3 Things To Watch For
And 1 Method To Address
Mary Schechter
theintuitiveorganization
July 26, 2024
Change is hard. Or at least it can be if you are not prepared for what it brings.
Remembering that every employee brings to the table their personal history with change and the coping mechanisms that they developed to survive, arms you with one important concept.
Employee coping mechanisms were likely developed by default, offering the best option available in the life circumstance at the time. Often operating outside of conscious awareness, employees will engage them as a knee-jerk reaction. They limit your productivity as a team and can even reroute team function in life-negating ways.
So, keeping this in mind, start anticipating now how change can be experienced as a tool for professional and personal growth. Know that it starts with your leadership and commitment to shifting perspectives while offering a plan for integrating the change process into your daily routines.
Here is a start....watch for these.
Nostalgia
Sounds like
The old way was better…
I remember when things were…(fill in the blank)
We always have done things this way- why do we have to change?
The past is idolized while memories become selective. The need to hang onto to the past as employees face new territory becomes increasingly important. Stress levels are reduced when employees can focus on history as a way to soothe their anxieties. Remember, even GOOD change is stressful.
Confusion
Sounds like
I don’t know how we are supposed to do…
I thought you were on….
No one tells me what is going on around here…
Beware the emergence of “Us versus Them.” It rears its ugly head when employees do not feel they are in control and the day-to-day roles begin to shift and morph. The tendency to polarize and make others the enemy is the default stance used to maintain certainty and step away from accountability.
Finger Pointing
Sounds Like
He was supposed to take care of that…
No one is paying attention…
She/he did not tell me….
As stress levels increase the need to displace apprehension can also increase. What that can look like is employees move their anxiety up and away from themselves by displacing it onto a situation or individual other than themselves. Think of it as the game “hot potato”, whose focus is to offload the source of discomfort as fast a possible. It doesn’t solve the problem. It only serves to reduce stress (and accountability) in the interim.
What Can You Do?
Make No Assumptions That Everyone Is “Ok”
· Ask, ask, and then ask again…”How are things going with the change?”
· Even complaining has a positive purpose. It is a source of information for you to use in your planning and keeps a pulse on the emotional landscape of the team(s)
Communicate Through The Emotional Discomfort By Validating Employees’ Perceptions, Even If You Disagree With Them
· Lead with empathy, communicate out loud and validate using all the skills I have taught you
· “ I know that things are wonky right now, and I appreciate your feeling uncertain. Change is hard at times. And, you know what, there is a beginning, middle and end to it all. We are in this together. And as long as we keep talking out loud and supporting each other, we will get through!”
Provide Regular Information Sessions To “Update” Employees, Even If There Is Little To Share
·
Weekly updates lasting as little as 5 minutes will quell anxiety.
·Even if there is not a lot to share informationally, your team will relax into the predictability of the meeting structure.
Allow time for questions at the end.
Be transparent and acknowledge what you don’t know.
Make a commitment to finding out what you can and sharing as appropriate, when you do.
Sending You All My Best,
MRS
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