One of the biggest obstacles, managers and leaders face is resistance to Change.
It is as simple as having your favourite cup of coffee every morning and then suddenly you are asked to try a different flavour. Some may be keen to try something new, some may weigh their options before they take their first sip, and then there are those that will instantly say, No.
Myra started working for this new corporate company as one of the senior executives, she quickly realized that she will need to use Change Management skills. “Being with a new group took some getting used to. You come in and you want to set a tone. Let people get to know you and appreciate what you bring to the table,” explains Myra. “Change is different. It is something people resist. I came in and I showed what I had to offer, but unfortunately it was met with some resistance”.
Change Management & Improving Communication
The Change Management training that Myra received as part of her Bullet Proof® Manager program participation got her thinking about the obstacles she was currently facing.
“I realized that I had to stop and think: why was that happening? Was it me? Was it them? Was it all of us? What could I do?” Myra recalls. “I recognized that I could only control my behaviors and actions. It sounds very basic, that we should all know, but sometimes it is the basics that we forget, and we move too quickly by.”
However, it did not take long for Myra to realize the basics of management and the practical application of leadership skills was on a whole different level than what she had experienced before. Part of change management training is learning how to open those lines of communication with teams and peers in a way that reduces resistance and breaks down barriers. During one of their leadership development sessions, Myra was able to work together to learn more about how their personality styles affect, how they communicate and work with one another. They were able to start building a better foundation for a collaborative team environment by understanding how others might react to changes or different communication styles.
“The Bullet Proof® Manager helped me sit back and look at all of them including myself, because we’re all part of it. I looked at myself, I looked at them and I could recognize where they might react to a certain way to something I say or do, and I recognize I can change my behavior in that way. Because the only way you can work well with each other is by actually understanding each other.”
Empowerment & Recognition
One of the things that Myra wanted to change was how the junior employees were developed professionally. She saw a terrific opportunity to develop her leadership pipeline and influence their ability to produce greater value for the company by empowering them with opportunities for experiential growth. “In my position, I get to get involved and touch many people, and this works into my main passion which is to really add value and to help. It may not necessarily be quantifiable, but if I can improve my team’s quality of life and make them feel happier in what they do, that makes me feel happy. It makes me feel like I’m doing something with purpose.”
Myra wanted to inspire her team to be better, feel confident, and innovate more. She started by spending the time to sit with each person on her team and clearly outline why they were important to her personally, to the department, and to the company.
She recalls, “That meant a lot to them. Appreciation goes a long way and sometimes we forget, or we neglect to take the time out to do it, but it is a small thing that makes a significant impact.”
Words only go so far. You must be able to show your employees that they are valuable and that you appreciate their work by empowering them to take on new projects and responsibilities.
“I want them to see that my actions match my words,” says Myra. “So, I give them the opportunity to do new things. I give them the entire scope of a project or initiative, and then I tell them, ‘This is yours. Here is your objective. Go forth and get it done.’ And then I let them handle it.”
Doing this, Myra empowered the people on her team particularly her junior employees, to see themselves differently and to gain the confidence they needed to be successful. It completely changed the way they presented themselves at work and increased productivity. Her employees were happier at work and created a much-improved environment.
“When someone on the team is successful, we don’t keep it a secret. We share it with everyone in the company. People started to see those persons in a different light. Because sometimes you put persons in a box and if they don’t know they can climb out of that box, they stay within those four walls. I broke down those walls and I said, ‘You don’t need to live in here. You go forth. You create, I am here to guide you if you need me, but I trust you, you can do this, I believe in you.’ To me, that is what leadership is all about.”
#ChangeLeadership #BetterWorld #BetterLeaders #OvercomeResistance #kiranmannm2m
Cheers,
Kiran Mann
