Key elements for supporting people through change
For the past few years, I have taught a leadership development course for an MBA program. This week, my students read about shaping culture and leading change. One of the prompts in their writing assignment was to consider the five elements for supporting members of an organization through change. These key elements are from the textbook, The Leadership Experience, by Richard Daft (p. 484-485) and are as follows:
Provide a positive emotional attractor. This is where a leader provides inspiration for the future – something that “awakens a person’s hopes and dreams...about possibilities of what could be” (p. 484) rather than a focus on trying to fix something in the present.
Make sure people have a support system. This element speaks to emotional support for members of the organization – providing hope, faith, inspiration, and belief that change is possible. Establishing new emotional relationships is a bridge to establishing new skills and habits.
Use repetition. Change requires new skills and habits, and effective leaders provide many opportunities for people to practice those skills and habits.
Involve people early. People will be more committed to change processes in which they had an opportunity to design or contribute.
Apply after-action reviews. When a change process is complete, leaders should take the time to review what went well, what went wrong, and what can be learned.
After sharing thoughts on these elements, the students were asked, “which do you think leaders are most likely to overlook?”
So I ask you, which do you think leaders are most likely to overlook?
There were two elements that were most frequently cited by my students, and their reasoning and supporting research was quite compelling. As a result, I did a little research as well, and spend some time pondering what I found. This week, I will share thoughts about one of these elements, and next week, I will talk about the other.
The first of the “top two winners” is: Make sure people have a support system.
The challenge to this key element is the emotional aspect. Change is often presented in a data-driven, clinical, “here’s why we have to do this” way. In The Heart of Change, Kotter and Cohen describe the difference between “See-Feel-Change" and “Analysis-Think-Change.”
“Analysis-Think-Change" presents information and an argument for supporting the change being implemented. This data supports the solution presented and may even explain the urgency of the task. When leaders share this type of information, they are hoping to change people’s thinking, and as a result, they want those changed thoughts to lead to changed behaviors. The authors describe the limitations to this approach, including the fact that analysis and data aren’t really that motivating. (I’m a math and stats girl, so I know that might be shocking. Nonetheless, it’s true!) This information is good and helpful and should be shared, but it only speaks to one aspect of who we are.
The other process is “See-Feel-Change.” In this process, people SEE the problem or the effects of the problem. They may need to be prompted in some way, but eventually they see. As a result, the “visualizations awaken feelings that facilitate useful change or ease feelings that are getting in the way” (Kotter & Cohen, p. 10). Helpful feelings (e.g., optimism, hope, urgency) go up, and feelings that create a barrier for action (fear, frustration, cynicism) decrease. Seeing the issue and feeling the accompanying emotions provides motivation for change.
This is the aspect of support that is so frequently overlooked – emotional support.
How can leaders provide an emotional support system? There are many ways, and here are a few suggestions:
Paint a picture of the future that people can visualize, understand, and embrace.
Communicate the “why” by providing a rationale for the change – both in analytical and emotional terms.
Listen to the members of your organization – don't just talk! Relationships involve more than one person, so your voice should not be constantly heard.
Empathize with employees regarding their fears or concerns. Acknowledge barriers – especially barriers related to past change initiatives that failed.
Pursue short-term wins to build confidence and reinforce positive emotions.
Communicate frequently and with openness throughout the change process.
Whether change is occurring quickly due to a crisis or whether it is planned over time, creating a support system that addresses the mental and emotional needs of employees is essential to success.
As the Greek philosopher, Heraclitus, is credited with saying, “change is the only constant in life.” Change is going to happen in your organizations. Contact ABL Wise Consulting to help you navigate that change with success.
