“Everybody has accepted by now that change is unavoidable. But that still implies that change is like death and taxes — it should be postponed as long as possible and no change would be vastly preferable. But in a period of upheaval, such as the one we are living in, change is the norm.”
~Peter Drucker
How does your company, department, or team handle change? Are employees and leaders more agile and open to making changes as they pop up, or is everyone reeling, unable to get their footing in a leaner, often unpredictable climate?
Sometimes change is inevitable. The positive outcome of successfully orchestrated change includes short-term improvements, while boosting capacity to learn and keep changing over time. Here are change-shaping questions to ask yourself and your team members or colleagues. Working through these questions will result in smoother change for now, and a robust organization later.
- Do we really know where we’re going, and are we ready to get started now? It’s amazing how few leaders take the time to actually ask this one out loud and invite employees to take part in considering the full reply. Focus on setting an aspiration that lies at the intersection of market opportunities and current capabilities of your organization or department. Many leaders fail to set the foundation for successful actions. What can you do to gear up between inspiration and action?
- Have we made a “Not-To-Do” list? Sometimes the steps we decide not to take are just as critical as those that we do. What should be on your “Not-To-Do” list?
- How have we managed the change process in the past, and what can we do to improve? Research shows that most people, regardless of educational level, geography, or socio-economic standing tend to underestimate the resources needed to accomplish large goals –including implementing change. Here are three keys to a successful rollout:
- Communicating consistently and across the organization about the role and influence of each stake holder;
- Feeling a meaningful degree of ownership in the change process; and
- Setting practical goals that can be measured and shared with everyone involved
Once achievable change goals have been set, the process is underway, a “Not-To-Do” list has been given just as much priority as the “To-Do” list, and the process has been shaped according to past learning, the last step is to manage sustained change. Make sure that your organization, department, team, or client is on the winning side of large-scale change management! Click here to learn more about how you can master change in your workplace.
You can also attend our free webinar How to Thrive Through Change.
