Think about what it would feel like if you were suddenly given free air tickets to an exotic family beach vacation and told to board the plane next week. Sounds great. But there could be many issues that stand in the way of your enthusiasm. You have other commitments and date conflicts. You get anxious in crowds. You don’t do well in tropical climates. What will you do with your pets? This list goes on. What was the main problem? You were not asked for your input and so you were not involved in the planning.
For effective change management, here is how to get your team on board:
1. Create Clear Outcomes. Describe in a clear and compelling way what success will look like.
2. Share Implications. Explain specifically how this will affect individual team members and their roles.
3. Ask for Input. What issues must be resolved from their point of view before they can sign on? How can you work together to provide solutions?
4. Set-Up Action Plans. Make sure that each team member knows exactly what they must do and when to move forward, lay the groundwork for, and implement the change.
5. Track Progress. Create transparency, accountability and engagement by consistently knowing where you stand and where you are going.
Ready to offer that family trip? Gather everyone together. Share your idea…the fun to be had and the bonds to be reestablished. How long has it been since the east and west coast family member have seen each other?
Now for their reaction and possible solutions. There is time to adjust the calendar. There will be no crowds once you get to the beach. Offer to help with stressful or complex arrangements. Reserve spots at the kennel. Now all you have to do is keep a round robin email going as issues are resolved and count down the days until you leave.
The transfer from the family vacation scenario to the corporate world is easy. Just don’t keep the change to yourself. The more you can involve your team, the faster they will sign on to support the change. And, the more likely, the effort will be a success.
