Tactics for Managing Change

 

Managing change in an organization is crucial for encouraging new growth and instilling confidence in employees. Therefore, managers must provide leadership and inspire employees to make changes themselves.

After observing changes in numerous industries, I created an 11-item checklist for managers to use to manage and promote change.

1. Be a Change Agent

Embrace change instead of simply letting it happen. Become involved, and be an agent of it. Work hard to realign the way you think about it. Typically, when organizations experience change, there are gaps and spaces – organizational uncertainty – about things like ill-defined roles.

2. Utilize the Empowerment

Many times, the best way to be a change agent is to utilize the empowerment you have been given and do a power grab. If there are things to accomplish, just do it! Don’t wait until deciding if it is the organization’s responsibility or yours. If it’s a gap and needs to be filled, then fill the gap.

3. Focus on Short-Range Objectives

When you are trying to work on change, instead of looking at the big vision of where you want to go, create a series of short-range objectives. It is good for you, the manager, as well as the organization that reports to you.

4. Get Resistance Out in the Open

As you manage the changes, understand any resistance that is out there. In other words, if you are proposing something different, make sure to:

• Propose it,
• Get it out there, and
• Figure out why there is resistance to it.

That way, you can understand how it is going to work. In fact, you can couch it like this, “Hey, we’re going to be agile. Let’s perform an experiment. You have these reasons why it won’t work, but we want to try to move in this direction. Let’s do this for x period of time and see if those concerns come up. Then, we can adjust.”

5. Lead by Being a Motivator

If you are a line manager and trying to be a change agent, encourage and motivate people to be willing to experiment, be agile, and be leaders. Leaders create followers. That is a crucial part of the process as is motivation.

6. Encourage Initiative

It is important to realize that all the ideas cannot be yours as the manager. Encourage the initiative from people reporting to you. If you can ultimately get people motivated and following you, then have them help you establish short-range objectives. Get them to find the power grabs out there and be their own change agent. The best thing a manager can do is to lead a group of fellow change agents. 

7. Create a Supportive Work Environment

During this time of change, people will be more stressed than not. For example, they may be thinking … Does this change mean that my job is going to change? Will I still be needed? I won’t be as valuable. The people I work with might not be here because of the reorganization.

Those are all the thoughts going through people’s minds when they are in the middle of a major change. Create the most supportive work environment that you can so that people have a chance to feel comfortable and have a safe space. They need to know that there will be good communication throughout the process.

8. Pass Out More Psychological Paychecks

Because of all the stress, you must provide more psychological paychecks. In other words, subconsciously they are thinking, “Is my job going away or changing? What’s going to happen to the people around me?”

Before they put those thoughts into words, pay them the support they need by saying, “Wow, what you’re doing is really valuable. I’m sure glad we have you doing that. I can’t imagine what we would do if we didn’t have you.”

Little encouragements like that go a long way. Before people can figure out the words to describe the stress they are feeling, they already have reinforcement. They think to themselves, “Hey, wait a minute. My boss just told me how this couldn’t be done by anyone else but me. Wow! That’s really cool.” Once that individual is comfortable, they can help the other people around them to accept the change. That is an excellent way for managers to create change agents within their organization. 

9. Increase Communication

What I have just talked about has really increased communication, which is a critical part of a supportive environment. But another crucial element is to ensure that people communicate with each other effectively. 

10. Reduce the Level of Job Stress

Do whatever you can to reduce the level of job stress during times of change. This is not the time to do 10% more with 10% less time and resources. This phase requires extra space for people to maneuver. Provide opportunities for them to think about things – how to be a change agent and what are ways to be able to do that.

11. Proactively Encourage Risk-Taking

Do whatever you can do to make employees feel better so that they are comfortable with change. Once this occurs, the next step is to encourage team members throughout your organization to proactively take on risk.

Sliwa Leads by Example

When I was at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University as their new President, I was concerned about trying to create change and to encourage the faculty members and managers to follow suit.

I gave a speech to about 1,500 people and talked about how it was important to have a model to reduce risk aversion because many things are broken and need fixing. One reason that there was little change was that people were afraid of making mistakes. It was a very control-oriented organization, partially because of the extensive military influence. I tried to send the message that we must reduce the risk of making mistakes. My main point was, “Don’t be afraid of making mistakes!”

I encouraged people to:

• Not be afraid of making mistakes.
• Identify them.
• Correct them.
• Avoid them in the future.
• Learn from the experience.

Early on, I made what many of the faculty viewed as a major mistake. I appointed a dean who they did not feel comfortable with, nor did they approve of the process I used. I had consulted numerous people about the position, talked it out, found out what I required, and then made a selection.

They were not happy with that. After a couple of days of people visiting me and explaining how upset they were, I said, “Okay. I made a mistake and will correct it. For this particular dean position, I will list my requirements and ask the faculty to conduct a search and provide three candidates. From there, I will make the final choice.” They liked that idea and moved forward. Even though we ended up with a candidate who did not satisfy all my requirements, it was a joint project. 

About six months later when I had built some rapport, several faculty members said to me, “Yes, Sliwa leads by example. He told us to go out there and make mistakes. And by golly, that’s what he did. Right from the beginning, he made a huge blunder.” I had to chuckle about that because it is a fun faculty interpretation of the situation. It ended up being a little endearing. 

About five to eight years after I left Embry-Riddle, some faculty members were talking to faculty at another institution. They said some kind things about my tenure and also brought up the fact that I encouraged taking risks and making mistakes. I had also made plenty of errors in the beginning, such as the dean appointment, but I was willing to correct them. At the time, they were shocked that a President would listen and be willing to admit and correct his/her mistakes.

I was true to my principles. If you make a mistake, own it, correct it, and then avoid it in the future. That experience created endearment between the faculty and me.

https://tinyurl.com/f6dj2sat

Managing Organizational Change: Change Management Models

 

The hardest part of any change is always the people. Computers don’t care if they’re running the new software. Apps don’t mind new code. Assembly lines have no sentimental longings when they’ve switched around and reconfigured. Understanding various change management models can provide professionals the opportunity to assist their organizations with change management.

For business leaders implementing effective change management, the people are also usually the biggest challenge. Although we’re fond of novelty, we humans aren’t big fans of fundamental shifts in our everyday lives. Our routines give us comfort, confidence, and consistency, and significant changes threaten those things.

That’s why change management is much more about the people than the changing technology or processes. Without laying the groundwork and preparing the organization for these shifts, it won’t matter how much more efficient or transformative things could be because change doesn’t work without buy-in.

Different Change Management Models

“Change management” is a pretty broad term applied to all sorts of things. But they tend to fall into a few categories.

Crisis-driven change

Subsequently, the driver for change isn’t always intentional. Sometimes external factors make that decision for you. Our planet is still reeling from a monumental, unplanned shift in the wake of COVID-19, and there is no shortage of upheavals thanks to natural disasters, political turmoil, and economic tumult.

And while the impetus for these changes might be unwelcome, the outcomes often have some upsides. But accepting these changes and adapting on the fly challenges even the most flexible organizations.

Corrective change

Accidents happen, mistakes get made, and the best-laid plans don’t always pan out. However, when things break, a significant change may be the only remedy.

This type of change comes on the heels of failure, disappointment, or frustration, whether a botched product release, revenue drop or an unpleasant scandal. Moreover, the shortcomings and flaws are laid bare, and now it’s time to regroup. No one wanted this change, but it’s now apparent and urgent.

Transformational change

To achieve its goals, sometimes businesses need to reshuffle the deck and implement new organizational structures. Therefore, these are the extensive reorganizations that align teams based on business functions or verticals or geography in the name of efficiency and superior performance.

These changes are often accompanied by a personnel change as well. Be it a restructuring accompanied by layoffs or a hiring spree thanks to rapid growth. Consequently, the organizational chart looks a lot different when the dust settles. Familiar faces may now reside in new departments or gone altogether while new colleagues appear.

Organization-wide change

Organization-wide change is the Big Kahuna of change management. Fundamental, seismic shifts that shake the foundations and unsettle the ground workers thought were immovable.

Furthermore, these changes impact every employee, sparked by a significant overhaul of leadership, introducing disruptive new technologies, adhering to new policies or regulations, or experiencing mergers and acquisitions.

Change Management Strategies

There are lots of takes on change management strategies and the implementation of change management models, each with its adherents and critics. But what’s most important is realizing you need a plan and plotting one out. Significant changes are rarely smooth, but some intentionality and planning can go a long way to minimizing the turmoil.

Regardless of the exact path chosen, change management strategies should always include these basics.

A vision

Employees and external stakeholders must know the overall end goal. That vision should articulate what the new status quo would mean for the business and how it impacts customers and colleagues daily. The below questions typically get asked:

• What’s better, faster, or cheaper?
• If we implement the changes, will it improve things?
• How will the new landscape look?

A well-articulated picture of the end state can alleviate the anxiety and uncertainty that accompanies any significant change. If individuals are excited about the vision, their resistance to the change diminishes.

Measurability

Defining success and how to track it goes hand-in-hand with the vision. It’s unfair to give folks marching orders when they don’t know how long they’ll be marching or when they’ll know it’s time to stop.

The organization needs visibility into how things are progressing and the key milestones signifying progress and achievement. Broadcasting the current status and accomplishments to date keeps folks informed and motivated. Objectives should be as concrete and specific as possible.

Ownership and accountability

Change management and ambiguity aren’t compatible for such high-profile undertakings. Who’s on the hook for what must be established early on and communicated widely.

This clarity minimizes confusion regarding who should do what while also spelling out the chain of command on key decisions. With these clear expectations for follow-through, reporting, and responsibility, there’s less chance of finger-pointing and false assumptions that someone else was taking care of critical items.

Ongoing communication

Significant changes take time, and organizations can’t go quiet at any phase of the process. From kick-off to a conclusion, everyone impacted by the change or contributing to its execution must remain in the loop regarding progress, status, and any issues or delays that arise.

Not only does it helps ensure that the project doesn’t lose momentum or stall, but it also keeps it top of mind for coworkers who are immersed in the change process daily. Ongoing, regular updates make everyone feel informed and included, as this change will eventually impact them all.

A roadmap

Timelines, deliverables, dependencies, milestones, and parallel track are elements of a good change management plan and excellent ingredients for a roadmap capturing and tracking it all.

While product roadmaps are ideally based on themes and leave out much of the implementation specifics, a change management roadmap captures as many details as possible to ensure no task goes undone. It encompasses the entirety of the to-do list and spells out the order of operations and handoffs to keep on schedule and maintain momentum.

Change management roadmaps also cover the “softer” side of the change, including consensus-building, education, and communication plans. It’s not just about getting everything done on time but also keeping all parties informed and engaged throughout the entire timeline.

Change Management Models

Organizations commencing a significant change management initiative don’t need to start from scratch when designing their playbook and plans. Over the years, numerous models have emerged, built on the successes (and failures) of change management experiences in different industries.

These models include best practices, processes, and checklists to guide organizations through these transitions, offering a starting point covering the basics and common pitfalls businesses face. Some noteworthy change management models include:

Lewin’s change management model

Since the 1950s, this model divvies up change management into three steps:

• Unfreeze: Preparation for and socialization of the upcoming change.
• Change: The actual implementation of the change.
• Refreeze: Ensuring that the change sticks for good.

Kübler-Ross change curve

Using the “stages of grief” for inspiration, this model focuses on the social-emotional components of change management:

• Denial: Everyone’s default opening position.
• Anger: Unhappiness with change forced upon you.
• Bargaining: Resistant colleagues try to negotiate a compromise.
• Depression: Unhappiness leads to depression when they can’t stop the momentum.
• Acceptance: When they realize there’s no other option.

McKinsey’s 7-S model

The OG consultants use some alliteration to lay out their plan for managing change:

• Strategy
• Structure
• Systems
• Shared Values
• Style
• Staff
• Skills

Satir change model

Another model focused on feelings to help prepare for change:

• Late status quo
• Resistance
• Chaos
• Integration
• New status quo

Kotter’s Theory

Harvard Business School professor John P. Kotter’s eight-step program is a top-down approach:

• Create a sense of urgency
• Build the change team
• Form a strategic vision
• Communicate the vision
• Remove barriers to change
• Focus on short-term wins
• Maintain momentum
• Institute change

The Four Principles of Change Management

As you can see, there’s no single “right way” to manage change, but there are plenty of things to worry about. When it’s all boiled down, what remains true is that all successful changes have four core elements:

• Understand change
• Plan change
• Implement change
• Communicate change

None of these things are optional, although organizations often skip understanding—and sometimes even product planning—because they’re in a hurry to finish. While this may yield some initial success, those shortcuts will inevitably haunt the organization in the future.

Staff must be prepared for the change and comprehend the rationale and context for implementing it for them to support it. Finally, creating a plan that bakes these steps in and mandates frequent, open communication throughout the process is the best way to make that happen.

https://tinyurl.com/3d3794vm

Embracing the Future: Nine Key Strategies for Business Leaders to Thrive in a Changing World

 

How Successful Leaders Deal with an Uncertain Future

In today's rapidly evolving business landscape, executives face an increasingly complex array of leadership challenges. With technological advancements, geopolitical shifts, and generational diversity shaping the workplace, successful leaders must adapt their strategies to stay ahead.

To get more leaders future-ready, we chatted with Stephan Meier and Dan Wang, co-directors of the Executive Development Program: Leading into the Future, to get insights into the pivotal trends they see that are poised to change the way most leaders approach critical business decisions now and in the future. They share ways to future-proof business as well as get future-ready and provide key strategies that can empower business leaders as they navigate this ever-changing world.

Trends that Will Impact the Future of Work

One of the most important trends that Professors Meier and Wang see impacting the future of work is automation. Analytics, AI (artificial intelligence), and machine learning are here to stay. While most leaders see this trend, what may be a little harder for them to grasp is the accelerating pace of their adoption across industries. For example, the demand for robotics has increased exponentially over the last 20 years. If leaders are not prepared for what will happen in that market, they will lose out to competitors to take the initiative today.

From another vantage point, consider what has happened with digital platforms in the last decade. Internet and social media platforms have become extremely relevant. Leaders need to know how to digitalize their business, how to think about social media, how to think about digital marketing strategy and more. But, in the future, change will unfold more quickly. If executives are not flexible about how they operate now, they will fall behind quickly.

Not only will automation become more ubiquitous in the future, it will also be distributed across a more diverse set of stakeholders, connecting two key future technology trends with each other –automation and stakeholder complexity. Stakeholders refer to any party around a business that makes value creation possible for that business. For example, if you were operating General Motors in the 20th century, you would primarily be concerned about three types of stakeholders: suppliers, shareholders, and employees. Looking forward into the future, there are new types of technologies, like autonomous vehicles, that make the stakeholder map far more complex. For Nvidia, an important designer of semiconductors powering the AI boom, their stakeholder map entails not just suppliers, but also software companies, engineering firms, and even ride-hailing firms such as Uber that are involved in autonomous vehicles.

Adaptable Leadership

With the focus on data and stakeholder complexity being two key leadership trends that are becoming increasingly important to CEOs and leaders today, consider the experience of Uber Chief Executive Officer Dara Khosrowshahi during the COVID-19 pandemic.

In June 2020, a couple of months after the pandemic began shutting down the global economy, Khosrowshahi confronted social activists in front of his house who were demanding responses about what Uber was going to do about pandemic pay and other challenges. A few months later in 2021, Uber released a statement about how it was declaring new cultural values to combat the toxicity that had pervaded its internal culture. A couple of times that same year, Khosrowshahi made deliveries on behalf of Uber Eats or gave rides on behalf of Uber's ride-hailing app. This provided him with a first-hand perspective into both product and user experience to better inform his decision-making regarding customer experience. A few months after that, he was appointed to be on the board of Aurora Technologies, which took over Uber's autonomous vehicles arm. There, he had to be a technologist and R&D specialist. A few months after that, he led an earnings call, which required expertise in corporate finance. During that same month, he drew on his knowledge of regulatory strategy to work with the Biden administration on a national economic recovery strategy. Throughout these two years, Khosrowshahi had to employ many different skill sets that would have been difficult for the traditionally trained executive to respond to. An executive’s responsibilities today are not necessarily about knowing different domains, but rest on being open to constant adaptation and learning.

When it comes to the future of work and the future of business, the way to future-proof your business, according to Professors Meier and Wang, is that the "learn-it-all" strategy does better than the "know-it-all."

Becoming Future Leaders that "Learn-It-All”

Today's executives and future leaders need the skills and ability to exercise command over many domains. To accomplish this, Professors Meier and Wang shared a basic framework, that they call the Learning Executives Framework, which helps executives become "learn-it-alls."

The Learning Executives Framework zooms out from an executive's internal capabilities to all the external stakeholders. A learning executive has to practice having a vision, delivering values, and the art of persuasion because, ultimately, they will be managing both internal and external stakeholders. Their internal responsibilities in their organization entail empowering employees, catalyzing and motivating the executive team, and aligning the company's goals with those of their shareholders and investors. For many leaders who have received their MBAs over the past three, four, or five decades, this is familiar. What might be unfamiliar is how these same skills can be applied externally. Today, the external stakeholders, such as policy-makers are social activists, have just as much to do with how a company and executives lead value creation and value capture as the internal stakeholders.

There are also major changes that the learning executive needs to be attuned to including digitization, technological adoption, and automation in many organizations, as well as big changes in the environment due to climate change.

The Future of Work

With major changes coming to technology, digitalization, and automation, the Learning Executives Framework affects how we think about our future employees, it affects how we think about competition, and it also truly affects how leaders manage the future of work.

As seen in this slide from Deloitte, the future of work is decomposed into three parts that affect how we think about work:

1. What activities are humans doing?
2. What are machines doing?
3. How is the interaction between humans and machines?

This affects how we think about the future workforce including what skills are needed and how to upskill employees. Careers are going to be very different in the future because the half-life of knowledge and skills decreases so rapidly that within a couple of years what workers previously learned will have to be reimagined.

The future of work also extends from the workforce to the workplace. Will the future of work be onsite, remote, hybrid, or a combination of all three? Currently, there is a lot of uncertainty. Some companies, like Morgan Stanley, find being in person works best. Hybrid and remote don't work as well for their needs. Whereas some tech companies like to be all remote in the future. Then there are the companies that fall in between where it's a mix of in-person, hybrid, and remote. The future of work and the workplace is still in flux.

Reimagining the Future of Work

Reimagining the workplace forces us to ask three important questions:

When, where, and how do we do the most productive work?

We experienced during the pandemic that performing certain tasks remotely was more effective than in-person. While the traditional model was working in the office from nine to five, now we can think about unconstrained time. Does it matter that we have synchronous collaboration? Does it matter that we are in the office at the same time or can we come at any time? Does it matter where we are? Do we need to have synchronous time where we work together on Zoom or can we do work anywhere at any time?

What management and leadership practices need to change?

During the pandemic, we also learned that what we did before does not work in a remote or even in a hybrid workplace. We need to think differently about how we should lead whether leading small teams or a large organization.

What data do I need?

Pre-pandemic, it was clear that employees were mostly available nine-to-five. Now, the employee experience has changed. Some people prefer working earlier while some prefer working later. What data do you need to get that deeper understanding? During the pandemic, the number of emails that were sent between 6 p.m. and midnight increased by 52 percent. Do you know when your employees actually interact? In a consumer business, you wouldn't ask your customers once a year how they're doing and what they're doing. That's exactly what we currently do with our employees. Most company data points on employees come from a once-a-year engagement survey. That needs to change.

Nine Key Strategies for the Future of Work

In today's world, there is great uncertainty. With all the rapid change, it can feel like a new world almost every day. To gain a competitive advantage in the future, Professors Meier and Wang suggest the following:

1. Embrace the Learning Mindset

One of the most critical strategies for leaders to embrace is the learning mindset, a concept popularized in recent years by Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella. The learning mindset encourages continuous pursuit of new knowledge to improve and evolve. By adopting a learning mindset, executives can foster and create an environment where they and their teams are open to change and challenge, eager to innovate, and prepared for whatever challenge the future holds.

2. Leverage Emerging Technologies

The rise of technology has dramatically impacted the way businesses operate. Executives must be proactive in exploring and leveraging emerging technologies to streamline processes, enhance communication, create, and optimize efficiency. It's important to stay informed about the latest technology advancements, such as artificial intelligence, blockchain, and big data, and incorporate these advancements into their organizations.

3. Navigate Geopolitical Challenges

In a globalized world, geopolitical events can have far-reaching consequences on businesses. As such, executives must be well-versed in the current geopolitical landscape and be prepared to adapt their organizational structures and strategies accordingly. Executives should consider the potential impact of global events on their business and develop contingency plans to mitigate risks and seize opportunities.

4. Foster Inclusive Leadership

As the workforce becomes more diverse, executives must adopt inclusive leadership strategies to effectively manage generational diversity within their organizations. It is important for leaders to recognize and embrace differences, encourage collaboration, and promote a culture of continuous learning. This helps create an inclusive environment where everyone feels that they belong, feel valued, and are empowered to contribute.

5. Prioritize Environmental and Social Responsibility

Modern businesses must navigate the growing importance of environmental and social responsibility within most organizations. Executives are urged to prioritize sustainability and corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives within their organizations, as these efforts not only benefit the natural environment and society but also enhance a company's reputation and long-term viability.

6. Manage Remote and Hybrid Workforces

The COVID-19 pandemic has permanently altered the way we work, with many organizations embracing remote or hybrid work models. Executives are encouraged to develop strategies for effectively managing remote teams, ensuring clear communication, and fostering their teams' success through the support of a positive company culture, even when employees are not physically present in the office.

7. Adapt to Changing Consumer Demands

As consumer preferences and expectations evolve, businesses must adapt to meet these changing demands. Executives should stay informed about market trends, and companies regularly reassess their product and service offerings, and be willing to pivot their strategies when necessary to remain competitive and relevant in the marketplace.

8. Invest in Education and Executive Development Programs

Education is paramount in navigating and leading the changing business landscape not only for a leader's own development but also for leading their team. The Executive Development Program: Leading into the Future is specifically designed for seasoned professionals, offers an opportunity to refine leadership skills, learn new strategies, and network with other like-minded executives.

9. Build a Resilient and Adaptable Organization

It's important for executives to build a resilient and adaptable organization, capable of weathering the storms of change. By fostering a culture of agility, collaboration, and innovation, executives can ensure their organizations remain competitive and prepared for the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead.

Embrace the Future

The world of business is changing at an unprecedented pace. Organizations and executives must adapt their leadership strategies to thrive and lead in this new environment. By embracing a growth mindset, leveraging technology, navigating geopolitical challenges, fostering inclusive leadership, prioritizing environmental and social responsibility, managing remote and hybrid workforces, encouraging continuous learning and development, adapting to changing consumer demands, investing in education and executive development programs, and building a resilient and adaptable organization, business leaders can navigate the complexities of the modern world with confidence and success.

https://tinyurl.com/aemwc5j2