Dealing with Change in Your Organization

Helping Your People Deal with Change

Leaders play a critical role when it comes to change. Whether your team is facing large organizational transitions or smaller (yet still painful) procedural adjustments, you need to help everyone cope with and successfully implement different ways of doing things. Here are a few ideas to remember and use:

• Don’t plant seeds in untilled soil! Just as in nature, the seeds of organizational change need to be planted in soil that has been prepared to accept the germinating ideas. So, involve others in the planning and cultivating of change initiatives. And remember that the ground has to be fertilized with rich additives, so supply information outlining the good business reasons for the change.
   
• Prioritize for change. You will not have enough time to take care of everything that comes along during transitional periods. Therefore, make sure you help team members prioritize and take care of the things that matter most. Start a priority list and arrange it in High, Medium, and Low order. Complete the High priorities before progressing to the Medium … and then the Low.
   
• Monitor your team’s temperature. Once a week, have a short, informal “how are things going” chat with each person who reports to you. And pay attention to how team members behave and interact with one another – especially when working on tasks and projects that involve significant change with specified deadlines. If you sense that things aren’t right, investigate each potential problem and take whatever action is appropriate to “nip it in the bud.”

When you’re finished changing, you’re finished!
~ Benjamin Franklin

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