Change is inevitable – The challenge is to manage it well
Change Management is one of the buzz words because change is happening all around us and in every organization. Every day, new methods, technology, systems and projects are launched to make the work process easier and faster, improve performance, increase profits, and enhance your competitive advantage.
Change is like a wave in the sea – you either resist it or use the energy to work for you. You can either fight it or adapt to it, manage it and make it work for you. Or better: you can initiate and lead the change!
Great Leaders are Innovators, strategists, change agents and change facilitators, and also influencers. However, the challenge is not only to conceptualise and initiate the change, but to execute change management in such a way that you have everyone’s buy-in and commitment. We need to develop our people to be able to deal with many and rapid changes.
The 21st century introduced a VUCA-reality: Volatile, Uncertain, Complex and Ambiguous. With rapid changes in technology, diversity and society, companies need employees who are open to new ideas, flexible enough to work through challenging issues, and generally able to cope when things don’t go as planned. Demonstrating adaptability through actions can gain you favour with clients, co-workers and managers.
People who aren’t adaptable tend to get anxious and uncomfortable when faced with new, unexpected and urgent projects. This elicits resistance and even anger. However, to show that as a valued employee you are a team player and adaptable, it is important that you develop a willingness to take on tasks or projects when urgency is key, and the ne change is important to the organisation. Of course you don’t want colleagues to take advantage of your willingness, but agreeing to these surprises from others gives you a better chance of finding them agreeable when you need immediate help. (See https://work.chron.com)
Flexible people are able to bend when their first suggestion or preferred solution does not go over well. Being adaptable involves preparing backup, alternative options for discussion. Within a work team, presenting multiple ideas and showing acceptance when your primary choice is rejected helps you come across as a team player. And as we know, “Team work makes the dream work”.
Change Management – What now?
Through action-learning workshops, exciting projects and coaching I aim to help professionals to reach competence in the following roles:
- Innovator-Entrepreneur: Optimising your skills as a creative thinker, an innovator, gap and needs identifier but also out-of-the-box solution finder.
- Change Agent, Facilitator and Change Manager: Understanding where people are and what emotional and practical factors are keeping them from changing and adapting, and then applying best practices to overcome resistance and lead people effectively to adapt to change.
- Win-win Negotiator and Conflict Manager: Gaining skills to facilitate crucial conversations and getting to sensible solutions and agreements your team can and want to commit to.
- Comprehensive Influencer: Using a six-dimensional model to influence behaviour towards preferred outcomes.
If you need help managing necessary change in your organisation, get in touch with me.
More things I have to say about Change Management on my blog.
