Establishing a change agent network is crucial for driving successful organizational change. Change agents act as catalysts, facilitating communication, engagement, and implementation of change initiatives. Based on our experience and insights from successful integration projects, here are the key steps and best practices for building an effective change agent network.
While these best practices have worked for us in the past, the approach we’ve used to achieve these goals varied across organizations. It is important to remember that every individual and, by extension, organization is different; what has worked for one may not work for another. For instance, how you achieve active participation among change agents will differ based on the incentives that motivate the group in question. The following is meant to be a high-level framework; the work will be in how you implement them effectively across the organization you are working with.
1. Set Clear Expectations
Early and Ongoing Communication: Establishing clear expectations from the outset is essential. Communicate the roles, responsibilities, and goals of the change agents early in the process. Reinforce these expectations regularly to ensure continuous alignment.
Active Participation: Encourage change agents to actively participate in delivering training, presentations, and coaching sessions. This involvement not only enhances their skills but also fosters a sense of ownership and commitment.
Two-Way Communication: Facilitate open and ongoing two-way communication between the change agents and the project team. This dialogue helps in addressing concerns, gathering insights, and ensuring that the change agents are well-supported.
2. Select the Right Individuals
Influential and Respected: Choose individuals who are considered influential and respected within their groups. Their credibility and ability to influence peers are critical for driving change.
Interviews: We often see Change Managers rely on senior leaders to select individuals to join the change agent network. However, interviewing these individuals before inviting them to join is a must. This serves several purposes: you have the opportunity to build rapport, set expectations one-on-one, determine whether the individual would be a good fit, learn more about the context of the organization, and understand how employees are perceiving the change early on. Additionally, we’ve found that this added step introduces a level of prestige to the group, which can help achieve the active participation you’re looking for.
Secondments: Where possible, consider seconding employees to dedicate time specifically to change agent activities. This ensures that they have the necessary bandwidth to focus on their responsibilities.
Optimal Group Size: Be mindful of the group size. A larger group can make two-way communication and engagement challenging. Aim for a size that is manageable and effective for your specific context.
3. Build Key Enablers
Role Education: Develop a comprehensive plan to educate change agents about their roles, the change management process, and coaching techniques. Equip them with the knowledge and tools they need before they start actively participating. For instance, AVANGRID, an Energy and Utility company, selected and sent their change agents to complete Prosci’s Change Management Certification Program..
Establish Authority: It’s important to provide the change agents with the level of authority necessary to help support the change – signalling to the organization that they are empowered to act as a spokesperson for the project and that they are critical to it’s success. Communicate this early and often to ensure that all individuals involved understand the role of the change agents in helping support people leaders and employees during the change.
Engagement and Accountability: During meetings, assign specific agenda items to change agents during touchpoints and meetings. This practice encourages active engagement, accountability, and ownership of the change initiatives.
Integration into Project Meetings: Incorporate change agents into regular project meetings. Their involvement ensures they are up-to-date with the latest developments and can provide valuable feedback and insights.
Incentives: Provide incentives such as career advancement opportunities, stretch goal achievements, and company swag. Recognizing and rewarding their efforts keeps them motivated and engaged.
4. Support and Feedback Mechanisms
Regular Check-ins: Schedule regular check-ins to discuss progress, address challenges, and provide additional support. These touchpoints help maintain momentum and ensure that change agents feel supported.
Coaching: The change agent network is an extension of the change management team. Change Managers should aim to provide a similar level of support you would to direct reports who are helping you manage the change. They are an active part of the team managing the change and should not be limited to only observe and report functions.
Resource Hub: Create an online resource hub with FAQs, templates, training materials, and contact information. This central repository ensures change agents have easy access to the resources they need.
Feedback Channels: Establish feedback channels where change agents can report resistance, share observations, and provide suggestions. Use this feedback to make necessary adjustments and improvements to the change process.
5. Monitor and Adjust
Progress Tracking: Develop dashboards to track key metrics such as engagement levels, completion of integration activities, and milestones achieved. Regularly review these metrics to monitor progress.
Adjust Strategies: Be prepared to adjust strategies and, in some cases, the change agents themselves, based on feedback and progress tracking. Flexibility and responsiveness are keys to managing change complexity.
Recognition: Acknowledge and celebrate the successes and contributions of change agents. Recognition programs and public acknowledgments boost morale and reinforce the importance of their role.
Conclusion
Building an effective change agent network requires careful selection, clear expectations, ongoing support, and regular monitoring. By following these best practices, organizations can leverage the power of change agents to drive successful change initiatives, foster engagement, and achieve their strategic goals.
For a detailed case study on how we successfully implemented a change agent network during a major acquisition, please read our case study here.
If you would like to learn more about how we can support your organization in establishing a change agent network or other change management services, please Contact Us or Book a Free Discovery Call.
The concept of a four-day work week is stirring up significant interest globally, challenging traditional norms and promising a revolution in work-life balance and productivity. As we navigate the post-pandemic world, the push towards this model has gained momentum, with various countries pioneering the change and reaping its benefits.
Historical Shifts and Modern Productivity
The evolution from a six-day to a five-day work week marked a significant milestone in our pursuit of balancing work and life. With Henry Ford’s endorsement in the early 20th century, the five-day work week became a standard, heralding a new era of employee welfare and efficiency. Today, we stand at another pivotal moment, as studies reveal a 400% productivity increase since the inception of the five-day work week, challenging us to rethink how we can achieve even greater efficiency and well-being in our professional lives.
The Global Perspective: Lessons Learned
Countries like Spain, the UK, New Zealand, Belgium, and Japan have led the way in adopting a four-day work week, with remarkable outcomes. A Bloomberg study highlighted a seamless transition for over 70 UK companies, with a majority reporting substantial success in this new schedule. Closer to home, PRAXIS, a Toronto-based marketing communications agency, joined the 4-Day Week Global trial, aligning with 59 other North American companies to explore this model’s potential.
Tangible Benefits: Beyond Wellness
The shift to a four-day work week transcends employee wellness, offering substantial business advantages. From Perpetual Guardian’s 20% productivity boost in New Zealand to Microsoft Japan’s 40% productivity increase and significant reductions in operational costs, the evidence is compelling. This model not only promotes employee well-being but also drives efficiency and sustainability, presenting an attractive proposition for businesses and employees alike.
Managing the Shift: A Strategic Approach
Embracing a four-day work week requires planning and change management. Here’s how I propose to navigate this transformative journey:
The first step is understanding the current state of your organization. This involves assessing cultural readiness, existing workloads, and operational efficiency. It’s about asking the right questions: Are we operating at peak efficiency? Can certain tasks be automated or streamlined? This phase sets the groundwork for a successful transition by identifying potential barriers and opportunities for optimization.
With a solid understanding of your organization’s readiness, the next step is detailed planning. This involves setting clear objectives, defining success metrics, and developing a roadmap for implementation. Planning should also include stakeholder engagement, ensuring that all levels of the organization are informed and onboard with the proposed changes.
Before a full rollout, a pilot program is essential. This controlled trial allows you to test the four-day work week with a select group of employees, providing invaluable data on its impacts. Key performance indicators (KPIs) should be monitored closely, including productivity levels, employee satisfaction, and any operational challenges that arise. The pilot phase is crucial for fine-tuning the approach before a wider implementation.
Armed with insights from the pilot, the launch phase involves rolling out the four-day work week across the organization. This should be done gradually, allowing for adjustments based on departmental needs and feedback. Communication is key during this phase, as is continued monitoring of the same KPIs tracked during the pilot.
Finally, the sustainment phase focuses on embedding the four-day work week into the organization’s culture. This includes regular reviews of KPIs, continuous improvement initiatives, and maintaining open lines of communication with employees. The goal is to ensure the change is not only successful in the short term but is sustainable and beneficial in the long run.
Looking Ahead
As we stand on the brink of a potential work culture revolution, the four-day work week promises a future where efficiency and well-being are not mutually exclusive but mutually enhancing. The global and local evidence underscores the feasibility and benefits of this model, offering a blueprint for organizations ready to embrace change.
For those intrigued by the possibility of a four-day work week and seeking to understand the intricacies of such a transition, including insights from leaders who have embarked on this journey, I invite you to listen to our latest episode of Reroute Reflections. Join us as we delve deeper into this transformative topic and explore how your organization can navigate the path to a more balanced, productive, and satisfying work life.
For a deeper dive into the intricacies of this transformation, including personal insights and listener questions, I invite you to listen to our latest episode of the Reroute Reflections podcast. Join us as we explore the future of work and how we can collectively navigate these changes for a brighter, more balanced tomorrow.
Embracing new media formats for communicating change fosters greater collaboration, boosts engagement, and mitigates resistance from team members. While emails remain valuable, they should be used judiciously for effectiveness. The key lies in selecting suitable communication methods based on specific objectives and the target audience, ensuring relevant colleagues are included or tagged. Accommodating the communication preferences of employees and team members is vital, as some may prefer traditional channels while others engage more with newer media. Leveraging these media for change communication helps keep employers and employees informed about work and changes without disrupting the workflow.
Comparative Analysis of Communication and Collaboration Tools
Microsoft Teams, part of the Microsoft 365 suite, is designed to facilitate communication and collaboration, especially for remote or distributed teams.
Cost: Options range from free to monthly subscriptions (Microsoft Teams Essentials at $4/month, Microsoft 365 Business Basic at $6/month, and Microsoft 365 Business Standard at $12.50/month).
Pros:
User-Friendly Interface: Known for its ease of use and familiar layout, especially for those already using Microsoft products.
Full Integration with Microsoft 365: Seamless compatibility with Microsoft Office tools like Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.
External Collaboration: Allows guest access, facilitating collaboration with users from other organizations.
Diverse Communication Options: Includes chat, video calls, and task management features.
Cons:
Limited External User Functionality: External users may face restricted capabilities compared to internal users.
Notification Overload: Can generate a significant number of notifications, potentially leading to information overload.
Navigation Complexity: Some features, like accessing recordings, can be less intuitive and require navigating through various tabs.
Summary
Microsoft Teams is an excellent choice for organizations deeply integrated with Microsoft 365. It is particularly useful for project launches, corporate communications, and real-time collaboration through chat and video. However, its performance can be demanding on system resources, and navigating some of its features might require a learning curve. It is most effective in transformational and transitional change management scenarios.
Discord
Discord is a chat app allowing users to create private servers with multiple channels for text, voice, photo, or video messages.
Cost: Free
Pros:
Community Building: Ideal for creating spaces with various interest channels, enhancing community interaction.
Live Streaming Capabilities: Offers the ability for live streaming to a server audience.
Diverse Interaction Methods: Supports voice, video calls, and live chat boxes for real-time engagement.
Cons:
Gaming Association: Primarily designed for gaming communities, which might not align with all professional environments.
Complex Interface: Can be overwhelming for new users due to its many features and functionalities.
Limited Professional Tools: Does not offer built-in task management or business-oriented tools.
Summary
Discord is an excellent tool for quick, continuous collaboration and is especially beneficial in times of remote work and dynamic project environments. It is best suited for developmental change management, such as in projects focused on continuous improvement, team development, and problem-solving.
Slack
Slack is a centralized platform for team communication, collaboration, and file sharing, popular in professional settings.
Cost: Free and Paid options (Slack Pro at $7.25/month, Business+ at $12.50/month).
Pros:
Real-Time Communication: Facilitates instant messaging and quick connections between team members.
Robust Security: Implements measures like two-factor authentication and data encryption.
File Sharing and Integration: Supports various file types and integrates with cloud storage and other services.
Organized Conversations: Uses channels to help organize discussions by topic or project.
Cons:
Information Overload: The constant message flow can lead to distractions and overwhelm.
Initial Complexity: New users might find the interface and features a bit daunting at first.
Dependency on Internet Connectivity: Requires a stable internet connection for optimal performance.
Summary
Slack is particularly effective for teams needing a fast, reliable communication platform with strong file-sharing capabilities. It is well-suited for developmental change management, facilitating enhanced sales, quality improvements, and team collaboration. Its integration with various apps makes it a versatile tool for centralized communication.
Workvivo
Workvivo is a Zoom powered platform designed to connect and engage employees, improving organizational communication.
Cost: Paid (requires a sales quote)
Pros:
Comprehensive Collaboration Tools: Offers messaging, file sharing, video conferencing, and whiteboarding.
Seamless Integration: Integrates with Cisco Webex Meetings for smooth transitions between messaging and video conferencing.
Strong Emphasis on Security: Features end-to-end encryption for messaging, secure file sharing, and compliance with industry standards.
Scalability: Designed to meet the needs of both small teams and large enterprises.
Third-Party Application Integration: Supports integration with various workflow tools to enhance productivity.
Employee Engagement Features: Includes recognition programs, employee profiles, and social interaction tools.
Customization Options: Allows organizations to tailor the platform to their specific needs and branding.
Integration with Other Tools: Provides a seamless user experience through integration with various systems.
Mobile Accessibility: Offers mobile apps for connectivity on the go.
Cons:
Cost Consideration: Depending on the organization’s size and required features, the cost could be significant.
Potential Resistance to Adoption: Employees comfortable with existing methods may resist the introduction of a new tool where comparative tools already exist.
Privacy Concerns: Sharing information within the organization raises questions about data security.
Integration with Third Party platforms: While possible, it is not straightforward to implement. The platform works best in an organization that uses Zoom as their primary virtual meeting tool.
Summary
Workvivo excels in creating a collaborative platform that respects individual identity and contributions, focusing on intrinsic motivators. It is ideal for scenarios where enhancing sales, quality, and team development are key objectives. Its emphasis on intrinsic motivation makes it a valuable tool for developmental change management, especially in remote work environments.
Cisco Webex Teams
Cisco Webex Teams supports real-time and asynchronous communication, suitable for remote teams.
Cost: Free and paid options (Webex Starter at $19/month, Webex Business at $26/month).
Pros:
Comprehensive Collaboration Tools: Offers messaging, file sharing, video conferencing, and whiteboarding.
Seamless Integration: Integrates with Cisco Webex Meetings for smooth transitions between messaging and video conferencing.
Strong Emphasis on Security: Features end-to-end encryption for messaging, secure file sharing, and compliance with industry standards.
Scalability: Designed to meet the needs of both small teams and large enterprises.
Third-Party Application Integration: Supports integration with various workflow tools to enhance productivity.
Cons:
Learning Curve: The platform’s various features and functionalities may initially be complex for some users.
Resource-Intensive: Can be demanding on devices with limited processing power, especially during video conferencing.
Limited Customization: May not offer extensive customization options for interface appearance and organization.
User Experience: Streamlining the interface for simplicity could be challenging for those seeking an intuitive user experience.
Integration with Third Party platforms: While possible, it is not straightforward to implement. The platform works best in an organization that uses WebEx as their primary virtual meeting tool.
Summary
Cisco Webex Teams is a versatile platform that combines calling, meeting, messaging, polling, and events. It includes People Insights, a feature providing anonymized data around meetings to help managers gauge team engagement and collaboration dynamics. Positioned between Zoom and Microsoft Teams, Webex integrates more than the former but doesn’t encompass an all-in-one productivity tool like the latter. It is particularly effective for transformational and transitional change management, facilitating detailed discussions on change and supporting necessary calls and meetings.
Navigating change is an inherently complex and imperfect process, often met with varying degrees of acceptance among employees. However, the manner in which organizations communicate these changes can play a pivotal role in shaping employee perceptions and responses. By thoughtfully selecting and utilizing communication platforms that align with a company’s values and culture, there’s potential to foster a more open and receptive attitude towards change. This approach can encourage employees to not only accept change but also actively contribute positively to the evolving dynamics of the team and organization.
We recognize that the landscape of communication tools is diverse and constantly evolving. As such, we are curious to learn about your experiences and perspectives: What adjustments do you find critical in communicating organizational changes? Your insights are valuable, and we invite you to share them in the comments section. Let’s continue this conversation and exchange ideas on platforms like Twitter and LinkedIn, where we can collectively explore effective strategies for managing change in our workplaces.
Resources:
Comparative Analysis of Communication and Collaboration Tools
Assessing Features and Functionalities of Key Platforms for Organizational Change Management
Change is often challenging for individuals because they tend to prefer a comfortable and predictable state. While this minimizes risk, it also can disconnect us from the present moment. We become less receptive to change-related messages. We’ve all felt this before; have you ever arrived at a destination without consciously considering the route? Perhaps missing a more efficient path. This automatic mode (or “auto-pilot”), while comfortable, often blinds us to innovative possibilities and hinders our ability to adapt to new, potentially better ways of doing things. This auto-pilot state is evolutionary in nature, it allows us to dedicate less cognitive effort and frees up capacity for other activities, talking with your partner in the car and listening to music. We like our auto-pilot state, it’s why people resist change so much. Change requires a significant amount of cognitive effort and introduces feelings of discomfort, unfamiliarity, and fear of the unknown. We associate change with loss and added effort, no wonder we resist it.
We can all agree that communication is the cornerstone of engagement, yet it is often met with resistance. We have to remember that our employees come from different backgrounds, departments, and levels of experience, they are individuals, unique in every aspect, including how they prefer to receive information. Some might favor direct emails, while others might respond better to interactive platforms like Slack or Teams. Furthermore, the tone, format, and detail can resonate differently across these groups. Recognizing and respecting these nuances is crucial. For instance, a young, tech-savvy team might appreciate concise digital updates, whereas a more traditional group might value detailed reports or face-to-face meetings. Tailoring communication strategies to suit these diverse preferences is not just about delivering a message; it’s about ensuring the message is received, understood, and acted upon. When change initiatives fail, it’s often not due to the change itself, but rather to a gap in how and what we communicate to those who are being impacted. Ultimately, the goal is not just to check a box and send out information timely; it’s about fostering a deeper understanding of what is going to happen and inspire action amongst those who are being asked to change the way they do things moving forward.
The most important messages to communicate depend on a number of factors. It depends on who you’re communicating to, what you’re communicating about, the internal and external landscape that is surrounding the change and so much more. It’s why here at Reroute Consulting we advocated for a targeted approach to how we communicate our messages. We spend time getting to know the business, it’s stakeholders and those who will be impacted by the change. Does it take more time? Yes. Do we always get the intended results? Sometimes. We are after all dealing with people, there is no such thing as a guaranteed solution in managing change. This concept of complexity is explored in more detail in our article, Complexity and Change Management.
While there is no playbook we can follow, there are some guiding principles based on several years of research. In general, employees want to hear organizational related messaging from the top, from the CEO/President of the firm. However, personal messages, such as how my day-to-day activities will be changing as the result of a change, not surprisingly require a personal touch; employee prefer to hear these messages from their direct supervisor/leader.
When we consider the messaging, employees typically want answers to five fundamental questions:
How will this change impact me?
Why is this change happening?
Why should I care?
What will the future look like?
How will we get there?
Leaders, including our senior leaders. want similar messaging, with one additional piece: what will their role be in managing the change. In other words, what are they expected to do to help support the change. This has many facets to it, it includes, but is not limited to, the following:
How and what should we communicate to our employees?
What are the key messages we should be sharing with employees?
Where do I go to get the information I need and who do I contact for support?
These are things you can control; identifying your audience, targeting the message to a particular group, identifying who is best to send it out and determining what the message will say. The difficulty comes in trying to encourage motivation, understanding and engagement about the change, This has always been a challenge and it’s getting harder over time. There are so many distractions today, while many of us in the field seek to achieve 80% readership, we’re lucky if we get 20% of our readers to read a message we send in it’s entirety. It’s our firm belief here at Reroute Consulting, that the challenge lies not in the change itself but in how it’s conveyed to employees. We don’t think that people hate change, full stop. People are far more complex to enable us to make such a prevailing assumption. We think the gap is in how we approach communication strategy that needs an overhaul. In our experience, less formal messaging, with the primary goal of encouraging collaboration and transparency yields the highest likelihood for success.
Are you feeling a bit discouraged, feeling like there is no such thing as an effective communication strategy; there are just too many variables that need to be considered and who has the resources to ensure that we dot every ‘i’ and cross every ‘t.’ You know we wouldn’t do that to you. There is a light at the end of the tunnel and a two actionable solutions to help you design, develop and deliver effective communications.
First, effective communications requires the support of our people leaders. Leaders are crucial to helping customize the messaging to meet the specific needs of their employees, they are best equip to tailor a standard message to their team so it resonates. They are also better equipped to provide employees with the space they need to express their concerns and questions, and this space is crucial to driving engagement. Leaders should be receptive to their employees concerns, even resistance, ensuring that they feel comfortable to share their grievances so that they can tackle them head on instead of having these feelings linger in silence only to come up later, stronger and more disruptive in nature. There are many tactics leaders can use to help manage employee resistance.
Second, given the inherent unpredictability of change, it is also important that we continuously monitor, learn from, and adjust our approach to managing the change as necessary. This includes how we communicate details of the change. This process is easier said than done, it requires a willingness to receive feedback from employees and, more importantly, actually do something about the feedback received. It isn’t always easy to operationalize, but giving employees a voice will work wonders to drive the level of motivation, understanding and engagement we all want to see when introducing a change, an investment in maintaining open lines of communication, transparency and collaboration will always yield dividends, if you can commit to taking the necessary action based on the information received. This means sometimes going back to the drawing board and starting over.
Change will never be flawless, and employees may never fully embrace it. However, by altering the way we communicate change to our employees, can have a significant impact on our ability to introduce a successful change.
Read our follow up article for a list of the top 5 communication tactics and strategies we’ve used in practice to improve our ability to drive motivation, understanding and engagement for our clients.
The Importance of Building Trust and Psychological Safety at Work
Join us on this journey as we uncover what we believe to be the secret to successful leadership, a place where vulnerability meets values, trust inspires connection, and authenticity is not merely a choice but a necessity.
In today’s fast-paced, ever-changing business environment, leaders are facing unprecedented challenges that require not only strategic thinking but also a profound understanding of human psychology. Through my work in change management, it has become increasingly clear that success demands more than just a solid plan and execution. While traditional approaches to organizational change often emphasize process and strategy, there is a growing recognition by many in the industry that connecting with people on a deeper level, understanding what motivates and frightens them, and having open and compassionate conversations are crucial to success.
This linkage between change management and mental health has never been more relevant or essential. This shift from focusing solely on procedural elements to embracing the human aspects—the emotional, psychological, and social—is not merely a trend; it’s a paradigm shift that has profoundly transformed the way I manage change both personally and professionally.
The purpose of this article is to shed light on this new paradigm of leadership, one that integrates mental health concepts, theories, and initiatives into change management strategies. Drawing on insights from change managers and human resources (HR) professionals, psychotherapists, and professional coaches, we aim to inspire and empower leaders to create a workplace culture that emphasizes mental well-being, embraces authenticity, and promotes continuous learning.
Whether you’re managing a small team or leading a multinational corporation, the insights in this article offer a fresh perspective on change management, one that acknowledges the complex emotional landscape within which change occurs.
In the following sections, we’ll delve into the aspects of leadership that are vital for success in today’s dynamic environment. We’ll explore the importance of psychological safety, the value of being yourself as a leader, the practical application of mental health techniques in managing change, and much more.
Join us on this journey as we uncover what we believe to be the secret to successful leadership, a place where vulnerability meets values, trust inspires connection, and authenticity is not merely a choice but a necessity.
The Importance of Psychological Safety
In an environment where change is constant and often overwhelming, the concept of psychological safety has risen to prominence. But what does it mean in the workplace, and why does it matter?
According to Jack Skerry, an HR professional at Moosehead Brewery, psychological safety is more than just a program—it’s a culture. “It’s about recognizing and embracing the different ways to share perspectives, allowing people the time to digest the information they receive, showing appreciation, open discourse, being clear and transparent about information and managing expectations,”
The emphasis on psychological safety extends beyond the corporate world. Meredith Richmond, a psychotherapist and Regional Lead for the National Managers’ Community, points to transparency, empathy, and a deep and unabiding care for individuals as key factors in building psychological safety. “Start with transparency,” she advises, adding that recognizing people’s feelings and sitting with discomfort is vital in nurturing trust.
Symbols, rituals, and stories play a crucial role in anchoring this idea within an organization. From incorporating safety moments in meetings to sharing stories that bring these concepts to life, organizations must be intentional in fostering a culture where employees feel secure.
But why is psychological safety so critical? The answer lies in its profound impact on how individuals navigate change. By ensuring an environment where people feel safe to express concerns, ask questions, and openly discuss challenges, leaders can create a space where change is not feared but embraced.
However, instilling psychological safety isn’t always easy. The obstacles often include:
Traditional Hierarchical Structures
The way power dynamics play out in traditional corporate hierarchies can severely impede the development of psychological safety. Employees often fear speaking out or showing vulnerability due to concerns about how superiors may react. This stifles open communication, creativity, and trust within teams, hindering the creation of a psychologically safe environment. This phenomenon which is often referred to as the “frozen middle” exemplifies how traditional hierarchical structures can stifle innovation and diversity, leading to a rigid and fearful corporate culture.
Competitive Environment
Many corporate cultures emphasize competition, both between employees and between different parts of the organization. This can lead to a fear of failure and a reluctance to take necessary risks, share new ideas, or admit to mistakes. When success is narrowly defined, and failure is not seen as an opportunity for growth, the environment can become hostile, inhibiting the development of psychological safety.
Lack of Emotional Intelligence Training
Emotional intelligence is key to understanding and responding to the emotional needs and concerns of team members. However, it is often overlooked in leadership training and development. Without these skills, leaders may struggle to create an empathetic environment where employees feel understood, valued, and safe. David Marquet demonstrates, in book “Greatness,” the power of emotionally intelligent leadership in fostering an environment where team members feel empowered and valued.
Short-Term Goal Orientation
A strong focus on short-term goals and financial performance can create a pressure-filled environment where long-term well-being and team cohesion are neglected. This intense focus on immediate results can discourage the open dialogue and experimentation needed to foster psychological safety.
Lack of Measurement
This ethos of safety should not be limited to words but must be tracked and assessed routinely to ensure that psychological safety is not just a buzzword but a tangible practice.
Authentic Leadership & Being Yourself
In an era of constant change, authenticity and human connection have emerged as crucial aspects of leadership. But what about the way people are leading today needs to change? To quote Brené Brown, “We need braver, compassionate leaders and more courageous cultures.”
Dana Mandowsky, a certified professional and personal leadership coach, encourages leaders to bridge the gap between corporate expectations and personal authenticity. Her approach focuses on the whole person and is centered around three key elements:
Empowerment
Mandowsky believes in equipping leaders of all levels in an organization with the confidence, skills, and authority to take control of their own work and make decisions. This empowerment promotes a sense of ownership and self-motivation, creating leaders who are more engaged and proactive.
Wellbeing
Recognizing that the health and happiness of leaders are vital to their effectiveness, Mandowsky emphasizes mental and physical wellness as a cornerstone of her coaching. Her approach includes strategies to balance work and personal life, reduce stress, and foster a culture of support and empathy.
Humanness
This element underscores the importance of authenticity, empathy, and compassion in leadership. Mandowsky’s approach encourages leaders to be true to themselves and to connect with others on a human level. By valuing and nurturing the human aspects of leadership, such as emotional intelligence and ethical considerations, leaders can build more meaningful relationships and create an environment of trust and collaboration.
Mandowsky has not only seen her clients achieve higher levels of success in their work and careers, with promotions, better relationships, and higher performance among the outcomes; her clients also experience an improvement in their overall health and personal lives. We can have both, not just one or the other.
These elements are key to success in today’s professional landscape. Being yourself is the secret to becoming a better leader. Let’s face it, it’s far too taxing to be two different people. Being authentic generates more success than any corporate persona ever could. Consider Beyoncé, a global superstar who infuses her work with the fun and passion that she herself experiences. If she can stay true to herself while being at the top of her game, why can’t business leaders do the same?
Several years ago, while attending the Leadership Development Program at a former employer, I had the opportunity to participate in a 360-degree survey. This encompassed feedback from a wide range of perspectives, including my manager and peers. The results were both shocking and enlightening. In short, I received feedback from numerous sources, urging me to be less “formal” and to “be yourself.” Thankfully, I took that feedback to heart and made a concerted effort to change how I presented myself at work. I started taking myself less seriously, and in the process, I realized two very important things. First, this version of myself, which more closely aligned with my true, authentic self, was not only easier but also less stressful to maintain on a day-to-day basis. Second, and most importantly, I began to genuinely enjoy working with my colleagues, and it appears that they felt the same way. This revelation came early in my career, and I attribute a significant part of the success I was able to achieve to my decision to shed my corporate persona and embrace my authentic self in the workplace.
In the words of Oscar Wilde, “be yourself; everyone else is already taken.” Embracing this truth will allow leaders to unleash their unique potential and navigate the path of leadership with integrity, compassion, and courage.
Building Trust
“Psychological safety means that team members feel safe to take risks and be vulnerable in front of each other,” states Amy Edmonson. Jack Skerry emphasizes psychological safety in his work, explaining that trust is an essential component of any successful relationship, be it personal or professional. In the context of change management, trust takes on a critical role as it lays the foundation for open communication, collaboration, and the willingness to embrace change. But how can leaders foster trust within their teams and organizations?
Skerry shares a simple yet profound framework for trust, which he refers to as the ABCDs. This acronym stands for:
Ability
This refers to the competence and skills that team members have, and the leader’s confidence in those abilities. Leaders must ensure that team members are well-equipped with the necessary resources and training to carry out their responsibilities. Acknowledging and leveraging individual strengths builds confidence and trust within the team.
Believability
Honesty and integrity are at the core of believability. Leaders who communicate transparently and keep their promises create a culture where trust can thrive. Being open about intentions and aligning words with actions fosters a sense of reliability and genuineness.
Connectedness
Building relationships and connections within the team is vital for trust. Connectedness is about empathy, understanding, and emotional intelligence. Leaders who actively engage with their team members and show genuine interest in their well-being cultivate an environment where trust can flourish.
Dependability
This involves consistency and reliability in actions. Dependability means that team members know what to expect and can rely on their leaders to be there for them, follow through on commitments, and maintain consistent standards.
Together, these ABCDs form a comprehensive framework for building and maintaining trust. By focusing on Ability, Believability, Connectedness, and Dependability, leaders can create a psychologically safe environment where team members feel valued, respected, and empowered to contribute to the change process.
By integrating these principles into their leadership approach, organizational leaders can create a solid foundation for managing change effectively. Whether navigating minor adjustments or significant organizational overhauls, the trust engendered by the ABCDs offers a path towards success that acknowledges the human element at the core of any change initiative.
Training and Incentivizing Leaders
How do we incentivize leaders to foster psychological safety consistently? The journey to creating a psychologically safe environment begins with a leader’s personal development. Drawing insights from David Marquet’s “Turn the Ship Around!,” leaders must cultivate skills like vulnerability and trust, moving beyond the traditional command-and-control model to one that empowers and values every team member. They must also embrace challenges with honesty and integrity, reflecting Skerry’s view of trust as a mutual aspect, competence, believability, connectedness, and dependability.
In “Teaming to Innovate,” Dr. Amy Edmondson emphasizes the importance of failure as a learning opportunity. Leaders should encourage an environment where mistakes are not just tolerated but seen as valuable lessons. This approach requires a significant cultural shift, rewarding empathy, transparency, and authenticity rather than punishing failure.
Incentivizing leaders, therefore, is about more than mere rewards or punishments. It’s about creating environments that prioritize mental health and recognize barriers to psychological safety. It’s about reshaping organizational culture to focus on leadership skills that promote connectedness, empathy, and a willingness to take risks. By aligning incentives with these values, organizations can foster a culture that encourages innovation, collaboration, and overall well-being.
Conclusion
As the lines between personal and professional lives continue to blur, the integration of mental health concepts into change management has become vital. Leaders must embrace authenticity, vulnerability, and courage, recognizing that our ability to navigate change is intricately connected to our mental health.
It’s time to recognize that almost everything will work again if unplugged for a minute, including ourselves. By instilling psychological safety, fostering compassionate leadership, and honoring human values, we can all find success and fulfillment in our professional lives.
After all, if Beyoncé can have fun at work and be at the top of her game, why can’t we all?
Nearly 50% say they feel scared and worried about ChatGPT and other large language based models (LLMs); while only 25% feel excited. As a change manager, I’ve been fascinated with the storyline surrounding ChatGPT. I can’t help but wonder if the advent of the internet was met with similar hostility, or if people embraced it with open arms, grateful they no longer needed to visit a library for research on a school paper.
The world has been evolving at a record pace, and the amount of information available has never been greater, continuing to grow exponentially every day. In just the last 39 years alone, the amount of data in the world has increased by more than 7,500 times. Let’s face it, the world is not what it used to be, and if we want to keep up, we need to evolve too.
Artificial intelligence (AI) has and will continue to play a crucial role in this evolution and while we often hear AI-driven disruption linked to fields such as healthcare, finance and transportation and logistics. I’d argue that it might be easier to list the fields that will not be impacted by AI-driven disruption than those that will be. I’d argue that the field of change management is an area where AI-driven disruption is imminent, and I for one can’t wait to add more AI tools to my toolkit.
AI has already begun enhancing many of the activities that change managers do on a daily basis, including analysis, training and communications. AI tools can sift through vast amounts of data, identifying patterns and trends to help identify people impacts associated with a change, it can help create clear, concise messaging to help draft standard communications to employees or other key stakeholders, it can also be used to help keep people better informed during times of change. For example, replacing our guides and frequently-asked-questions (FAQ) documents with a chatbot that can help answer any question an employee asks in real time. These are only a few examples of what AI technology, like ChatGPT can do to help free up capacity for us to focus on what matters; managing the complexity of the change in front of us.
Remember, change – by a function of the fact that it involves people – is complex in nature. This means that how we manage a change is constantly evolving before, during and after implementation. Managing a successful change requires us to identify changes in people’s attitudes, behaviours and beliefs as quickly as possible in order to reiterate our approach accordingly and manage the change effectively. Sound complicated? It isn’t, it’s complex and an AI tool to help us identify these patterns quicker will be invaluable to say the least.
Okay, so I’m a fan! However, it is crucial that we remember a few important things as we start to leverage this technology so that we do so in an ethical and responsible way. AI-generated content should be viewed as a starting point, rather than a finished product, and it remains the responsibility of change managers to verify the accuracy of the content, to maintain the empathy and genuine connection that we bring to managing change, and to not become over reliant on the tool itself. The experience and expertise we bring to the table can never be replaced by a machine. We are managing the people side of change after all. This can’t be done by a computer. However, there are elements of the role that can be done more efficiently by AI, so just as we wouldn’t go to a library to complete a school report today, let’s not fail to leverage what’s available to us to help us more effectively manage change and do what we do best; minimize fear and anxiety associated with change for the firm’s most valuable asset, their employees.
As we navigate the complexities of change management, it becomes increasingly clear that AI’s role transcends the traditional notion of Artificial Intelligence towards a more collaborative paradigm of Augmented Intelligence. This perspective redefines AI not as a replacement for human ingenuity and empathy but as an extension that amplifies our capabilities. In embracing AI tools like ChatGPT in change management, we leverage technology to enhance our understanding, decision-making, and efficiency, ensuring that the human element remains at the core of all transformations.
Moreover, one of the most understated yet profound benefits of integrating AI into our practices is its solution to the daunting “blank page” issue. The the challenge of drafting the first line of a communication or an initial plan, often hinders creativity and productivity. AI, in this context, serves as a catalyst, providing a starting point that can inspire ideas, spark creativity, and break the paralysis that the blank page presents. It’s about turning the blank page into a canvas of possibilities, where AI-generated suggestions become the first brushstrokes of what will eventually be a masterpiece refined by human experience, empathy, and strategic insight.
Why do change initiatives fail? If the COVID-19 pandemic has taught society anything, it’s that change is inevitable. If you cannot adapt to the ever-changing world, you will be left behind. If we know the only constant in life is change, why is it difficult to implement change management strategies? Organizations need to recognize the complexity of change more often. The factors that impact change are dynamic and constantly evolving. Research from McKinsey and Company concluded that 70% of all large-scale transformations fail. Change initiatives in organizations fail for several reasons, most notably, poor execution and planning.
Poor execution of a change initiative can lead to subpar results, or even failure. It is important to have a clear implementation plan and execute it efficiently. Failing to meticulously plan a change management strategy, such as identifying potential risks and developing a contingency plan, can lead to unexpected problems and derail the initiative.
There are three approaches that have garnered some popularity in recent years to help address these gaps.
Agile, for example, is an approach that emphasizes collaboration, flexibility, and frequent iterations. This approach is particularly effective for complex and rapidly changing projects, where requirements are unclear or subject to change. Agile helps to manage change by enabling teams to work in sprints, focusing on short-term goals, and delivering value at every stage of the project. This approach encourages open communication, transparency, and regular feedback, enabling project teams to quickly adapt to changing requirements and overcome obstacles. One of the more popular agile frameworks is Scrum.
Chaos Monkey, is another, albeit extreme example of how companies have tried to close this gap. It is a technique used to test the resilience of systems by intentionally causing failures. This approach helps to identify weaknesses and allows teams to fix them before a real failure occurs, ensuring that the system is resilient and can withstand unexpected outages. Two notable examples of chaos monkey in action were at Shopify and Netflix; Shopify employees returned to work after the holiday break in 2023 to find their calendars stripped bare of recurring meetings. Additionally, Netflix created a program that turns off its production servers. The idea is to expose the company’s engineers to failure more often, encouraging them to build more robust systems.
Finally, the Lean startup methodology is an approach that prioritizes customer satisfaction and aims to eliminate waste and maximize value. This approach helps to manage change by encouraging teams to continually evaluate and adapt to customer needs to drive project success. In other words, it favors experimentation over elaborate planning, customer feedback over intuition, and iterative design over traditional “Big Design Up Front” development. One company that has used the lean startup methodology is Dropbox. Lean startup allowed Dropbox to gain high-quality feedback from target customers which the team subsequently used to shape product development in line with consumer needs. Dropbox has over 500 million users worldwide using its file hosting service.
Overall, change is complex and dynamic in nature, and Agile, Chaos Monkey, and Lean startup methodology are all approaches that can help teams address gaps in poor execution and planning. By emphasizing collaboration, flexibility, continuous feedback, and experimentation, these approaches help teams to manage change effectively, identify weaknesses, and deliver successful outcomes.
Change is the one constant in the world of business. In today’s interconnected, global economy, the rate of change has never been higher and while there are a host of frameworks available to help you get started, there is one fundamental truth about managing change. It’s complex.
A complex system is like raising a teenager, which seems to involve a random series of events with no set of rules, best practices, or recipes to follow. Raising two teenagers simultaneously in seemingly the exact same way can lead to very different results. Each teenager is unique in how he or she responds to various events and attempts at control; furthermore, their responses appear to change randomly over time. Raising teenagers can be a frustrating experience for a parent. (Teenagers generally seem to be unappreciative of the process as well.) The best that a parent can do is to set a few broad principles for behavior and deal with each unique situation as it arises, recognizing that each teenager is an ever-changing mix of emotions and desires.
It’s Not Complicated: The Art and Science of Complexity in Business by Rick Nason
This is in direct comparison to simple and complicated systems.
A simple system is like cooking, you have a recipe or instructions to follow and there is a large margin of error; adding too much sauce often doesn’t make your pasta inedible. Conversely, in a complicated system, the instructions must be followed exactly to generate the desired outcome, such as getting an astronaut to the moon and back.
Managing change has traditionally and continues to rely on static frameworks which are more akin to managing complicated problems. However, we can’t forget that managing change, at it’s core, involves people and since people are complex, change management must also be complex.
Managing change is not about applying the right framework. It requires more flexibility and dynamism than that in order to manage the complexities effectively.
We must remain attentive and receptive to how the organization, employees and customers are reacting to the change over time, from the first awareness message to implementation and beyond.
Reactions to a change vary by individual and these reactions evolve over time which is what makes managing change so complex and why a static framework will never yield the desired outcomes.
This is not to say that the frameworks available today are not valuable, I use elements of them in my practice today. However, relying on any framework as anything more than a starting point can have disastrous consequences.
What’s more important in managing change is your mindset. If you approach change with a “test & learn” mindset and an understanding that change is complex, you can often avoid some of the common missteps that plague change initiatives today.
A major trend happening in the business world is job-hopping among millennials. Millennials are people who were born between 1981 and 1996. One survey reported that employers expect 45% of their newly hired college grads to remain with the company for under two years, and the study showed that by age 35, about 25% of junior employees will have worked five jobs. The main reason for this job-hopping trend is that millennials are looking for more meaningful and impactful work that will make them feel purposeful. Gallup is reporting that a staggering 87% of employees worldwide are disengaged at work.
As seen during the pandemic, it is more important than ever for people to find jobs that challenge them, allow them to learn, and make an impact. Otherwise, as the Great Resignation proved, employees are prepared to find work elsewhere. In fact, according to Gallup, millennials are the most willing to act on better opportunities; 36% report that they will look for a job with a different organization in the next 12 months.
Employers need to be willing to make a change and invest in their most valuable assets to ensure they feel valued. This goes beyond competitive compensation and benefit packages, firms need to consider a more holistic approach. A recent Gallup report confirms that claim. Organizations that invest in their employees have seen absenteeism down 41%, profitability up by 21%, sales productivity increased by 20%, and overall quality of work increased by 40%.
So how do we solve the job-hopping threat?
Well, what if we stop thinking about job-hopping as a threat, but rather an opportunity.
Job-hopping provides employees with an opportunity to become well-rounded and develop a deep and thorough understanding of all parts of the business. They are exposed to a variety of roles and responsibilities and as such, can provide significant value to the organization.
If employees prefer job-hopping, why not find ways to embrace it? New employees are learning to make significant impacts at a faster pace than ever before and instead of trying to fight against the trend, organizations may want to consider a “join them” mentality instead.
Perhaps introducing a job rotation program aimed at encouraging top performing “job-hoppers” to stay within the organizations while also being able to scratch the proverbial itch to try something new. The program should focus on providing employees with exposure to different departments in the company and providing them with ample opportunities to expand their skill sets to help them continuously learn and grow within the company.
If you’re finding it difficult to retain top millennial talent this may be a strategy to consider. While it is specifically aimed at retaining top talent within the organization, you may very well find that it becomes a solid talent acquisition strategy. The change associated with this transformation will be complex and require significant investment to launch successfully, but how can one argue that an investment in a company’s most valuable assets is not worthwhile?
If you are embarking on a similar strategy, contact us today. We can help!
“We have to remember that oftentimes it’s not the change that people reject, they are rejecting the fact that they are losing something.“
Firms such as the Royal Bank of Canada, Osler, Hoskins and Harcourt LLP, the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC), Apple and The Globe and Mail have mandated that employees must return to the office between two to four days a week as of last month. Some firms, while choosing not to mandate workers to return to the office have become far less enthusiastic about employees working from home full time.
It’s clear that employers were hoping that their workers would voluntarily opt to return to the office, especially as, in most parts of the country, life has essentially returned to a pre-pandemic state. However, recent data shows that foot traffic in office buildings in Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver are still 55% below what it was in early March 2020.
The risks far exceed that of the employer’s real estate costs, the lack of foot traffic in these major metropolitan areas are having a significant impact on local small businesses and the economy. Some firms are also arguing that the lack of in-person collaboration has negatively impacted ideation and innovation, justifying the return to office as a means of restoring the “energy, spontaneity, big ideas and a true sense of belonging” that comes from working together in person.
However, we can’t ignore the many benefits (positive risks) associated with allowing employees to continue working from home.
Employees are able to improve work life balance and wellness by skipping their morning and evening commute. Employers are able to expand their talent pool to areas outside their headquartered location. Similarly, employees are able to seek out job opportunities outside their area of residence, including opportunities in different provinces to help alleviate the talent gap that has plagued businesses outside large, metropolitan areas across Canada for years.
In a recent survey, Mercer found that 61% of employees prefer to work from home. While this means that the majority of employees want to continue working remotely, it also means that 39% of employees prefer to work at the office. Is your organization experiencing a similar split?
Surveying your people to gather feedback about their workplace preferences is step one, it will give you a broad sense of the preferences across your organization, but it’s not the end goal.
What we sometimes fail to realize is that change happens one person at a time. Even large, complex organizational changes such as this one. The change is only successful if the impacted individual changes their behaviour and therefore, by extension, the organizational change is only successful if all the impacted individuals change their behaviour. In other words, it’s the cumulation of many individuals changing their behaviour from their current state to the desired future state that leads to a successful change. It’s important to think about any change in terms of the individual and how you can support each person through that change.
While this may sound obvious, it is constantly overlooked. You can see evidence of that in organizations that have issued explicit, overarching work from office mandates. These firms are failing to recognize that change happens at the individual level. The optimal return to office strategy will never be a one-size fits all approach, because your employees are individuals, each with their own reasons why they prefer to return to the office or not.
Employees who prefer not to return to the office may have a spouse who lost their job during the pandemic and the unnecessary expense to commute to and from work is not something they can afford, they may have moved outside a commuting zone during the pandemic and the time and expense of traveling to and from work multiple times a week is not feasible, or a host of other reasons why the individual you are looking to change is resistant. Until you understand what is causing the resistance at the individual level, you are approaching the change blind. This is a recipe for disaster, one that could translate into significant costs to your business, including, but not limited to, regret turnover, decreased productivity and morale, increases in medical leaves and more.
We also have to remember that oftentimes it’s not the change that people reject, they are rejecting the fact that they are losing something.
The change process and mourning process are very similar, if not identical. People go through a denial, anger, bargaining, depression and acceptance phase in loss and change. We are asking people, in some cases forcing people, to incur a second drastic shift (or loss) in their work lives in as many years.
As leaders, you need to recognize that your employees will have varying levels of comfort surrounding this transition. You need to listen to your employees, validate their emotions and act on the input received. Does it make sense for a technical writer, for instance, to come into the office five days a week? Probably not so let’s not force compliance for the sake of it and really open our minds, and our hearts, to what makes the most sense for the business and the answer is always what makes the most sense for each individual employee.
If you are embarking on your future of work strategy, contact us today. We can help position this change for success by developing a customized and scaled approach that garners the commitment necessary to implement this change successfully across your organization.
