mehmet Oz says that people don’t change their behaviors based purely on what they know. They change based on what they feel. I believe he is right.

To help your team adapt to the new future expectations, ensure they know why they should care. Four ways to accomplish this include:

Communicate/Connect – Early, often, consistently and in language they will understand. Eliminate the use of buzzwords or jargon. Emphasize WHY. Provide a goal to work towards rather than a problem to run away from.

Assess Their Needs – Listen to them with empathy and determine the source of their resistance. Remember, listening is not just waiting your turn to speak. Ensure everyone sticks to the facts. Ask what it will take for them to be successful.

Recruit Them To Help – Invite folks, rather than telling them, to be on your team. Ask, “tell me more” as often as possible. Achieve quick wins (by design) and celebrate ridiculously!

Exhibit the Desired Behaviors – Be a role model for expected mindsets and behaviors. Create a meaningful sense of urgency. And actively manage less than desired behaviors in team members.

Influence people to know why they should C-A-R-E and when they believe what you believe, they will go the extra mile.

In change, as long as the:

-       pressure to change,

-       truth about the current reality,

-       well-defined plans to achieve the desired change, and

-       the vision for and the benefits of the future state

collectively outweigh the level of resistance, transformation will occur. But, let any of those four elements fall absent from your culture, and your change process is destined for failure.

So, in the end, it’s just this simple. Your role as a leader is to make change possible. Make…change…possible. Not from a position of power, but because you inspired your team to have the courage to care as much as you do. And when you make change possible, you and those around you will be simply amazing!