All entrepreneurs know that change is always inevitable, especially in today's environment. But a lot of the time, change is HARD. In a past blog post, we shared some tips to help you embrace difficult changes. As a leader or a second-chair leader, you have a critical responsibility to help your team navigate change, whether big or small.
When you are implementing change, be very mindful of the people in the room and communicate in a way that is anticipating their feelings. Short term loss for long term gain will bring mixed reactions from the room. To get your point across in the most effective way possible, be aware that people are going to hear what you’re saying from different perspectives.
We all get comfortable in how we do things, even if it’s not the most effective or efficient way to do things. It’s natural to feel uneasy when we hear about change. Keep in mind that some of your team might be thinking about every detail that will go into making that change happen - how it will affect their day-to-day, how much training is involved - and may start to feel overwhelmed.
Helping your team adjust to change all starts with education. Overcommunicate the WHY behind this change. Giving your team a clear vision of your long-term goal will make the short-term discomfort easier to get through.
It’s okay to say, “We’re going to try this. If it doesn’t work out, we may throw it away, but we’re all going to go after progress full speed ahead.”
Leaders can be super invested in the idea that this certain change will make everything better. But not all changes achieve the desired results. You may try a new software, and after three months, decide that it’s not improving processes.
Instead of toughing out a bad situation for two or three years, be willing to pivot quickly if your team comes to you and says, “This isn’t working.” As a leader, you have to be humble enough to say, “We tried this and it didn’t work, let’s try something else.” You may step back and think, “I thought this was going to be the answer but it’s still not what I thought it was going to be. Let’s find something better out there.” That’s part of the process of improvement!
Helping your team navigate change can be daunting. Overcommunicating the WHY behind why you’re making a change is key to making the transition go smoothly. It may not be easy, but getting one step better every day means looking for long-term improvement and always looking out for the wellbeing of your team.
To hear more on this topic, stream to this episode on the One Step Better podcast on Apple Podcasts or wherever you like to listen.
