| All progress is the result of change. But
not all change is progress. Some changes don’t make any sense. In fact, some
leadership behaviors actually create more stress for yourself and your coworkers.
So what works?
Based on my 22 years of consulting and speaking to
organizations around the world, I’ve found six things you must do to become an
effective leader in the midst of change.
1. Don’t beat yourself up.
You did not cause the tough, changing times in your
industry, and you could not have predicted all the changes coming down the pike. The
nature of change is unpredictable.
For example, who could have predicted the change in
fashion? Do you remember when clothing tags were worn on the inside? Now if you go to the
malls, you will see many teenagers wearing them on the outside.
Who could have predicted the change in lifestyle behaviors
between generations? Do you remember when safe sex meant your parents did not find out?
Now some parents "equip" their kids for sex.
Or, who could have predicted the change in the marketplace?
The great movie mogul, Harry Warner, couldn't in 1922, when he said, "Who the ----
wants to hear actors talk?"
The founder of IBM, Tom Watson, Senior, couldn't in 1943
when he said, "I think there is a world market for about five computers."
Ken Olsen, the President of Digital Equipment Corporation
couldn't in 1973 when he said, "There is no reason for anyone to have a computer in
his house."
So don't beat yourself up for not being able to predict or
prevent tough changing times. This will deflate you, and you need to be out there
motivating your colleagues.
2. Keep your coworkers’ hope alive.
Effective leaders project an optimistic view of the future,
even during times of change. Your colleagues need to know that you believe a better day is
coming. However, you also need to provide a realistic assessment of the obstacles that
your organization must overcome in order to reach that better day.
3. Keep your employees fully informed.
You must keep your employees fully informed. In downsizing
environments, the levels of uncertainty run high amongst employees. You must reduce their
confusion, even if that means sharing some bad news. As I tell my clients, newsletter
readers, and members in my speaking audience, the certainty of misery is better than the
misery of uncertainty.
Your employees have the right to know what's happening, why
it's happening, and what the next steps will be. By not sharing information immediately,
you’re allowing the rumor mill to churn out any number of ridiculous stories that do
nothing but increase stress and decrease motivation levels in the workplace.
4. Tell the truth.
If you try to relieve your employees' misery by saying
things will calm down after the reorganization, you may be heading for trouble if
that’s not the truth. Plus, the next time your organization announces a change your
employees' trust will take a nosedive. Employees need to be taught how to handle changes,
not be told it will soon be over.
5. Continue to reassure your employees with your
presence.
Dr. Bev Smallwood recently completed a best practices study
on those companies dedicated to retaining their best employees. She discovered that sixty
to seventy percent of employee retention is directly linked to management behavior.
In particular, managers that spend time with their
employees and build relationships tend to keep their employees longer. If you want to
retain your best employees during times of change, you must be visible. In uncertain
times, seeing and hearing the leader is important. Too often managers or leaders only meet
with other senior executives, or they disappear behind closed doors. Employees need to see
and hear their bosses. So become accessible and make yourself available for questions.
6. Cut and simplify the work.
If you're organization has downsized, you probably cut only
the workforce, and not the workload. There's a time when "doing more with less"
makes a lot of sense, but there's also a time when it's just plain ridiculous. There comes
a point when "doing more with less" is not only impossible, it's absolutely
demoralizing to keep saying it.
So what can you do?
You can't pretend things are the same. You can, however,
reorder priorities on a task-by-task basis. You can cut extraneous tasks, forms, and
procedures. You can encourage your associates to take shortcuts in non-critical, routine
areas to make time for more important items.
You can also allow your associates to collaborate and
figure out how the extra work will be handled. In fact, the sense of teamwork that comes
out of collaboration can be a great motivator.
That's what Ameritech did. Executives from corporate
headquarter traveled from office to office, from department to department, in one city
after another. They queried fieldworkers on the types of reports that are necessary to
complete their day-to-day activities. By listening to their fieldworkers, they were able
to cut out 6,000,000 pages of reports that no one needed and no one read.
Final Thoughts…
No one likes to go through change, and no one likes all the
sacrifices required by change. However, you can relieve the misery of uncertainty if you
follow the six things you must do to become an effective leader in the midst of change
outlined today. |
