There is a often debate whether change fatigue is a reality or myth.  When change is not effectively managed or led well, change fatigue most certainly ensues. There are signs that a good leader keeps an eye out for when it comes to the impact on change to their team. 

Following are some of the key indicators a good Change leader picks up on:

1) Illness is on the rise: sick leave or general illness of team members and employees in the business is one sign of change fatigue. During the winter seasons, this can be blamed on bugs or flu's, however when a good change leader recognises the link between change and poor health. When individuals are under stress their immune systems suffer leaving them susceptible to catching and spreading these bugs. This doesn't necessarily mean team members will be taking more days off. A good leader notes who may not be coping well with change through physical indicators. Back issues and things such as migraines are other physical...

What makes the difference between a successful and unsuccessful change approach? Engagement.

Just like in relationships - you learn there is a big difference between dating someone and being engaged. Engagement has commitment and a clear intent.

An ineffective change manager or leader will approach change like dating. Spend a little time with their stakeholders, and even if it was a memorable moment, don't follow through or create that genuine relationship. It's superficial with some brief communication before and after. There might be questions asked but it's patchy as to whether there are answers provided. A successful change strategy contains more than that. It enrols leaders, stakeholders and impacted audiences through impactful interventions.

So how do you create powerful engaging dialogue with those who are affected by the Change?

• Involve the customer of the change in the design of the solution. Such an easy concept and yet it still isn't followed. With many...

Leaders require particular organisation structures and enablers to be in place to be able to effectively lead change.

Let's explore these enablers:

1) Clear and engaging communication channels: Communication channels and methods need to be clear and functional. Even in large organisations I have witnessed death by email and written word. A picture is worth a thousand words - after all who has time to read more than a paragraph unless its well formed and engaging?  From strategic messaging to operational messaging, all employee groups should be clear in knowing which channel to go to for certain information.  Information that the individual leader can reinforce and link into. Change leaders need communication channels and methods that achieve cut through. This allows leaders to leverage the messages and allows them to create their own notes on how the change impacts the individuals in their team.

2) Departmental role clarity: When joining an organisation, one of the...

I have in my phone the Gandhi saying: 

'First they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then they fight you, then you win.'

I look at it every now and then, to generate that fire in my belly when I lead or support a major transformation program. If you are a Change leader - take heed. You need an appetite and a resilience to lead a big change. You need to believe in it more than anyone else. As when others try to bring you down, when others fight you, you need to keep holding the future vision you have and keep on keeping on. For me, my primary motivation is when the transformation is needed to have the organisation perform better. If I feel the transformation is the right thing to do for customers or for staff (hopefully for both) then nothing can stop me.

This seems very relevant this week. With the protests across the globe after the death of George Floyd. And globally this is an issue - even in Australia. It is important to take a stand and say loudly that racial...

Earlier this year I wrote about managing change in times of crisis in reference to the Australian bushfires. I certainly did not think that just a couple of months later that I would be writing about a global pandemic and the level of change that leaders would need to manage in times such as these. 

These are times that very few in the world have lived through before. Ironically the elderly who are most at risk are the one's who could have lived through similar illness that spread throughout the world in the early 1900's. However in this connected world which has the internet and international travel at the drop of a hat, the circumstances and challenges are VERY different.

So how has your organisation and leadership team responded to these times of continual change? How long did it take for your leaders to be clear on their messaging and make decisions about which path to take - business first or safety first?

How some organisations have responded...

With creativity: there...

Waiting to be invited is a sign of Respect

I was once told a story about the what a 'Welcome to Country' means to the traditional owners of Australia, our First Nations people. That when travelling the lands of Australia they would wait on the border of the other tribes lands and light a fire so that the smoke would raise into the air and signal their presence. They would then wait until someone from the neighbouring tribe would arrive and welcome them onto their country. What a profound sign of respect. 

This story had many layers of lessons for me. One lesson, is that it is far more powerful to respectfully wait and be invited, rather than barge in or 'force' any change. Now that's not to say that in my career in the early days I didn't drive a lot of change. I certainly like progress and have a knack for driving action. However as the years of lessons have built up, I have certainly changed my approach and have learned patience. 

Pace in line with business...

Happy new year and welcome to 2020. It certainly has been challenging in Australia with the worst bush fires across the country in living memory. It certainly has been a time of crisis. I hope going forward the impact of climate change, which has been incredulously denied by certain political parties will now be discussed with solution brokers coming to the table.

Crisis as a catalyst

Unfortunately sometimes it takes a crisis for change to be embraced. When the pain gets so much that something has to shift. This is very relatable when it comes to introducing change management into an organisation. Financial results (or lack thereof) become untenable for the leadership team. Projects don't deliver well, funding is cut or staff engagement results are at their lowest. All reasons for Change leadership and management to be embraced.

Leadership in times like these 

During this bush fire crisis, there have been some observations about leadership, where certain expectations on some...

When planning change interventions it is key to understand the boarder seasonal and community context in which you are delivering the change. Whenever planning activities on your change calendar there are a range of key dates to block out:

• Seasonal holidays (Easter, Christmas, Thanksgiving, Bank holidays)
• Key holidays periods for carers: school breaks (where staff may be taking leave)
• In addition to this there may be holidays relevant to the communities that you serve. Community events and special holidays.
• Peak times for organisation activities: Renewal times for policies, regular sales events where staff are otherwise pre-occupied.

Timing the change interventions when they are most effective is critical. During the times which aren't optimal activity should be kept to a minimum if they are unable to be actually rescheduled another time.  If you are unsure of the organisations activities to be able to identify these peak periods it is best to ask and map them...

I considered calling this article 'Why Benefits belong to the Change Manager' but I could hear the hiss from Change Manager's who would challenge the word 'belong'. Of course they would be right, as any Benefit outlined in a project brief should be assigned an owner from the business. However, benefits are most critical to a Change Manager's role in any project, as they help explain the reason why the project has been funded in the first place. They are a measure of the effectiveness of what is being delivered, and a Change Managers purpose is to create a plan that is focused on creating the right environment and behaviours to achieve that level of effectiveness.

Any Change Manager worth their salt, therefore, is focused on influencing solutions where possible, to make sure any deliverables are user friendly. Measuring success based on successful delivery only is a thing of the past for high performing organisations, the focus now is on realising the Benefits.

Theory vs Practice...

If your organisation has fast paced, frequent change or is undergoing transformational change, it is important to increase the level and frequency of communication. This is to directly mitigate the risk of decreased engagement and thus decreased productivity and performance in times of great change.

If critical business decisions have not been made, and there is no news to tell staff about the major changes, taking time to communicate that exact message will in fact place a sense of certainty in the minds of those who are feeling anxious.

'What is happening?'

'Oh they haven't made a decision yet but expect that they will know next week'

'OK let's see'.

The interesting thing is that many leaders will also be feeling anxious as well and potentially feeling the pressure. This then often results in leaders second guessing themselves about what to communicate.

When leaders are in the space of uncertainty about whether to communicate or not, I always advise them that consistency in times...