Breakthrough Change

During change, one of the most important elements for success is management's ability to listen and communicate effectively. Leaders that can consistently challenge, motivate, and educate their people through change are successful. The toughest challenge of organisational leaders today is to manage at the speed of change.

“Change is not the problem: it's resistance; I want what I want when I want it. I will not be an expert anymore. I will be a senior beginner! ... As a result of experiencing growing pains of change.”

4 Keys to Navigating Successful Change ...

Sending clear and united messages
Managing the Journey: with a formal communication plan for change
Using tactics for systematically managing resistance
Never sugar-coating the truth

We live in a world where the technological advancement and knowledge explosion, leaders face tremendous pressure as they attempt to gain support for change. While resistance is always a problem, it is especially harmful during an economic slowdown. Regardless of how good or necessary a change may be, resistance should be expected.

Employees will onlywant to hear messages about change from only two people: the CXO / immediate boss (and these messages are not the same). Two reasons for employee resistance are:-

• 1. A lack of awareness about the change


• 2. Comfort with the ways things are and fear of the unknown

When you communicate well with your employees, you understand their fears and misgivings, you find ways to not only help them through the transition, but involve them in the process > building ownership for the change.

Attempt to change the things you can do. Our natural reaction to change, even in the best circumstances, is to resist. Awareness of the business need to change is a critical ingredient of any change and must come first. Employee resistance (at all levels) is the the top obstacle to successful change ... How well are your people equipped to manage the resistance to change, are you:

• Assessing your overall organisation and the organisational units affected by the change
• Defining a solid change management strategy,
• Identifying the impact of the change on the organisation,
• Developing and implementing a communication and corporate programme,
• Designing and describing the target jobs and organisational structure,
• Designing, developing, and implementing leadership and training programmes,
• Planning the change management implementation and implement the change,
• Monitoring and evaluating your organisation's performance once the change has been implemented.

What will change feel and look like, place your self in the future and look back what worked, what didn't work, what lessons have you learned, how far off target are you, how would it feel if you didn't succeed ...