A Leader's Role in Change Management

Leadership series

A leader's role in change management

This resource is part of SAIF’s leadership project, which is meant to help employers and leaders of organizations establish strong and sustainable safety cultures using research-based concepts and strategies.

RESISTANCE PREPARE VISION GOALS

SUPPORT EMOTION EXECUTIVE SPONSORSHIP COMMUNICATION

Change happens High quality leadership must be present All organizations face change. Sometimes it’s through the entire process of change. Think an improvement driven internally, and other of high-quality leadership as “emotional times external factors force a change. How alignment.” Typically, most organizational an organization handles change can make change efforts fail. This is due to the the difference between successful or failed complexity of human emotion, which exerts outcomes. But change is not just an event or a powerful resistance to change. Leadership outcome, it is a process. The transition is a addresses the emotional considerations by psychological reorientation for those affected considering the hearts and minds of people by the change. This key concept often gets working towards a common goal. missed and that’s where change management What role do leaders play? comes in. Here are a few things leaders should do during What is change Effective change management is critical organizational change: management? to organizational success. There are • Communicate a clear and compelling According to Prosci, a different change management models vision Before you can even start making change management available, and using a model is important consulting firm, it is the changes, leadership must develop and discipline that guides as it will provide a framework to plan for communicate a clear and compelling how we prepare, equip, key steps in transitioning through change. vision of where you’re going. This creates and support individuals Whichever change management model you to successfully adopt awareness and a desire for change. change to drive use, leadership’s role will be crucial in any organizational success. successful change execution. (Continued)

Find more on saif.com Be a leader S1143 | ©SAIF 08.20 | Page 1 of 2 • Executive sponsorship An executive Address resistance sponsor must be visible and engaged Even if the change is needed and well-planned, through the entire process of change from there will always be employees who resist the beginning to its conclusion. According the change. This can be expected during any to Prosci, executive sponsors play a critical change implementation, and the best strategy role in communicating: is to plan for it. Top 5 reasons - A vision of where the organization Leaders can address resistance by taking the managers resist is going change: time to listen. Employees bring a unique set - A roadmap that outlines how the vision of experiences, knowledge, and emotions that 1. Loss of power, will be achieved can only be understood through conversations. responsibility, or resources - Clear alignment of the current change By listening and trying to understand different perspectives, you not only learn key 2. Overburdened with the vision with current information, but you show employees that - Specific goals or objectives that define responsibilities or you respect and appreciate their opinions and workload success unique contributions. Listening respectfully is 3. A lack of awareness - Their personal commitment and also a key attribute of a successful leader. It of the need for passion for the change adds time to the process and requires personal change effort, but it can make the difference between • Prepare your management team 4. A lack of skills success or failure. How you lead a change can needed to manage Supervisors and middle management play impact all future efforts because employees the change a critical role in the successful change will remember your past change leadership. 5. Fearful or uncertain and are often overlooked in change about the changes When it comes to communication, group management planning. Prepare and equip being made supervisors and managers with information meetings are a good way to convey the vision about the change before messages are and direction of a change and emails can rolled out to all employees. Prepare your provide the plan’s details. However, resistance management team to: can only be addressed through two-way communication in one-on-one conversations - Communicate a consistent message with employees. - Have effective conversations about the change at group and individual levels - Manage persistent resistance to the When it comes to the awareness for the need change “ of change, employees will look to their leaders - Demonstrate commitment to the change through their behavior for the “why,” but when it comes to how it will (Source: Prosci) impact their work and lives, they are going to go to their supervisor.” – Prosci

Activity ideas • One of the key attributes to a successful leader is self-reflection. Take the time to think about the following: - How do I personally respond to change? - What are my leadership strengths and weaknesses when it comes to leading change? - What actions can I take to strengthen my weaker areas? • As a group, discuss a failed or a successful change effort your team has experienced. Was there an effective vision for the change? Was it communicated? How were supervisors and managers prepared to address employee concerns?

Source: Prosci – Adkar by Jeffrey M. Hiatt