The role of the manager in experiencing change and having to manage their teams through the change is a double whammy.  Most people are promoted based on their technical expertise and their ability to reach performance goals consistently.  However, once they are in the position of being a manager or team leader, they realise they have little opportunity to use their technical skills and are more likely to spend their time co-ordinating projects, setting performance goals with others and navigating “office politics”.

Research shows that technical experts make great leaders because they understand the nuances of the job, can challenge their teams’ thinking and stretch them based on their own experience.  Research also shows that there is a need to support these technical experts in developing their leadership skills. These are often referred to as “soft skills” yet can be the hardest to learn.  They tend to be intangible, such as communication, listening and engaging (all the skills associated with a coaching style of leadership).  These skills are fundamental in helping managers navigate the nuances of their new challenges, which include supporting their teams through change.

Find out how we increased employee engagement with Mastercard by creating an interactive training programme focused on coaching and leadership that equipped their global managers with the skills to develop a coaching management style.

When we’re doing something different or differently, it can slow us down as we need more headspace to think it through.  When was the last time you had to take a different route to work?  It probably felt awkward, you had to think about where you were going, and you couldn’t rely on your experience or “muscle memory”.  The most frequent feedback we get from our clients is that they’re too busy, and when people are constantly overwhelmed with being “busy”, they’ll have less capacity to be able to take on change.

Creating capacity in the system can mean prioritising change over day-jobs or hiring temporary cover, bringing in change experts to support, or expanding the implementation timeline.  Whatever it looks like for your organization, freeing up capacity will enable your people to prepare for and sustain change.

This is particularly important when we’re talking about behaviour change. In organizations, the leaders set the tone for everybody else. A recent poll by Gallup uncovered that a 70% variance in employee engagement is a result of management and leadership, indicating the importance of their behaviour. John Kotter has written extensively about why change efforts fail, and two of the factors he takes into consideration are having a “guiding coalition” and a “compelling vision”.

When change is announced, employees look to the leaders for… well, leadership! If they can be relied upon to consistently talk about and role model what is expected from the change then employees are more likely to trust them and go with it.  So, if organizations expect to see a different style of behaviour, then the leaders must embody that change, and as Ghandi said “be the change you want to see in the world!”

People generally want to know what’s actually going to be different for them, i.e. how they will be impacted by change. A network of change agents can quickly disseminate information across the organization about what, who and when. If the change isn’t going to affect everyone in the same way or at the same time, this network, embedded across different departments or areas, can be clear about that.  They won’t treat the whole organization as a homogenous group and can help to prioritise and communicate accordingly.

Rather than combatting change fatigue, embedding agility and adaptability (change readiness) in the system means that change is the norm, a steady state isn’t expected and people can flex more easily.

Contact us for a no obligations conversation about how we can support your organizational change and embed change readiness in your organization.