Tom, how does a manager prepare him or herself for organizational change and manage that same change in others?
When dealing with organizational change, it is important to consider change management, organizational management and employee morale.
Three issues are key:
1. A CONNECTION TO SOMETHING LARGER THAN SELF. Why would you change anything when what you are doing is working? The first and primary role of the manager is to continually educate and reinforce to his or her staff how what the team is doing is part of something larger. The world of finance is not a world unto itself. It is an integral part of a seamless organization. Finance works with operations, sales and systems support to make it all work. If an individual is to collaboratively and successfully integrate change, first he or she must be committed to a larger team goal, a goal larger than one’s own function or responsibility
2. CREATING A SENSE OF URGENCY. Individuals change when they see or experience urgency. The question then becomes, “how do you create urgency?” Simply telling an individual that this is urgent will not achieve the desired response. I believe the answer to creating urgency is tied into two things: 1) the “why” is understood, and 2) the consequence of not making the change is clear. This cannot be a one way conversation. It must include dialogue where an individual can surface concerns and address the frustrations that the change will cause.
3. LEAVING THE COMFORT ZONE. The third issue in change is addressing the fear issue as the individual is asked to leave his or her comfort zone. In a competitive marketplace where quality is the norm and mistakes are not tolerated, individuals creatively work to stay in their comfort zone where their strengths are. If they do this, change will never happen. Managing the personal side of the professional relationship is critical to the success of any manager if they expect their people to risk and grow. Support, reassurance and guidance are key.
Change is not difficult. It is just as natural process as not changing. Individuals want to do good and they want to make a difference. They want to be part of something larger than themselves. If leaders and managers talk about and continuously clarify the organizational goals, that dialogue surfaces the why’s and the what’s for team members. As they pursue HOW to make it happen, the urgency created in the why/what discussions enable risking and leaving the comfort zone and change happens. By first understanding change management and organizational management, leaders are better equipped to prepare employees for change.
