Lead your team through change

Leading through change gracefully is an art. Often you don't know where the next turn will take you and sometimes you'll be limited in what information you're allowed to share with your team
Friday, January 25, 2019
Reading time: 3 Minutes

There'll be times you don't like the decisions you're being asked to execute or that you'll be managing your own frustrations on top of those airings in your team. While leading through change is never easy, the most important thing is not to let it overwhelm and numb you. As a leader, you need to provide stability for your team. You need to show that you're willing to answer their questions and guide them when they struggle with the new. Are you facing change at the moment? Handle it with confidence by following the steps we've outline below:

Be as transparent as you possibly can

Experts agree one on thing: the most effective way to lead through change is by convincing everyone involved that this change is good for them. The best and most convincing way to do this is by being as transparent as you can.

Share the vision and motivation behind the desired change. Is the restructuring in preparation for rapid growth? Have you been told to identify ways to save costs?

There can be many reasons for change (and not all of them are good) but by being transparent and open to questions from your team, you can at least narrate the story. You can help everyone focus on the positive and decrease the anxiety that all humans feel in times of uncertainty.

Going through change at work right now? Here are some things you can start doing:

  • Host a question session for your team. Ensure they are comfortable enough to speak up. 
  • Focus on fostering team spirit (we also wrote a guide for that) to help strengthen relationships - employees will feel less alone in their uncertainty. 
  • Increase clarity overall. Sometimes you don't know what's going on yourself. Then it's important to make sure everything else is clear. Spend some time reviewing project plans and briefs. Could they be any clearer? If yes, work on that.

Mitigate conflicts quickly

When your team is heading down a new path, conflicts will inevitably arise. This is usually due to the fact that overall alignment across teams and departments decreases and roles change in responsibility. Be mindful that some employees won't be happy with the changes to their role and will start feeling frustrated. It's your job to resolve this frustration before it takes over and you end up with a sour team member or people leaving your team.

Have an open ear for frustrations and try to raise concerns with top management. Maybe there are things that can be done to resolve role conflicts. In any case, show that you care.

Praise, acknowledge and motivate

We've said it before, but nothing is more encouraging than being acknowledged for a job well done. This becomes even more important in times of change, when people question their role at work and feel less secure in their positions. Help them feel like you need them. Call out great work and thank them their effort. "I wouldn't have been able to do this without you" or "I'm so happy to have you on my team" are short sentences that can mean the world to someone. 

Leading through change is challenging and something every manager will have to do eventually. A good point to start is asking yourself what you would want in times of uncertainty. Take it from there.