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Three important things to remember when you are leading change
1. As individuals experience change, each one will deal with change differently. In general though, people move through three predictable phases when confronted with change:
Stage One: ‘Endings’ – anger, denial, resistance, mourning
Stage Two: ‘Exploration’ – chaos, turmoil, hope
Stage Three: ‘New beginnings’ – new routines/methods, optimism, stability
You should expect employees to move through various emotions….even when things are going well!
2. Resistance arises when people realize that change is difficult
3. Your role is to keep people on track despite obstacles
Communicating to different personality types
We are each a ‘creature of habit’ and tend to act consistently over time and in different situations.
Various measurement systems can help you understand preferred styles of behavior – both your own, and those of others. For example:
- Myers Briggs Type Indicator
- DiSC
- Insights
These personality profiles categorize how an individual prefers to:
- Direct their energy
- Process information
- Make decisions
- Manage himself in the world
- Deal with conflict
- Communicate
- Work in a team environment
To communicate effectively during change, it is critical to tailor your messages to the personality preferences of the individuals you are dealing with.
Dealing with Resistance to Change
You should expect resistance to change – this is normal! As a leader, you can minimize resistance to change if you:
- Provide focus
- Proactively share information
- Acknowledge resistance when it occurs
- Tow the line
- Involve employees where possible
- Repeat key messages over and over
- Listen
- Validate good work done in the past
Sometimes, however, you will encounter continued resistance to change. When confronted with difficult behavior, you can manage it if you:
- Be aware of the impact of the other person’s behavior on you
- Identify the type of behavior, and strategize a response before reacting
- Understand the root cause
- Determine if the conversation can continue right now
- Avoid public showdowns
- Focus on the behavior, not the person
- Don’t make excuses for the person
- Do something! – Don’t ignore the behavior
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