I’m not a kid anymore
BY Mike
Foti
I’m sure all of us who are parents have heard this, or will hear this, as our
children get older. When we mature and progress there is certain sadness
accompanied with leaving the old behind. There is a story that I remember from
my childhood where I felt the sadness accompanied with what I envisioned as
change and progress in my mind. From the ages of 6 to 9 years old I wore a
spring type jacket that had patches of all the baseball teams on it. I loved
this jacket and loved to talk about baseball. When I turned 10 my mother took me
out shopping and naturally for her because of my love for this jacket she took
me to the store and assumed that I would want another one. I remember telling
her that I was now “too old” for this kind of jacket and chose another one. I
remember how sad I felt to tell her that I had moved on and was a big kid now!
In our companies there is a certain amount of grieving and pain that goes with
change as well. When considering change we have to consider the potential impact
it will have on 3 distinct groups of people in our companies. These groups are:
-
The Innovators – they love doing things
differently and will generally embrace all new stuff.
-
The Viewers – they will take a wait and see
attitude. They will evaluate the change and also see which way the political
wind is blowing.
-
The Saboteurs – they will actively try to
undermine the changes and sway opinions toward the old reliable ways.
All new things will be accompanied with certain
side effects that have to be dealt with. Some of these side effects are:
-
As in my personal story there is sometimes
certain sadness involved with change. The old way is comfortable, familiar,
and some of our team members might have invested significant effort in the
development of the method.
-
Some people may move on to the new methods and
others will end up being “left at the station.” As more of the “viewers” join
the “innovators” the “saboteurs” may feel increasingly alienated from the
team.
-
It is harder at first to make a change. Initially
the new way generally involves more effort than the old way.
-
There is fear associated with change. We need to
motivate others to push ahead in the face of fear, which is challenging.
If we as leaders of the company believe that a
change is required and we know that we have to positively influence the 3
distinct groups and manage the negative side effects of change the question is
how do we go about this? Here some ideas to consider:
-
Instead of announcing the change as permanent
explain that we will be “experimenting” with a new way. An experiment can be
altered or abandoned if it is not working as originally conceived.
-
Educate and explain- Most plans fail because they
are not properly explained. It is important not only to tell people but also
to show them and if possible involve them in the development and
implementation of the new program. The more people who “own” the program the
greater its chances of implementation.
-
If some people are sad about abandoning the old
explain to them that we have not eliminated our positive history but we are
hopefully adding a new positive history to our company.
-
Communicate a vision of a more exciting, fun, and
simpler future that may occur as a result of the change. We all want to grow,
have fun, and make things easier on ourselves. If we can communicate that the
new program achieves these objectives its acceptance will occur faster.
-
Explain that we are in it together. It is nice to
know that there is a “support” group in place when something new is happening.
Reinforce that we are all here to help each other through it.
-
Build advocates for the change (the “innovators”)
and have them internally sell the idea. Often times these innovators are much
more effective during the pre-selling process that paves the way for the
change before it is rolled out.
-
Allow people to grieve the loss of the old way
but do not allow them to become preoccupied with it. Let people know that the
old way had its benefits but that we need to change as the world changes
around us.
The lesson to be learned is to recognize that some in our organizations will
not want to give up that comfortable red jacket with the team patches on it.
In positively influencing the new programs we need to communicate why, get the
team to help it happen, and be empathic to those who struggle with change.
<< Back
Mike Foti is Chief Executive Officer of Cleveland Glass Block (a
Northcoast 99 recipient for best employers in Northeast Ohio and a Community
Pillar Award winner for community service) and President of Leadership Builders.
Mike is a national speaker, writer, and consultant who helps individuals and
companies get results through people. To ask Mike how he might help you, or to
receive his free tips and leadership articles, call 216-531-6085 or visit his
web site at
www.leadershipbuilders.com. |
