As a leader, what were the biggest challenges you faced today? What conversations were you dreading? What worries kept you up last night? For a moment, pause and think about these challenges. When you reflect, where did the issues start?
When we ask this question of the leaders in our training classes, most realize that their business performance and people problems started when something changed. At Slingshot25, we say, “Change will get you into a mess, and leadership is the only thing that will get you out.”
It’s been proven, measured, and validated: change will create a dip in performance, quality, and morale. We can expect that when something old stops and something new begins, “people” problems will rise. As humans, we are scared when faced with a threat. We get nervous and start to worry when there isn’t certainty or we fear something might be taken away from us. People get annoyed and frustrated as they navigate the messiness. People get tired easily as they learn, make mistakes and work to make things work. This discomfort and the associated reactions are normal and are to be expected.
This discomfort is caused by work-related loss. When we make changes at work, people lose stuff. They lose their confidence and their security. They lose their subject matter expertise. They can lose friendships and connections. They often lose routine, productivity, and direction. And losing hurts.
When people experience loss, we can expect that they will feel an array of emotions…anxiety, disappointment, resentment and anger. Our employees need to know that these reactions are understandable and even expected. Who wouldn’t have those feelings when faced with a similar loss? People want to work for leaders who see them and understand that their human emotions are understandable and normal.
When people experience loss, employees need leaders who keep things real. Leaders who are willing to take a sober, down-to-earth view when needed. They avoid false optimism and steer away from reminding people to “look at the bright side” before they are ready. These leaders know their employees won’t be down forever. They do what they can to make their people feel valued and cared about, especially when that person may feel like they have lost everything. That’s because our employees need leaders who will help them understand their new expectations and will help ensure they know how to make progress in the new landscape.
While most organizations would benefit from having more change management experts (I mean, it can’t hurt), what would go much further would be to invest in leadership development. Spend your precious time and resources on high-quality training that prepares every leader in your organization to be someone you’d trust to ensure people feel valued and cared about during challenging times. This investment not only helps in managing change but also in fostering a positive work culture, improving employee retention, and ultimately, achieving better business results.
Change will always test your organization, but good leaders are truly the differentiators in successful change.
