How to Get Your Team Ready and Excited for Change

Now you know why change efforts typically fail, the 10 ways you can implement change successfully, and you're ready to get your changes underway.

Before you and your team go ahead and start to implement the changes you want to make to realize your envisioned future, there are several things to keep in mind according to Cummings and Worley (2015), in order for your change efforts to be successful.

Motivating Change

You need to create areadiness for change. During any type of change, people are moving from theknown to the unknown.

“Because the future is uncertain and may adversely affect people’s competencies, worth, and coping abilities, [people] do not support change unless compelling reasons convince them to do so.”

Cummings & Worley, 2015

As you’ve probably learned one way or another, people don’t change until they’re ready to. In other words, people’s readiness for change depends on their felt need for change.  People have to be so dissatisfied with the status quo that they are motivated to try new things. To make this a reality, you need to create a readiness for change.

One wayyou can create a readiness for change is by communicating the discrepanciesbetween the current reality and the desired future so that people seeand feel the need to change.

What is the vision for your team? Where is your team now? Communicate this gap regularly for people. Share why the change is occurring, how it will benefit the team, and how people will be involved in both the design and implementation of the change.

To help motivate change, you also need to overcome resistance to change.  During change, people have a lot of anxiety about letting go of the known and moving towards an uncertain future.  “People resist change when they are uncertain about its consequences” even if you know they are going to be positive. [1]

So, how can you overcome thenatural resistance to change? Two ways you can empower otherswhile implementing changes are:

• Genuinely listen to people’s concerns, and
• Empathize with them and offer support.

When people know that you aregenuinely interested in listening to them in a non-judgmental way, they’re moreinclined to share their real concerns or fears about the change.

Communication matters. Lack of adequate information breeds rumors and gossip and adds fuel to the anxiety about the change.

While implementing change,especially on a bigger scale, consider using a non-standard form ofcommunication to communicate change information (E.g. Meetings orpresentations) and keep day-to-day information sharing the same (E.g. emails orslack).

Creating a Vision

Another vital aspect of change is creating a vision for it. A vision describes the core values and purpose that guide the team today (and has guided the team historically), as well as an envisioned future for where the change is directed.

Core values are the 3-5 principles or beliefs that best represent what the teamstands for and that have stood the test of time. These are the values-in-use:

• What is the team’s history?
• What are the key events throughout the year?
• What does the team actually do?
• What’s important to the team?

On the other hand, the team’s purposespells out why it exists. What you want the team to look like.

Bold and valued outcomes shouldbe stated as part of the vision. What are the specific outcomes the team wouldlike to see achieved? You can use SMART goals (Specific, Measurable,Achievable, Realistic, Timely) to define the desired outcomes.

And then the vision must include the desired future state. “An envisioned future can be compelling and emotionally powerful to members only if it aligns with and supports the organization’s core values, purpose, and identity.” [1] You’ll want to describe the envisioned future until you think everyone could recite it in their sleep!

Managing the Transition

There are a number of ways to effectively manage the transition. A roadmap for the change should be created. In it, you’ll want to include the specific activities and events that must happen if the transition is going to be successful. The roadmap needs to remain flexible to feedback.  Also, consider any mid-point goals that can keep people encouraged along the way, especially if it’s a particularly challenging culture change.

In addition to your stakeholders,are there other key people and/or groups whose commitment is needed in order forthe change to be successful? Create a strategy for gaining their support. Itcould be as simple as including them in the decision-making process.

Sustaining Momentum forLong-Term Success

Lastly, your goal is to sustain momentum for long-term success. The success of the change hinges on you providing the necessary resources to set people up for success in the short-term and long-term!

You’ll need to consider if there are any new skills or knowledge that people will need in order to support new behaviors associated with the culture change.

What new skills will be needed by leadership to make the change successful? For example, new problem-solving skills, new leadership styles, new ways of empowering and delegating, new ways of communicating, new technology, new language, etc.?

What about anyone else? Who else will need new skills or knowledge to be successful when the changes are implemented? What resources are needed to support the change efforts? Trainings? Networks? Support systems? More one-on-one time?

Make sure you also determine how to reinforce new behaviors. Decide upon a reward process for people who demonstrate the desired new behaviors. This could be informal recognition, encouragement, person of the month, etc.

Keep in mind that:

Achieving anything new requires doing things you’ve never done before.

While change can be slow to take effect, stay the course! The transition phase can often look like a decline in performance, productivity, and satisfaction as people are learning new things. After all, new behaviors aren’t learned overnight. But as you know, they can be learned! So, take heart! You can do this! Realizing your vision will be so worth the work of implementing changes in a thoughtful and intentional way with your team!

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1. Cummings,T. G. & Worley, C. G. (2015). Organizationdevelopment & change, 10^th ed. Stamford, CT: CengageLearning.