“In highly successful change efforts, people find ways to help others see the problems or solutions in ways that influence emotions, not just thought.”
“Switch: How to Change Things When Things are Hard” by Dan and Chip Heath
We know that change is inevitable in any and EVERY business, regardless of size or industry. We operate in a faster-moving world (and as we have seen from the pandemic, an unpredictable one), where to keep up, and better yet, compete, we need to welcome change. It’s how we lead and adapt to change that can make all the difference.
In “Switch: How to Change Things When Things are Hard”, Dan and Chip Heath speak about:
- Directing the rider: Finding the bright spots, scripting the critical moves, and pointing to the destination, relaying the importance of the change.
- Motivating the elephant: Making people feel motivated to take action by recognizing and celebrating milestones and reinforcing changes.
- Sharing the path: Removing barriers to make it easier for your people to accomplish crucial moves and adopt and adapt to the changes more readily.
I have worked in many industries where to navigate the ever-accelerated changes; we had to manage change successfully. To drive change we had to be strategic and systematic every step of the way, engaging in various purposeful activities to garner buy-in.
As leaders, to drive change successfully, we must play an active role in speaking to the change and speaking to the emotional side behind the change. Below I have highlighted what I believe is the role of a leader and some best practices to deploy every step of a change initiative, big or small.
Create a Sense of Urgency
| Role of a Leader | Best Practices |
| Create awareness for the need of the change, garnering support Build excitement for the change Communicate the change with all stakeholders | Engage the head (facts and consequences) and heart (emotions) Be accessible to answer questions and provide guidance Be the face of the change |
Form a Strategic Vision
| Role of a Leader | Best Practices |
| Provide the strategic direction of the future Orchestrate the creation of the vision and strategic initiatives Ensure there is a clear understanding and full buy-in of the vision and initiatives | Ensure the vision and targeted activities are understood within all hierarchies and are achievable, relevant, and meaningful Have a clear understanding of how the vision will appeal to and impact the broader audience |
Communicate the Change for Buy-in
| Role of a Leader | Best Practices |
| Capture the hearts and minds of team members Address concerns and inconsistencies between leadership behaviour and the change vision Determine mechanisms for communicating the message, ensuring consistent messaging | Ensure your communications are purposeful Clearly convey the initiatives and use relevant vehicles to communicate the vision Ask questions and communicate with team members to identify concerns |
Remove Barriers
| Role of a Leader | Best Practices |
| Identify and eliminate barriers in a timely manner Mitigate resistance to changeEnsure an escalation process is in place to resolve critical barriers | Address obstacles immediately, ensuring these are mitigated and removed Anticipate barriers and oversee a mitigation plan Maintain frequent communications and touchpoints with team to understand concerns and support people through the change transition Encourage ownership and empower team members to identify solutions to achieve the desired outcomes |
Influential change leaders have the ability to inspire action in others. They drive change with clarity, agility, and empathy, always being the face of the change.
Check out our past blogs on change management: www.upskillconsulting.ca/blog/
If you would like to sign-up for our workshop on “Change Management: Leading Change Successfully”, email us at [email protected].
Throughout Sofia's career she has engaged in various functions of HR, always with a mindset of translating business strategy into systematic HR initiatives. Her HR experience has involved overseeing day-to-day operations, developing HR strategies, leading organizational changes and partnering with leadership to drive and deliver on HR principles and business strategies.
Her specialization in HR includes training and capability development, performance management, employee engagement, change management and organizational development.
Sofia has a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Psychology from Simon Fraser University,a Post-Baccalaureate Diploma in Human Resources Management from Kwantlen Polytechnic University and holds her Chartered Professional in Human Resources (CPHR) designation.
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