Change Is Not Easy

It doesn’t matter whether you’re leading the change or you’re the one that is required to change to meet shifting business requirements.

I’ve been on both sides of change, sometimes leading and sometimes following. I’ve learned a few things along the way that can help you in your business.

Today’s pace of change, complexity, and increasing specialization make adaptability essential.

Often the change is stimulated by poor company performance. Current performance may be so dismal that new directions are needed. At other times, a CEO or business owner sees that future challenges will differ from those of the past. The company must adopt new ways of doing business even though no apparent crisis currently exists.

Another trigger occurs when a CEO or business owner wants to motivate employees to perform beyond current performance, which is adequate, but not outstanding. In all of these cases, the CEO or business owner recognizes the need to change. Still, they must find ways to communicate the urgency to all managers and employees and provide a vision of what the change can accomplish.

You will need to be prepared to lead your team along the path of change by providing inspiration about the future, improving your communication, engaging positive role models to help guide your team, and driving strategic and economic benefits.

CEOs and business owners can motivate change by inspiring the future. They can lead their companies to move from reacting to change to creating change as a competitive advantage. By creating a wave of growth through the strategic planning process, you can gain commitment from employees and other stakeholders necessary to make it happen.

Look for ways to communicate mission and objectives and to inspire employees to find innovative ways to help your business succeed.

The implications for culture change and integration should be clear. Be sure to select role models who represent the desired behaviors and employ them in visible positions of authority throughout the company.

Be generous and public with your recognition of their performance. Positive recognition sends a signal to the rest of the employees. You will be making it clear that the path to success in your company is in emulating these behaviors. In doing this, you will be “walking the talk.” They will not be motivated to alter existing behaviors.

Unless high-profile managers consistently model the desired behaviors and actively recognize employees who engage in the behaviors, no real culture change is possible.

During times of intense change, convert statements about strategic and economic benefits into straightforward behavioral examples of how people will be expected to operate in the post-change environment.

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