chapter 8
How do you get a team to manage change effectively?
- Increasing effectiveness of change management in teams
- Minimising disruption during times of change
‘Whosoever desires constant success must change his conduct with the times.’
Niccolo Machiavelli
Self-assessment
Before reading the chapter, do the following quick self-assessment.
How would you rate the following in your team?
Have you seen the email?
Jenna was at her desk, struggling to get her work finished to close off the week. It was 4 pm and the familiar pinging sound of a new email broke through her concentration. Part of her didn’t want to look at it for fear of getting distracted, but as she had seen that it was from one of the executives who rarely communicated directly with people, the temptation was too great. The email title read: New Performance Criteria. She just had to open it.
As Jenna got into the details of the email, she experienced a sinking feeling in her stomach. What is this?! And what does this mean for me?!
The email was explaining the arrival of a new way of assessing and rewarding performance. Up until then they had only been rated on what they were doing, i.e. achieving their goals. As of 1 January they would now also be judged on how they achieved their goals. In fact, 50 per cent of their performance rating would now be dependent on their behaviours.
The behaviour rating would factor in feedback from employees’ manager, colleagues, direct reports and in some cases even customers. This change meant that the performance rating would put new expectations on employees, and would also affect pay and potential bonus. The reason for the change was quoted as wanting to create a more comprehensive assessment, which would also encourage behaviours in line with the corporate values.
I can’t believe they are springing the news on us like this! They can’t be serious! This could affect me badly, it could impact my pay and maybe I wouldn’t be able to send the kids on the school trip to Italy. And that holiday we have booked! How are they thinking this is going to work? What if people are not fair but vindictive? Will I be punished just because I didn’t see eye to eye with one of my colleagues and they decide to mark me down? This is crazy!
Jenna glanced at her watch, conscious of time, but still decided to call her office confidant, Peter.
‘Have you seen the email?!’ Was the first thing she said as he answered her call.
‘I did! I was just about to call you. I have bad feelings about this. I think this will be used as a loophole to get rid of certain people. If you’re not one of their favourites, you will get a bad review, regardless of how hard you’ve worked.’
‘Am I right in thinking that if I don’t get a good behaviour rating, my overall rating is impacted and I may not get the expected raises or even a smaller bonus?’
‘Well, that’s how I read it, but it’s not clear exactly how it will work.’ Peter retorted.
After the weekend, Jenna and Peter picked up where they had left off. The speculations continued well into the morning without them becoming any the wiser, only more stressed.
Exploring the problem
Jenna is taken by surprise to have such a major change communicated in a simple, short email.
Rational and logical
The email is rational and logical in its presentation, but does nothing to consider the impact on the receiver and how it will make them feel. The communication method was not the best choice for a message raising both questions and concerns, none of which could be satisfied by reading the email.
The shock of the message makes her worry straight away about her own personal circumstances. Jenna has an emotional reaction where she is not able to look at the information calmly and objectively.
Emotions
The fear she experiences, makes Jenna go into a defensive, protective mode. She goes straight from a work-related situation to her personal life and the worry of how that will be affected.
Feeling defensive and protective, makes Jenna want to have this feeling validated and so she turns to Peter for that. As they are now colluding with each other rather than communicating directly with the source, they are having a negative impact on the productivity of the team. They are talking about what has happened rather than getting on with the job. This is natural human behaviour when we don’t fully understand why or how the change will affect us.
Involvement
When changes happen without any employee involvement or consultation, resistance is a common response. It makes people feel unimportant and overlooked and they may say things like: ‘Why didn’t they ask us?’ or ‘We could have told them …’.
Another problem with change is that it always creates a sense of loss, as you’re leaving something behind that was very familiar to you, or something you knew you could handle, and moving onto something new and less known. And if it feels like no one is listening or understanding, the feeling lingers.
The reasons for teams not managing change effectively
Fear of the new or unknown
If people don’t know how they will be impacted by a change or how they will be able to handle it, it’s natural to experience a feeling of fear.
Too much change, too fast
When several changes come in rapid succession, without the team having had a chance to get their head around the previous ones, it becomes overwhelming and creates inertia. Team members don’t deal properly with the change as it seems pointless.
Teams don’t understand the dynamics of change
The team members have not been made aware of the predictable stages of change that people go through every time a new change happens. As a result, they don’t recognise that they are having a natural reaction nor know how to best manage the stage they are in.
People get stuck in denial
Denial is the first natural stage of the change curve. By acting as if the change can’t possibly be happening (denial, resistance), there is no acceptance of change and therefore no drive to manage it either.
The leader is at a different stage of the change curve
Most of the time, leaders are aware of upcoming changes ahead of their teams. They may have had a fair amount of time to think about the change and prepare for it themselves, as a leader, before they communicate it. They are then in danger of communicating it from a standpoint of someone who’s further along on the change curve than the person receiving the message. (For more on the change curve, see under ‘Solutions’ below). If this is the case, the leader is not demonstrating that he/she understands the impact of change on the team, and is not communicating on the same wavelength.
People don’t agree with the change or understand it
If team members don’t know why a change is happening or how it’s going to work, they will feel frustrated. If they don’t agree with the change, they may start to fight it. Either way, the change progression is slowed down.
People feel like change is forced on them
When team members are not involved or have not been consulted in the change decision, but are served a fait accompli, it can feel as if the changed is forced on them. They don’t feel a part of the change, so they resist it or actively work against it.
There is too much negativity around the change
Pessimism breeds pessimism. If someone is surrounded by negativity, they would have to consciously think differently to not feel negative themselves.
The impact of not managing change effectively in teams
When change is not carefully managed, the team can be dramatically affected. The introduction of change is often perceived as sudden, even if the communicator has thought about it for some time. The reactions to the suddenness can make things fraught in the team.
- It creates stress, which affects the mood, hence conflict and unnecessary strain on relationships across the team occur.
- When team members feel unsure and spend time speculating about the change, it takes their focus away from their work. Energy and engagement levels drop.
- If a change is not properly thought-through and planned, change implementation will be less effective and the team less productive.
The impact on the business, customers, employees and stakeholders
These impacts on the team lead to a drop in productivity, which is always costly.
Uncertainty and stress can cause friction and conflict with other departments too, which affects morale and productivity beyond the team.
The example below also highlights the issue of a leader who is further along on the change curve and who has not consulted anyone in the process.
The new leader had thought about the reorganisation and the changes he was going to make for three months. Plenty of time for him to get used to the idea. He was under time pressure to turn around results within the next six months so he knew speed and efficiency were of the essence. He sent an email to all his employees announcing a new organisation structure that would come into play in one month’s time.
His email was met with silence and he was pleased to see that everyone was happy with the change. This was of course not the case, but he had incorrectly interpreted silence as acceptance. He didn’t realise this until his boss angrily approached him asking him about the commotion that had broken out in the office. Speculation and defensive behaviours had taken grip of the workforce as a result of his poor change communication and not having considering the impact on others. One conversation he had overheard on the floor went something like this:
‘I feel run over, unimportant – like I’m an outsider who’s not important enough for my manager to spend time on. It feels so impersonal, as if we are dispensable and should just obey orders. My trust is gone and I don’t know what’s going on.’
Employee stress and low morale can lead to wasteful absenteeism and turnover.
Customer experience can be negatively impacted through worried/stressed employees as well as ineffective, changing processes that are badly managed. This can damage image and reputation.
Solutions
Effective change management does not happen by chance. You need to have a planned, thought-through approach to make people want to embrace the change and come along with you. This we call ‘Change Leadership’. To help team members deal with change, you need to help them focus on what they can influence or control rather than worry about what they can’t.
The change curve
The change curve exists in a number of different versions. What they all have in common is that there are four predictable stages that people always go through in times of change. If carefully managed, the time it takes to go through each stage can be reduced.
Figure 8.1 The change curve
See Solution 4 below, for details of the change curve.
People typically change their behaviours out of pleasure or pain. It’s either too painful to keep doing what you’re doing or it will be so rewarding to change that you do it for that reason.
To manage change effectively in teams, you continuously have to think about your team members; where they are on the change curve, how they feel, and how to approach them in a way that matches their needs, so that necessary change can happen at a faster pace.
Think about how you can communicate to help people see the possibilities of change. Help people understand that they can cope with it. Give them coping strategies by using these solutions. Let’s get specific on how to do it.
Solution 1: Strategy and communication plan
Create a detailed strategy and communication plan for your change, clarifying what you will achieve, how you will achieve it and how you will communicate throughout the change.
Careful planning forces you to think through the various steps of the change, and how to approach the people involved and overcome obstacles.
Following through on the strategy and plan creates a checking mechanism, which keeps you on track and allows you to gauge how you’re doing and measure the success of the change. Here are some ideas for contents to get you started.
Figure 8.2 Change strategy and communication plan
Solution 2: Slow down
The speed the leader is operating at in the change is often perceived as too fast. If the leader is far ahead of the rest of the team then he/she needs to slow down. Slow down and check that people are all at the same point. Stop and reflect to make sure you are prioritising changes, doing the right thing at the right time – and doing it right. Getting it right first time is better than having to re-do the change. Quality over quantity is important to increase belief in the change.
Solution 3: Positive reinforcements of strengths
When change occurs people can get into focusing on what is wrong, rather than what is right, and this can start to get personal as people try to push the blame onto others. Using strengths is a powerful method to help yourself and others through change.
Try this simple exercise:
Interview each other on strengths: Tell me, when did you see me at my best? When, where and what? Then write down your top four or five strengths in only a word or two. This helps to remind yourselves of your strengths and where and how you can use them in times of change. It can also help you to remain positive during change.
Solution 4: Communicate the change curve
Help people understand the predictable stages you always go through in times of change. Give them solutions for how to manage the four stages of the change curve.
Phase 1: The denial/resistance phase
When people are in the denial phase you need to communicate but don’t give them too much at this point. Give them enough information, so that they understand that the change is happening, but don’t overwhelm them with too much too soon. They need communication little and often. Make sure people know where to go for answers. Make sure you are available to answer questions to help them move through the change curve into the next phase.
Phase 2: The emotional phase
During this phase fear, anger, resentment and uncertainty start to come into play. Team members may need to vent their anger and share how they feel. In carefully planning this phase, you need to have thought through the obstacles and objections people will bring up. Also really think about the impact the change has. Be ready to listen and allow people to talk about what they are experiencing. If this is not managed effectively it can send you into chaos. People who don’t feel like anyone understands what they are feeling tend to stay in the emotional phase. Be prepared to listen and help people to get answers to their concerns, so that they can move on to the next phase.
Phase 3: The hopeful/acceptance phase
The team members are now moving towards the change and are ready to explore more in terms of what it means for them. They are also considering how they can start to make it work and can start to contribute with ideas for the change implementation. Be ready with any training and support here. Also give them experiences of what the change will bring and what it will be like. Talk about and show them what it will be like in the change.
Phase 4: Commitment
The team members have come through the change and accepted it and it is now happening. Don’t forget at this point to celebrate success and the achievements that have been made along the way. This will reinforce the positives of the change and make it easier next time you want to implement change.
Solution 5: Recognising that you are not at the same stage as others
As a leader, you are always a step ahead, sometimes several steps ahead, of change depending on your seniority and role. You could have been talking, thinking about and exploring the change for a while. You could be in the commitment phase and the rest of the team could still be in the denial/resistance phase. So you have to go back and communicate to the team from where they are on the change curve, not where you are. Remember to show empathy, remember what it was like to be at that stage.
Solution 6: Demonstrating emotional intelligence
When you address others who are going through change, you need to put yourself in their shoes. Doing that forces you to think of the change from their perspective. As a result, you are much more likely to communicate with them in a place where they will hear you and come along with you. Be emotionally aware of the impact of the change. Have your radar on so you can be aware of the effect of what you are doing and saying. Your behaviours are speaking louder than you are.
Solution 7: Communicate, communicate, communicate
Communication when dealing with change means two-way communication, all the way through the various stages of the change curve. Listening and involving people, and letting them share their thoughts and concerns, are critical along the path. People are often too busy pushing ahead with the change, preoccupied with creating fast change, but leaving the rest of the team behind; they may end up having to work through the whole change process again. The law of communication applies here. You need loads of it. You need to communicate seven times in seven different ways to reach everyone, so get creative with your communication around change.
Solution 8: Know that people are convinced in different ways
When decision-making impacts change, be aware that people will be convinced in different ways. Some will want the facts, in which case you will need to use a logical approach and a rational, analytical style to convince them. Others will want to understand how the change will impact them personally, in which case you will need to show that you have considered this. How people feel impacts the behaviours in the team and how connected and engaged they will be with the change. They will also want to understand how that is portrayed to others. Everyone will want to know the reasons for change and the context for the change. Ensure you make the links and connections using both styles.
Solution 9: Team decision-making
Allow the team to get involved in decisions in times of change. Call meetings, allow people to discuss the challenges, obstacles and the positive aspects of the change. Help them focus on the possible solutions and benefits. This may feel like it is taking more time than necessary, but if you haven’t got people on board you will have to go back and rework it all again so this investment of time upfront will actually save you time. Allow team members to understand the change by being a part of the solution.
Let’s have a look at what Jenna’s company could have done instead, had they deployed these solutions.
The senior leaders had discussed a revised performance assessment system for some time and it was now time to let the employees know about it too. Before the meeting they reflected on how they should communicate. They carefully planned the meeting, remembering that the people in the room would be in a different stage of the change curve to them and they needed to take this into account. It was going to be an interactive meeting with lots of room for questions and time to create understanding.
Jenna was invited to an information meeting with her manager, together with her peers, who were all in people leadership positions. She was curious, as an updated performance assessment system had been discussed for the last few months. She had been invited to give input on it, both as someone who held performance reviews with her direct reports and as an individual performer.
When they were all seated, her manager kicked it off by saying:
‘Thanks for coming. As you know we’re here to look at the new, highly awaited performance management approach.’ He smiled as he stressed the words ‘highly awaited’.
‘Here it is.’ He gestured to a slide that showed an overview of the assessment criteria.
‘As you know, we have wanted to create a fairer and more complete assessment. Previously, we were only assessing goal achievement, regardless of how people got there. We will now also be assessing how the goal was achieved, how someone behaved and interacted with others to get the job done. We believe, as I think you do too, that this will help encourage greater teamwork and better communication as well as better goal achievement. Let me go through the details and then we can discuss any questions you may have. Does that sound OK?’
Jenna found herself nodding. She was sure there would be some question marks but overall it was looking OK. As she had been involved in the exploring process, she also knew that her initial concerns had been taken care of. And she felt sure that any outstanding concerns would be taken seriously too and hopefully resolved.
Behaviours of team and leader
Under ‘Solutions’ above, we have listed a number of ‘how to’ actions. These solutions work best when carried out with these supporting ‘how to’ behaviours. The actions on their own will get you only so far. With the right behaviours you can get your team to manage change effectively more effectively.
Thoughts and feelings of team and leader
On average, a person experiences around 70.000 thoughts per day.1
Many of those thoughts are habits that affect a person’s mindset or outlook.
What we think affects how we feel, and how we feel affects how we think.
When wanting to manage change effectively, actively replace thoughts and feelings that are counterproductive to that. Here are thoughts from the story, their impact on feelings and how they can be changed.
Summary
Communicate more
Managing change starts and ends with communication. Whenever you think you’ve communicated enough, you probably need to communicate some more. The key is to make it interactive and involving, to listen, talk and involve others.
Communicate, communicate, communicate – and then some.
Awareness of the change curve
Help your team members understand the predictability of human reaction at the various stages of the change curve. The awareness of the change curve makes change less threatening – ‘it’s not just me that feels this way’. Each stage is needed, but how long someone stays at each stage and how far the energy and productivity drops, can be managed and kept to a minimum.
For more ideas on how to manage the change curve, go to http://www.leadingteamsbook.com/
Transformational change
Transformational change happens at a behavioural level. Unless you get people to change behaviours, no real change will be possible. When putting together change plans, focus on the behaviours that will make a difference, what people need to do differently to achieve the results.
Reflection questions for the reader
- How well do we manage change in this team? Can we do better?
- How do my own reactions to change, positive or negative, impact my team members?
- How can we be more proactive about change as a team?
- How can I involve my team members more in any upcoming changes?
- How am I considering where others are on the change curve compared to me in times of change?
Self-assessment
After you have implemented the solutions in this chapter, answer these questions again to see the progress you have made.
How would you rate the following in your team?
