Dave-ologies: Change Happens

Change. For some of us that word is exciting. For many it brings fear. For some it means disruption. And for others it may mean challenge. For all of us – it is constant.

Whatever emotion it evokes, change is ever present. The most successful organizations embrace and accept change. They become adept in creating leaders (and a culture) to push forward. The best companies have leaders who proactively challenge the status quo, proactively think about future success, and proactively create an environment that allows for change – not forces change. It is not easy, but for any of us who manage teams – we need to embrace and understand how to best manage and lead change.

For many of our leaders, change is something we fear because it’s disruptive. It forces us to shift our perceptions or approaches about what we do and how we go about doing it. At the very least, it leaves us questioning our current assumptions and how close they really are to reality. If there’s one thing organizations require today, it is leaders who are willing and capable of encouraging their employees to view change as an opportunity to gain a true understanding of their capabilities to overcome the challenges they’ll undoubtedly face in today’s faster-paced and evolving world. When we look in the rear-view, we can see how far we have come. One of the problems that gets in my way (and others) is this little thing called emotions. We become hyper focused on the seemingly insurmountable obstacle ahead of us. We more often than not achieve what we worry about – but we constantly stress over what is next….at least I do. If I look back at my years at Pepsi, or AOL or even at the Federal Reserve Board – there were far too many times when I thought “there is no flippin’ way we can change this” – but we did. Often it was because my boss had complete faith in me – or the organization had seen us make changes and believed we could do it again. Don’t get me wrong, we had failures, but there have been a lot of successes over the years. So why do I still stress. Human nature I guess. What I am sharing is that we all think these thoughts, have these worries and mostly achieve success when we are up against change.

Ten years ago, no one knew what a tweet was, or a snap was, or what an Uber was. Ten years ago, there were only 50 million people on Facebook and the only thing they liked to do was poke one another. Twenty years ago, text messaging was AIM (yes, I was at AOL for a decade). Ten years ago, text messaging was mainly a business tool and not a platform that popularized the use of such terms as BFF, FOAF, IKR, LOML and 1000+ other acronyms. And ten years ago, the idea of an iPad did not exist. Change is good. I love Uber, I love my iPad, I use Facebook, I text my kids. ALL. THE. TIME.

SO how do we all get better at managing change and the associated stress that accompanies change? Mindset, process, visualization, subsets of work, history, faith – they all come into play.

Dr. Kotter (Kotter International) has eight steps for change: creating sense of urgency, building coalition, sharing strategic vision & initiatives, enlisting volunteers, enabling action, generating short-term wins, sustaining acceleration and instituting change. Sounds easy (maybe that is why he is the “Dr.” and I am not).

How do we help others see the need for change and the speed to change? How do we help others WANT to change? I want to feel enabled and motivated.

How do we find those on board with the idea that can guide, coordinate and communicate? How do we find our ALLIES? I want others to “take the hill” with me.

How do we clearly define the future that is different from today with a clear vision? How do we “paint” the picture of where we WANT to be? How do I get crisper and better at “painting the picture”?

How do we get our teams to rally around the change? How do we find the energy? How do I stay positive and energetic in the face of adversity?

How do we remove barriers, inefficiencies, hierarchies, and enable cross company work? How do we KNOW what the obstacles are? How do I get my team to tell me what it IS vs what they think I should hear?

How do we find time to celebrate wins both large and small? How do we understand when, who and how to celebrate?

How do we take that initial credibility with the team and use it to accelerate change (systems, structures, policies…)? How do we prioritize between the “easy win” and the “needed win”? How do I start momentum?

How do we take these changes and continue to tie them back to our successes (make new habits)? I cannot even stop drinking Mt Dew…geez.

Dr. Kotter clearly lays out some structure, but the “how” is the challenge for all of us. At the core of every change, is the desire for something new. New thinking, new processes, new behaviors. Sometimes, “one change” becomes many and can make an organization weary. How do we re-energize during change? Like many things it starts with us. Leadership. Energy. Transparency. Meaning. Modeling. Recognition. Proof. We need to authentically believe in the change and clearly communicate why it is good and how we can get there. We also need to understand why people DO NOT want to change so we can discuss that as well.

How do we expand and think/act globally while also trying to make things simpler? How do we push to be creative and innovative while also maintaining control and consistency? How do we automate and utilize technology without losing our human touch? These are tough leadership questions. As I write this blog and reread my words on the screen, I realize there is not one answer or solution to these change issues – but rather a series of steps and communications to lead and help people understand.

It always has to start with us as leaders. We need to hold everyone accountable – all the way through. Our teams notice when we overlook the problems. They also notice when we address the problems. They look at how we respond. They look at how we embrace change.

We need to go beyond motivating and visions (although these matter). We need to help find the resources to allow wins in the new environment. We need to teach, lead by example and commit to relentless learning with our teams. We need to be player and coach. We need to direct and we need to listen. We need to be part of the team versus just leading the team.

There are requirements to be an everyday leader; then there are requirements to be a change leader. Change leadership requires different skills and abilities beyond the norm (think of a turnaround CEO or manager), not the least of which is being able to manage your day-to-day activities while transitioning toward the changed business. We need to be agile, flexible….open. You can’t really afford to take your eye off either ball (current or future).

We need to create a vision, communicate the vision, live the vision and own the vision. We need to persevere.

Finally, as I have communicated in the past – we need to be authentic and compassionate leaders. I made it sound easier than it is, but the key take-away is to be “in it” with your team.

Together. We. Win.

Dave Harmon

People Division

“Kindness is Currency”

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/davidharmonhr