Success doesn’t depend on seeing the past as bad and change as necessarily better. It has nothing to do with judging and comparing. Success means continually adjusting to the evolving requirements of our work. Such continual adjusting tends to happen seamlessly for individuals and organizations until the evolving requirements of our work call for stark, more radical change. Then, the urgency to adjust becomes all too apparent, disruptive, and potentially overwhelming. It becomes time to engage with change in the present.
In organizations, engaging with change in the present entails helping people think and talk about the adjustments they’re making on a regular basis. Schedule conversations that allow employees to evaluate their concerns out loud and enjoy a sense of solidarity. These honest exchanges can foster creativity and collaboration, while giving everyone a chance to gradually shift gears mentally, emotionally, and physically.
We tend to engage with change more naturally in the personal habits associated with our health and wellbeing. Engaging with change is less seamless in organizations though, and leaders sometimes find themselves trying too hard to “excite” their people into change as opposed to bringing them along during the whole process of change.
Want to make the most of open dialogue in your conversations with direct reports and team members? Check out our white paper titled, “Why Daily Check-ins Are So Important.” Click below to read it now, or move on to tip #2.