Leadership During Times of Change
How to Display Leadership During Change Management Periods
The Many Definitions of Change Management
Change management, as a business term, has evolved and modified its definitions over time. Not a new theory, you can find both scholarly and business-oriented publications as far back as the 1950s discussing change management. Believers and practitioners have modified its principles to become department, or, sometimes, even job specific.
Most all-encompassing definitions typically fall into similar categories. For example, Fred Nickols, in his paper “Change Management 101: A Primer” offers four brief general definitions:
- “The task of managing change.”
- “An area of professional practice.”
- “A body of knowledge.”
- “A control mechanism.”
Most change management aficionados would agree with Mr. Nickols's selections, but they also might wish to add even more verbiage. Change management has become so embedded in business theory, its nature and particulars are often different for many businesses and industries. For example, change management theory for engineering-based companies may be quite different that those businesses that are marketing-based.
All would usually agree, however, that management must display leadership during change management periods, regardless of the specific changes or industry in which they function. Change, even that which delivers huge benefits to employees, is typically met with dismay and distrust by staff. This initial reaction appears to be a human tendency that requires proper management for change to be successful.
How to Display Leadership and Change Management Expertise
During periods of change, managers at all levels can display leadership in various ways. Here are a few for your consideration.
- Publicly embrace the changes for all staff to see. Privately endorsing change does little to influence the employees under your supervision. While it may deliver some long-term benefits, statistics indicate that the short-term staff reaction to change is critical to continued good performance.
- Keep all staff in the communication and information loop. Knowing the what, why, and how of all operational changes often gets employees involved in the process with a minimum of negativity.
- Attempt to offer employees some level of empowerment. Few action plans are more effective in helping staff “buy into” changes than giving them the feeling that they have some influence in the coming modifications in the workplace. All studies have displayed that employee empowerment can have a major, positive effect on commitment and performance.
- Design a reward program, however modest, to acknowledge the achievements of staff members during periods of change. The rewards need not be large or expensive. The mere fact that the company recognizes the efforts of employees to help them manage the changes will pay performance dividends in both short- and long-term operations.
The essence of change management seldom differs from company to company or industry to industry. In the past few decades, technology and markets tend to change quickly, often with little warning. Change management has become a more critical responsibility for companies and the display of leadership by supervisory personnel is equally vital to successful implementation.