Change Management: Mistakes Executives Make Managing Change – Part 2

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In the last change management blog post, I talked about encountering unexpected gridlock when trying to implement an organizational change which—on paper—is “plain as day” mission-critical.

I also described specific day-to-day errors executives make which intensify this passive-aggressive foot dragging.

Finally, I pointed out that many of these mistakes arise because leaders wildly underestimate—if they consider it at all—Emotion Brain. A raw, primal brain region with the power to resist any kind of transition until you, your staff and your organization die!

Today, I’m going to talk step-by-step (do this…then that) solutions and put them into a simple framework. Listen carefully: Your goal is about more than dragging reluctant staff through a major organizational change and “making it” out the other side. Your objective should be to actively leverage your team’s experience of transition for creativity and growth.

Organizational Change Begins With Loss

Change consultant William Bridges points out, “transition begins with an ending and ends with a beginning”. (It’s hardly surprising we feel so turned around.) Endings bring feelings of loss and the loss feels endless; which brings on the organizational equivalent of grieving.

The range of losses a particular individual feels aren’t even close to endless. It only feels that way. That’s why, rather than sweeping any discussion of loss under the corporate carpet (an awful tactic I described in change management – part 1) it’s vital to identify, mitigate and contextualize the losses your people will inevitably feel.

For each person the loss list is different. Examples of “loss” include job security, opportunity for promotion, sitting next to a beloved colleague, having to move to another part of the country or having to say goodbye to a popular manager. And don’t forget the “mental” losses like shattered confidence with the implementation of a new software or guilt that the reorganization was somehow “my fault”.

And so, in the face of loss, there are a well defined set of emotions that people experience (denial, anxiety, anger, guilt, etc). Within a team expect to see all of them. Here are some concrete tactics for dealing with your staff’s perception of loss and the accompanying emotional turbulence. (FYI: Fear of having to deal with people being “over emotional” sometimes prevents leaders following through on this vital strategy; that would be a mistake.)

Tactic 1: Identify The Losses

Rather than dismissing any talk of loss, go the extra mile and actively help people manage the feelings of loss that they will undoubtedly experience.

Ask your staff some frank questions about their experience of loss. What do you feel you are losing? What do you see as the implications of these losses? And, as you ask these questions, don’t presume to know their answers. Also, don’t argue with what people are feeling. (Let them experience their loss however they experience it.)

And openly acknowledge what’s being lost. Don’t shy away from the grief people feel. Instead, give people the emotional space to express their sense of loss and grief. Do cut people some slack (make allowances for emotional expression,) but don’t allow people to act out. And, remember, it’s not about you even though, at times, it may be directed at you.

Tactic 2: Mitigate The Losses

Figure out concrete ways to offset the things your staff are losing. How can I counterbalance what’s been taken away? How can I rebuild a sense of community in a fragmented team? How can I help the manager who lost her position during a merger regain status and credibility within the group? How can I assist the person forced to move across the country to keep his job feel an integrated part of my team? How can I quickly restore a sense of competence to someone who’s self esteem has taken a hit? Get the idea?

Another important tactic for mitigating the losses, is to clarify what isn’t being lost. During transition it’s easy to overlook all the things which are staying the same and only focus on what’s changing. It’s natural for us to view the world that way, the part of our environment that’s changing is most likely to represent a threat. And we’re hardwired to be on the lookout for potential threats. (I’ll talk about this in the next message.) Pointing out all the things that are staying the same can provide a much needed anchor against the tide of change.

Tactic 3: Contextualize The Losses

Your objective is to place the sense of loss into a broader context. Giving your staff a big-picture narrative into which to place their emotions, helps normalize the change experience. First off, proactively warn people to expect feelings they would normally consider over-emotional.

Secondly, get your staff emotionally engaged in the problem. What can you do to make it their problem? For example, play them recordings of dissatisfied customers complaining to customer service agents. Show them what people are saying about your organization on the social media websites. Invite dissatisfied customers to talk to your staff directly. Think in terms of selling the problem, not just the solution.

Thirdly, as you contextualize change, educate your staff about Emotion Brain. Many of the difficulties we face in life arise from a misunderstanding of and inability to manage Emotion Brain. A bullying dictator who rants at your unconscious, screams absolute demands at the universe…and lives inside your head. It’s Emotion Brain who perceives organizational change as physically threatening and responds in a manner entirely congruent with this perspective. As far as Emotion Brain is concerned, when you try to institute change, you may as well have sneaked up behind your staff in a dark alley and tried to stab them in the back!

So how can you harness Emotion Brain’s raw power for good? Stay tuned for the next change management post…

If you’re finding these strategies and tactics useful, I would love to hear your thoughts and experiences. You can “speak your mind” in the box below this post…