Leading the Team through Expected and Unexpected Transition
We are in a season of global change. Many organizations that have relied on meeting together face-to-face in an office are now completely remote, or at least distributed with many working from home. Technology is the primary form of communication, and working at home is an adjustment for many, especially parents. This is a unique opportunity for leaders to consider their approach to transition management. Right now, fear and anxiety can be mitigated by a thoughtful and proactive approach to this change. Change is constant, and while this is an unprecedented season, managing transitions well is always crucial for an organization’s success.
It’s natural to fear or resist change. Good change and bad change cause stress. Here are a few ways that leaders can minimize fear, and help their team embrace transition.
Emphasize what will stay the same.
People often identify with and place enormous value in their organizations. Fear of change is often caused by a fear that with change, their organization might no longer be the organization they hold dear. Throughout change and transition, emphasize continuity and how “who you are” as an organization will be preserved.
Communicate often, but don’t forget to listen.
It is important to communicate logically, but also address the emotions that come with change. Attentiveness to small details that are affecting your team can go a long way in addressing the transition and getting buy-in. A purely logical “canned message” about the change will not help ease people’s minds. A few ideas for getting feedback and opening lines of communication could be question and answer sessions, department-level meetings, online updates and discussion boards.
Repeat the same message in different ways. Buy-in happens over time.
The message about the change should initially be shared with all team members present so that there are no rumors or mixed messages spreading. Convey the message clearly and with transparency. Address what is changing and why, and who is impacted. From that point, the same message should be shared across different mediums multiple times. Not everyone is ready to hear it the first time, and will need to hear and read it a few times before understanding and embracing it.
An action plan is critical.
An effective action plan distributes responsibilities across formal and informal leaders in the organization. If only a few select “transition heroes” have to bear the weight of managing the change, it will not be as successful as a plan that activates a range of strategic team members and creates a coordinated effort. Start at the top, but involve every layer. Maximize the talent and versatility of various players and weather the change together.
Getting to the other side doesn’t mean that it’s over.
Once the change is complete, you may feel that it was implemented flawlessly, that’s awesome! However, transition happens slowly. Continue to communicate your message, listen, and provide opportunity for dialogue and feedback. Let your team know that they are vital to the success of the transition. You’re in it together, they got this, and so do you.
Link2Lift is offering tools and resources to ease this transition
At Link2Lift, we have taken research on team culture and transitions and turned it into valuable tools for teams to utilize in times like these. Our approach to change management and building team culture is in the context of a change in physical space. This often involves adjusting to a distributed team, where a portion of the team is not physically together. During this unique season of change, we would be eager to share these resources with you. Reach out to us at hello@link2lift.com for more information and to connect with our team.
BELIEF: We believe community transformation happens when people, architecture and technology are leveraged to create thriving cultures of collaboration, generosity and trust.
MEET LINK2LIFT: We partner with organizations and individuals seeking to leverage their team, space and resources to benefit the common good.
Our process is interactive and fun. Our data-driven, human-centered approach includes team building workshops, rethinking physical space and increasing flexibility with technology.
We are a collaborative network of partners working to activate ideas and find innovative solutions for each unique client.
VISION: Our collective impact can create global change if we unite and dedicate even a portion of every team and every physical building toward common good.
MISSION: We build Better Teams and Better Space by creating intentional intersections that foster a culture of collaboration that ultimately leads to the common good of people, organizations and communities, everywhere.
