When was the last time you experienced times of change at work? How did you feel during the process? Do you remember a time when you felt like a key driver of change and a time where you felt excluded from the process? How you felt during the transformation process is a likely indicator for how successful and lasting the overall change in strategy actually was.

Is it now up to you to adopt a new strategy at work? Change directions? With your own past experiences in mind, how do you get the whole team on board to see a collective change in behaviour towards the desired outcome? Ideally without leaving anyone behind.

Before we look at the solutions, let’s look at what often goes wrong.

See if you can identify similarities with times of change when you as an employee felt excluded from the process and felt quite indifferent about the new strategy.

Common leadership mistakes

• You fail to communicate that there is a change in strategy.

• You communicate new priorities, but to different people and on different occasions.
  • If you have ever played the telephone game, you will understand why this may be a bad idea. So don’t bank on your weekly 1:1s for important messages to be passed down the chain of command. The bigger your organisation or team, the more important clear and also direct communication becomes.

• You don’t explain why the change is needed.

• You fail to give concrete deadlines and specific desired outcomes.

Worst case scenario

Does the following sound familiar?

Your employees are left to work out what is going on. Some might be too afraid to ask. Your employees simply don’t know what the new priorities are, why they matter and why their work is not appreciated anymore. They won’t know what the problem is, but will assume the worst. Whispers will hit the corridors and there will be a drop in general productivity.

The above scenario results in a high degree of demotivation, tension and potential mutiny amongst employees. Projects will start to fall apart. The best people might leave.

Worst outcome as a leader: You let the ship sink.

But cheer up! Because you can do better.

To avoid the above in the first place, you, the leader, need to give your employees the chance to respond and support the change in strategy.

Your employees are your No.1 asset for successfully navigating through times of change. You can convert a potential crisis into an opportunity for growth, innovation and success.

Remember the time you felt included and empowered during a change process? How do you achieve this as a leader?

Your mental preparation

• You know the direction and desired outcome but may have to accept that you do not have a concrete & detailed plan on how to get there.

• Get ready to show some vulnerability and to ask your employees for help.

• Don’t worry about losing face or not being seen as the strong female leader who has all the solutions at her fingertips all of the time. We rarely do. Accept it.

Encourage your employees to come up with solutions and concrete steps to achieve the desired outcome. Share the responsibility. Otherwise what is the point of having a reliable, diverse and motivated crew?

I have found that showing vulnerability and asking my employees for ideas and support has given everyone a chance to contribute to shared success.

Concrete steps to success

Explain the why

• Get everyone together, recap the previous strategy, highlight achievements and show appreciation for all the work that got you this far. Explain the change in circumstances and the resulting need for a new strategy. Highlight the external factors behind the need for change. Communicate transparently and honestly.

• Give your employees the opportunity to ask questions. Maybe it was clear in your head, but be sure to let everyone reach the same understanding. Do you remember feeling really motivated because you understood the need for change and action as an employee?

• You are all in this together as a team and it will require a team effort to be successful. If you feel a positive reminder is valuable, include one of your past success stories, which started off with a similar change in direction.

Explain the required outcomes

• Present the change in behavior and outcomes that you and your employees need to achieve to bring about that positive change. Group the new goals according to their subject matter. If relevant, include concrete deadlines and measurable outcomes. Remember feeling reassured as an employee when presented with a clear vision and a list of goals?

• Make sure that as many employees as possible can be the catalyst for change. Ask your employees to come up with their own strategies and ideas to achieve the desired outcomes.

• Highlight that proactivity is what is needed right now and that any suggestions and ideas are welcome by the leadership team. Remember feeling empowered and responsible as an employee?

Wait for the innovation to emerge

• Give innovation and creativity some time to emerge. Begin to discuss concrete ideas and measures with your employees. Listen to their ideas, appreciate their input and thoughts.

• Watch the magic happen. Provide feedback and support to ensure all the proactivity is going in the desired direction. Channel the efforts.

• Celebrate successes along the way and regularly review activities that are already bearing fruit and areas that still require attention and nurturing.

If everyone contributes to success, everyone gets to claim it for themselves too.

If you are on the receiving end during times of change and are not seeing any of the above from your boss or leadership team, have the courage to ask for clarification to remain motivated. State how important this is for you to be able to do your job well. Any good leader will recognize the importance of such a request and will act on it promptly.

A good leader will always recognize the importance of employee motivation.

Leading your team through times of change successfully is not easy. But if you do it well, the rewards will all be worth it.

Great leaders shine in times of change.

So shine!

Thank you for reading! If you feel this is a message worth spreading, please share it with other leaders.

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