Executive Change

Top 5 things leaders can do to champion change:

Smart leaders know they don’t “make change happen”.  They understand that people in their organization do the work, change behaviors and ultimately make change happen.  They see that their role is to make the change meaningful and easier to accept.  Smart leaders champion change.

1 – They sell more than they tell

Smart leaders know how to sell their ideas. They understand that “telling” someone what’s going to happen is very different from “selling” them on the idea.  I do not suggest that smart leaders use so called “high pressure” sales tactics.  By selling, I mean they look for ways to get people emotionally committed to the change.

They tell stories, they pain a vision of a better future and they engage positive emotions for people.  They stay focused on the benefits rather than the costs.  They understand that people need time to adjust to and to accept the change.  They work to inspire buy-in instead of compliance. 

2 – They help people tune-in to WII-FM

Sales and marketing professionals talk about the radio station that most people tune-in to on a daily basis.  They know about WII-FM (What’s in it for me).

If it’s true about people in the marketplace, then it’s true about people in the workplace.  Smart leaders know how to answer the questions on every employee’s mind:  “what’s in it for me?”

Dr Aubrey Daniels, noted behavioral analyst and author of “Bringing out the Best in People”, makes two great comments regarding process of change acceptance.

·         People don’t resist change, they resist being changed

·         People don’t resist change if the change provides immediate positive consequences to them

Smart leaders know that people are generally more willing to do things that bring personal benefit than they are to do things that benefit the organization.  They take a pragmatic, not a cynical or negative, view of human nature.   They see people for who they are and work to adjust their strategy to go with – not against – the natural drives of people in their organization. 

3 – They work through the “head grapes”

Every organization has a grapevine – an unofficial communications channel that often moves faster than official ones.  You might call the people who other people listen to, and therefor influence the grapevine, the head grapes. 

Smart leaders are not so impressed with themselves that they believe they have to do all o the influencing. 

They know that the grapes have more personal influence within certain employee groups than they do.  They understand leadership is about trust and relationship; it is not about position.  Recognizing this fact, they seek out influencers in the organization to make things happen rather than bring recognition to themselves.

They strive to get the influencers onboard with the change.  They understand the power of relationships, and they put that power to work.  They work with the head grapes to affect change so that they don’t have to push against the “head grapes” resistance. 

4 – They break the change into “bite-sized” pieces

Smart leaders understand that people need both information about the reason behind the change and time to adjust to it.  They also realize that they can’t wait forever to get everyone to commit to the new direction.  So, they break down big changes into small pieces that people are most likely to accept quickly. 

By moving forward in small steps, smart leaders move their organizations with frequent, continual and steady forward progress rather than through periodic big jumps. 

5 – They build positive momentum

When they break larger changes into smaller, more manageable, bite sized pieces, smart leaders position themselves to build positive forward momentum.  Smart leaders know that an early failure or setback can create more resistance later – even if they do manage to overcome it.

Building a record of quick, early wins helps people accept the upsets that will happen on the w ay to success.  Smart leaders understand the power of momentum – either positive or negative.  They break changes into small pieces that improve their odds of success, and then they pick the highest probability of success steps as their first move. 

Keeping your associates motivated through change:
Why is it that some businesses have people who stay with them and consistently perform well? How do they keep them motivated, even through the toughest changes?
Here are a few essential elements at the CORE (Clarity, Opportunity, Recognition and Equilibrium) of successful employment relationships:
Clarity
To get the right results, you need to be clear about:

• the plan: business goals and values provide the foundation for alignment of people with business needs
• competencies: the skills and behaviors which drive your recruitment, selection and training activities
• roles:  the tasks that people are to perform and the results that are expected
• resources: the systems, tools, information and relationships needed to succeed
• communication: ongoing and open dialogue to ensure continuing alignment of people with business needs.

Opportunity
People want to do a good job and generally welcome opportunities to:

• be involved: to be asked for their opinion and to have the opportunity to make a contribution
• grow:  to develop skills and experience new opportunities for expanding and applying their knowledge and expertise
• comply: to understand what is expected of them in results and behaviour and do it
• succeed: to deliver the results expected.

Recognition
Recognition of people’s value to the business is critical for ongoing motivation and delivery of results. These include:

• remuneration and benefits:  ensuring that people receive pay, benefits  and conditions of employment appropriate to the role that they perform and its worth in the marketplace
• ongoing feedback: investing the time to have regular reviews against personal goals, recognition of achievements and areas for improvement
• rewards: personal incentives such as public recognition, gifts or gift vouchers, development opportunities, etc.
• correction: despite best efforts, sometimes a relationship doesn’t work and underperformance needs to be addressed promptly, sensitively and legally.

Equilibrium
People like a sense of balance and assurance. This includes:

• life balance: balancing our family and personal needs and our working life is a key driver in attracting and retaining good people
• respect: mutual respect between the employer and the employee and the capacity for open and honest communication
• team: people want to belong and to have a sense of being part of a collective in which they are respected for who they are and what they contribute
• security: the knowledge that the business is successful, my job is safe and I will be able to provide for my needs and those of my family
• sustainability: people’s confidence in the business commitment to continuous improvement and good corporate citizenship.

Focus on these core elements and you will optimize your prospect of having motivated people in your business and a great return on your investment in people.