So you are a leader - and your team is about to experience a negative change that is going to impact them. You know about it and you also know that you have some people in your team who may not react so well.

In fact you know that they will challenge the change, whinge and be disruptive.. so where does that leave your stress levels? Change always brings with it different degrees of stress. To both workers and leaders. When you need to lead your team through a negative change, as the leader it can be more stressful for you than anyone else, not that you can ever say that to your team.  

What are the choices you have?

Yes, know that you always have a choice..

Sure on any given day, just give in to change resistance. But when you 'give in' and crumble in the face of resistance from your team, just know that you are creating inconsistency and this has everything quite frankly start falling apart at the seams when it comes to change. Remember this is simply a fact and I have seen t...

What is the level of understanding of Change Sponsorship in your organisation? Chances are, if your organisation is not really familiar with Change, then Change Sponsors may not be really understanding their role and why it exists.

Usually Change Sponsorship aligns with the leadership hierarchy in an organisation. This is because there isn't normally an incentive as as an employee to listen to anyone other than their direct line manager. The only time this doesn't ring true is if the culture of an organisation is so collaborative that all leaders are seen as equal in voice.  In organisations of such high emotional intelligence, the leadership team will work together to create an aligned co-hort of enthusiasm or energy regarding the change. However, these are generally exceptions, not the rule.

Change Sponsorship - not an easy gig.

The role of a Change Sponsor for a project and Change leaders is to create enthusiasm regarding the change. Generating the awareness and the continually c...

Learn why Change Management is critical for any business undergoing change. While many people will use the term 'Change Management', the discipline still remains a mystery to most people. Watch this 20 minute video and you will be stepped through Change Management, why it exists today and the change process itself. 

If you are keen to learn more about Change Management, sign up for our newsletter, or attend one of our Change Intelligence webinars.

So you went on an offsite, or put your Managers through a leadership program. However, did you support the change by reviewing KPI's, discussing culture and how the program relates to the organisation culture? Have you rewarded (positive reinforcement) those Managers who implemented the techniques they learned in training?

If you are investing in your leaders but haven't wrapped the training program up in a change program, then you are investing in individuals not the organisation. Success can't be measured simply through attendance and satisfaction with the training itself.

Every individual learns differently

There will always be some individuals who can connect training with their real world practices but many (and through no fault of their own) slip back into old habits as they are simply easier when it comes to different leadership techniques. After all, that comfort zone is SO MUCH EASIER.  An ideal scenario would be if 7 out of 10 leaders who attend training implement new tech...

So you have been given a mandate - you have been asked to go ahead and implement a new strategic policy or process and have been provided with an outline. The expectation is for you to go out into the world and deliver the goods. Well it isn't that easy but it is where most projects start. A background paper and some funding.

A lot of projects or programs I start on are floundering for direction. This is just evidence that they aren't adequately scoped. There is no shared understanding of what is to be delivered and if there is a team, they are often confused as they have questions that are unanswered.

That is where I step in and put my 30/60/90 day plans into play. The first 30 days is about the right program set up. Here are my top 3 tips for creating clarity around a project or program:

1) Listen and ask the logical questions: I am the biggest fan of '7 Habits of highly effective people' by Steven Covey, especially the habit of  'Seek first to understand then to be understood'. I...

Change can become a dirty word in your organisation if it isn't handled well.  Just like 'he who shall not be named' people hesitate to talk about the changes taking place from fear of resistance. Even worse is when continual change is forced through without consultation and staff disengage as a result.

Let's face it, most humans (even change managers who are humans too) initially don't like changes taking place that are out of their control. We all react differently to change depending on what it is, and whether it means we lose something or we gain something.

However if change is continually poorly managed or not managed well at all, the process of engaging employees and creating a positive environment that promotes growth and inclusivity won't exist.  Which will create a world of perpetual discomfort which will either have employees underperform or leave.  So when 'change' becomes a dirty word in your organisation, how do you redirect the story and so it has a happy ending inste...

So you've introduced a new process into the business but you notice that the team continues to do the old process. OR you have been working your butt off on a new system but all the Managers can do is question why THEY have to change the way they are doing things when the current way is working so well.

With all of the effort you have put into your project or change plan you become disheartened when everyone seems to be against the idea, or wanting to do things the old way. Making change happen and having the changes stick starts as soon as you begin work on your project and the thing you need most? Resilience!

I don't think I really knew what resilience was until I became a change manager. Change leaders would think the same thing. It's a tenacity that regardless of the resistance that takes place as a result of the change, that the change will continue to go forward until it is embedded. 

What does it take to create resilience?

1) Don't take resistance personally - after all ev...

It's all important - creating the big mo (the big momentum). If you are a West Wing fan you will know the term, it was what they had to create in their election campaign, and your project and change program is no different. You need to create the 'big mo' at some stage in your project to ensure delivery and to support the change program. 

So how do you create momentum in your project or change program?

1. Be clear and consistent with your messaging at a high level right away and then become more and more specific and more frequent with your messaging closer to the Go live or launch.

Remember confusion kills momentum - clarity creates it.

It is also important to manage expectations well. This means accurately communicating how things will change. Even if the change doesn't have a positive impact to the individuals. Being honest up front saves a lot of unnecessary angst later!

2. Deliver on your promises 

Delivering on your promises helps to build trust. One 'promise' is your pub...