How to Lead Change?
18 March 2008
Read by 1971 persons
When a department head takes charge of a new team or when competitive context leads to internal upheaval, it may be necessary to (re)set things straight to (re)start on a new footing.
When the department head takes charge of a new team or when the competitive context causes internal upheaval, it may be necessary to (re)set things straight to (re)start on new foundations. It is necessary to begin by identifying, collectively if possible, areas for improvement. Employees are best placed to relay customer feedback and wishes. Similarly, they can sometimes gather feedback on what makes the competition strong. The difficulty, however, remains in involving everyone without placing employees in a position of guilt for work that may be poorly done. In any case, the list of points to improve must be validated by the team. Without consensus on the nature of the malfunctions, no commitment is possible.
However, we cannot solve all problems at the same time. Spreading efforts is systematically counterproductive and, moreover, it is much more difficult to motivate a team on several projects than on a single one. A gradual approach is necessary. Where to begin? With the easiest and quickest point to resolve. A positive result that shows agreement among individuals is likely to foster a climate of trust and convince the 'nay-sayers' who did not believe in the possible success of the change. After achieving small successes, the department head can then tackle implementing actions aimed at resolving more important or delicate points.
Posted on March 18
Linear from 06/01/05
When the department head takes charge of a new team or when the competitive context causes internal upheaval, it may be necessary to (re)set things straight to (re)start on new foundations. It is necessary to begin by identifying, collectively if possible, areas for improvement. Employees are best placed to relay customer feedback and wishes. Similarly, they can sometimes gather feedback on what makes the competition strong. The difficulty, however, remains in involving everyone without placing employees in a position of guilt for work that may be poorly done. In any case, the list of points to improve must be validated by the team. Without consensus on the nature of the malfunctions, no commitment is possible.
However, we cannot solve all problems at the same time. Spreading efforts is systematically counterproductive and, moreover, it is much more difficult to motivate a team on several projects than on a single one. A gradual approach is necessary. Where to begin? With the easiest and quickest point to resolve. A positive result that shows agreement among individuals is likely to foster a climate of trust and convince the 'nay-sayers' who did not believe in the possible success of the change. After achieving small successes, the department head can then tackle implementing actions aimed at resolving more important or delicate points.
Posted on March 18
Linear from 06/01/05
