Enlisting Your Team for Change
Use your energy wisely when preparing your organization for a change
By Lori Brewer Collins
Are you or your organization going through a significant change? If yes, then tapping your team members’ discretionary energy and enlisting their support is essential. Day-to-day run-mode is not enough to get you or your team up over the hump of a change initiative. This is especially important to recognize as a leader. To move forward, you’ll need to focus and harness people’s energy in a way that gives an extra boost to charge up the hill, so to speak. But not every person in your organization is ready to give the same level of commitment or support.
During times of change, your people will likely fall into one of four groups:
- “I’m Ins” — “Let me know what needs to be done.”
- “The Persuadables” —“I’d like to be in, but there are a few bits missing.”
- “The Skeptics” — “I won’t buy it until I know you’ve thought everything through.”
- “I’m Outs” — “I’m not convinced now and never will be.”
Which group currently gets most of your time, attention, and energy? Let’s take a look:
“I’m Ins” are your reliable, trusted team members. They’re your “go to” people — well-aligned with the organizational culture and your key strategic imperatives. You probably don’t spend a lot of time trying to convince them to get onboard because you don’t need to. Generally 10 to 15 percent of your team will fall into this group.
“I’m Outs” also represent about 10 to 15 percent of your team. But it feels like more than that. Why? Because they’re vocal. And they’re often visibly out and about, trying to convince others that what you’re doing doesn’t make sense. It’s easy to get sucked into unproductive debates with this group in an effort to convince. Unless there’s a true dialogue taking place, where both sides are listening and genuinely open to the other’s point of view, this is just burning up precious time and energy — a poor investment on your part.
So where should you invest most of your time and focus? With The Persuadables and The Skeptics. Together they comprise about 70 to 80 percent of your team — in other words, the majority. Once onboard, these are the folks that give you the critical mass you need to enact your initiative.
The Persuadables are inclined to be supportive but need that extra bit of rationale that engages their heart. They already understand the logical reasons for the change; what they’re looking for is “why should I care?” Give them a reason to emotionally invest.
The Skeptics are a tough-but-tender group. They may not fully agree with your rationale and may need more data or information before they can support you. What’s more likely is that they have been through countless change initiatives and just can’t muster the “umph” for another one.
They’ve invested their time and energy before and what did it get them? Yours probably feels like another in a string of “flavors of the month.”
So what’s the best way to proceed and persuade?
Don’t waste your time on “I’m Outs.” Don’t let yourself get sucked into unproductive debates. This isn’t easy; the gravitational pull to defend your position is strong. You will need to make a deliberate effort to spend more time with those whose support you can actually get.
Listen. People most want to be acknowledged and heard. Even if they disagree with your rationale, if they know you understand their perspective, most are willing to give you a shot. Spend time with them. Hear them out. You will undoubtedly learn something critical to your change initiative in the process.
Offer more details. Be transparent with as much data and information as possible. The more people feel respected and brought in on what’s actually happening, the more likely they are to enlist.
Engage hearts. Change is very, very hard. It takes a toll on people in countless ways. What you’re asking is big. You can’t do it alone. You can’t guarantee certain results. And you need people’s support. Acknowledge this. Your own vulnerability to change gives people something real and honest they can connect to.
Don’t ignore the “I’m Ins.” You probably already reward and recognize this group in both small and big ways. But don’t take them for granted. As in any relationship, it can be easy to overlook the ones we count on most.
It’s an issue of trust. Team members will not automatically see your request as valuable and worthwhile. They will have their own legitimate responses to what’s happening — and you need to both know and respect what that is. Supporting you comes down to an issue of trust. Ultimately it’s about your relationships with your team members. The more you cultivate those relationships, the more willingly people will offer up their discretionary energy and help you charge the hill.
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Lori Brewer Collins is owner and managing principal of Artemis Leadership Group, a firm that focuses on leadership and organizational development, executive coaching and team facilitation. Collins’ background includes the Center for Creative Leadership – Europe as well as consulting and training for leaders and teams throughout Europe, Asia, North America, and the Middle East. She was a part of the original team at Saturn Corporation (General Motors) where she was leader of corporate culture and retail training. Her distinct gift is helping others to achieve clarity in the midst of complexity, uncertainty and change. http://www.artemisleadership.com/