Leadership Development News Roundup: Change Management Edition

Transitioning individuals, teams and organizations requires time, effective communication and early buy-in from those who will be affected by the changes. Although change is inevitable at every organization, change management can be difficult for even the most skilled leaders.

This week’s Leadership Development News Roundup brings you a collection of articles and blog posts on change management with good advice on bringing about strategic change at your organization.

• 10 Principles of Leading Change Management. Strategy + Business: “Although it’s important to engage employees at every level early on, all successful change management initiatives start at the top, with a committed and well-aligned group of executives strongly supported by the CEO. This alignment can’t be taken for granted. Rather, work must be done in advance to ensure that everyone agrees about the case for the change and the particulars for implementing it.”

• Change Management Requires Leadership Clarity and Alignment. Forbes: “Change management is a challenge when leaders across the organization are not willing to share their intellectual capital for the betterment of a healthier whole.  In order words, leaders hold-on to the intelligence that has defined their success – perhaps indicating a hidden agenda – rather than share their success and insights with others to strengthen the intellectual capital foothold of the organization – so that it can more effectively grow and compete. It is impossible to create an environment of clarity and alignment when transparency is missing from its leadership.”

• How to Lead Strategic Change Without Inciting a Mutiny. INSTEAD Knowledge: “Too often, new leaders assume the support they are shown in the opening stages of a change effort will persist no matter what. After launching strategic change with high internal support, the CEO concentrated his time and attention on external issues, such as talking with investors and key customers and engaging with various levels of the government. He wrongly presumed the middle management team would implement the change efforts without the need to talk to him or his top lieutenants regularly about the issues they were facing.”

• 10 Truths About Change Management. Business2Community: “People will need ongoing support – For change to be successful, you can’t treat your employees and stakeholders like drones. If you expect people to help support the change and to commit to the new ways, you need to support them! You need to explain the “why” and the “how.” People need to understand how they will be impacted and what contributions they are making toward creating a better future – for the business as well as themselves. You need to dispel fears and the rumor mill. People need to know training is available to them on the new way of doing things. They need to know leadership will support them in the process of adapting and acclimating to a new world.”

• Leading Across Borders Takes More than a Multicultural Background. Harvard Business Review: “Don’t assume, just because they are multicultural, that they will have the know-how to coach your global teams on cultural differences, or that they will become cross-cultural mentors for your global organization. If you are selecting someone to run a global team or organization, look for successful experience in leading a multicultural group, rather than going straight for the most multicultural person you can find.”

Let us know if you’d like our help training your people to handle your organization’s change management needs.

Success Labs is a full-service, strategic organizational and leadership development company located in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. For more than 25 years, our expert team of consultants has worked with hundreds of companies to explore their business potential and improve their company and cultural performance. Contact us to get proactive about your people strategy.