Most of us don't enjoy change. We find it disorienting, unsettling, and scary. This is especially true when the change is being "done to" us- imposed on us without our choosing. Our responses vary, but there are usually themes of shock, fear, anger, and resistance.
This dynamic is especially prevalent -and dangerous- in organizations and industries with long histories of success and stability. These organizations are particularly vulnerable in times of change because they haven't had to learn how to manage it.
Leaders frequently make one of these two key mistakes in implementing new initiatives:
- They try to implement change while keeping people comfortable. But since comfort and change are generally incompatible, the change effort often stalls.
- They underestimate the difficulty their staff will have in adjusting to the change. They're unprepared for resistance, their communication is incomplete or confusing, and they end up in direct conflict with the people they're trying to lead.
The trick for leaders is to effectively support people through the discomfort of change while still holding them accountable for achieving their target outcomes.
Willie Carmichael has helped many executives, managers, and teams through change efforts, with the following results:
- Improved trust, accountability, and productivity in spite of the change
- Increased managers' confidence and capacity to lead future change efforts
- Decreased the negative effects of conflicts resulting from the change
- Created strategies and systems for recovery when the inevitable breakdowns occur
- Improved communication and coordination within and between departments
- Taught teammates how to support each other while avoiding "victimization"
©2007 William Carmichael Consulting, LLC |