Category Archives: Change

Initiating and Sustaining Change at Work: Part 1

Personal Tools for Leading Transitions

By Daniel Robin

“You just don’t seem motivated to do your job,” the executive tells the team, “and this will have to change soon, or else —“

“Or else what?,” the department manager inquires, shrugging her shoulders.

“Or else … uhhh … it will change later?“

No person or thing can force anyone to change. Your office might get moved, but the decision to fully occupy that office is uniquely yours. Even the traditional carrot/stick motivation theory — positive incentive or the threat of harsh consequence — amounts to mere arm-waiving when compared to a self-motivated, voluntary shift of will.

Nobody likes to be at the affect of their work environment, and yet few of us received training in how to facilitate or lead transitions; we are far more familiar with what it’s like to be at the mercy of change than how to be a positive agent of it. This article is the first in a series on tools for dealing with the reality of nonstop and accelerating change in the workplace.

Clear the Runway!

Organizational changes are sometimes presented like an elephant ready to give birth. If you aren’t participating, you better get out of the way or you might get stepped on (or worse). I once listened in horror as an executive announced an impending restructuring, then told people to “get used to it and get back to work.” In stark contrast to this counter-productive approach, smart companies — and smart people — focus on leading change by helping people become change-adept, resilient, ready for change.

Humans follow their own change process — unrelated to the elephant’s — which when understood and embraced can eliminate struggle, putting those affected by the change more in the power seat.

Adept, Adapt, Adopt

When you first hear the news that significant change is coming, what do you experience? Fear? Excitement? Disgust?

No matter how messed up things are now, and no matter how much the change may eventually improve your life, you are likely to initially feel a sense of loss. This may seem bizarre — especially if you absolutely hated the old way — grief and “good riddance” at the same moment. You will probably also feel some combination of these emotions:

Denial — “This can’t be happening …”

Anger and Resistance — “What’s the big idea!? I’m not going to put up with this!”

Fear — “How am I supposed to get my work done? Maybe I’ll just lay low and become part of the furniture…”

Depression or Acceptance — “There’s nothing I can do anyway. Fine. I give up.”

Those who handle change best welcome their emotional response to the situation, focus on expressing and clearing. If you or others dwell in negativity, ask “What bugs me [you] the most about this situation?” Be prepared to acknowledge what you hear. Offer no advice.

Give no audience to “what might have been if only …” self-torture, nor on negative “what if …” scenarios. Don’t waste your energy. If you experience anger and resistance, it may be useful to find someone or something to blame (privately, of course). This, too, will free you up to focus more constructively.

Sort Out Interpretations from Facts

If there is a sense of loss, it might be useful to notice what, exactly, is being lost so you can focus and express how you really feel about that. Sort out (a) what you initially thought it meant from (b) what it all boils down to now, in real terms. Try several possible interpretations before selecting one. You’ll watch your feelings change, and eventually you’ll want to answer the question “What will I do about it?”

With practice and compassion — everyone follows their unique process — you’ll find ways to stay focused on what you want from the change rather than struggling to dodge the elephant. Soon you’ll find yourself resourceful and available, with energy to focus on the new day.

Further Reading:  Move to Part 2 (importance of skillful collaboration in dealing with change), and/or check out this excellent review of the change management literature and viewpoints of interim-CFO Edwin Petersen at toptal.com/finance/interim-cfos/change-management.

Initiating and Sustaining Change at Work: Part 2

Interpersonal Strategies for Leading Transitions

By Daniel Robin

Part 1 in this series focused on how change affects us personally, and what can be done to make the most of it. This article highlights interpersonal strategies for handling all forms of transitions — from minuscule to life-bending.  Part 3 delves into organizational strategies for leading change.

Change Ain’t What It Used to Be

Have you noticed that we live in obnoxiously turbulent times? Our most familiar navigational equipment only works when we have time to figure out where we are now. We need a new compass!

Corporate restructuring has made job security an oxymoron, and a search for meaning and value — no longer just a way to “earn a living” — raising the bar on job satisfaction.

Transitions can serve as a focal point to improve morale, increase commitment, and gain mutual understanding to “make sense” out of much confusion. However, in practice, when left “out of the loop” people tend to hallucinate the worst, stress out, and totally miss the potential benefits. (The next article in this series describes ways to include and involve people that help nip this needless suffering in the bud.)

Change = Danger + Opportunity

Upon hearing news of change, how do people react? A trick is to accept that there will be a wide range of reactions, some positive, some negative, based more on perception and emotion than on anything that actually makes sense. There are no formulas!

When we guide people to accept and embrace their unique reaction — everything from anger and resistance, sorrow and grief … to relief, abundant energy and enthusiasm — we are performing a powerful and valuable service to others. By giving room to tell the truth, we also bring people into alignment with the change effort itself while giving them no easy target to push up against.

If you work with humans, chances are good they’ll need to vent or blow off any gritty feelings — the “blame frame” — an essential and often misunderstood part of every transition. For instance, if someone temporarily goes into resistance and anger, that doesn’t mean they’re picking a fight. Or that they’re just being difficult. It probably means they are experiencing some sense of fear or loss or both and this is their (uniquely human) way of working through it.

“… Stay Seated Until the Plane Returns to Its Original Upright Position”

Like emergency landing instructions on an airplane, first take care of your own oxymoron (I mean, oxygen mask), then assist others. If you initially help yourself in moving through change as rapidly as you can, you free up your personal resources and energy, and in so doing make yourself available to help free up theirs.

Here are three moves that also happen to take the sting out of change when communicating with others. They are: (1) Acceptance, (2) Understanding, and (3) Agreement. Here’s how it works: First with yourself, then by encouraging others to …

(1) accept the change at face value. Don’t evaluate or argue about it. Not now. Let go of any tendency to “make it all better” for them, to give advice, or to “should” on a person’s reaction. Instead, be a model of acceptance. Lightly and unconditionally notice or document the known facts about what will be different. Give them room to have their reaction, perhaps mirror or amplify it, then …

(2) actively understand what in heaven’s name the change means. This phase could take awhile. Brainstorm several possible interpretations to “what could it mean?” before selecting one. Verify that you have mutual understanding, then begin to look, listen, and  …

(3) lead toward an agreement, based on your thorough understanding of how the change will affect you, others, and the organization. This third step may involve some negotiation or fine-tuning of existing agreements. If you get disagreement, focus on accepting and understanding the resistance

If there’s no room to negotiate or discuss it, at least you can come to an agreement with yourself (“Okay, I’m going to begin leaving the office at a reasonable hour.” or “I’m going to make this project work miracles within 6 months.”)

Change is Good … But It Sure Ain’t Easy

In case this all sounds easy, let me acknowledge, with all due respect, that change is definitely not easy. These three moves give you and others something constructive to focus on while emotions are still running their course. If you employ the accept-understand-agree strategy, you and others will move through the transition with minimal frustration and maximum benefit.

Initiating and Sustaining Change at Work: Part 3

Organizational Pathways:  Strategies for Leading Change

By Daniel Robin

This is the third installation in a three-part series on dealing with workplace change. So far we’ve explored personal strategies (Part 1) and interpersonal strategies (Part 2) to help make transitions less stressful and more humane; this article dives into how organizations can use the change process to effectively manage and build a healthier, happier, more productive workplace.

By the way, the principles and techniques outlined here apply to organizations of any size, even if you are the organization, or if you’re at the affect of change (otherwise known as an employee).

Two Faces of Change

In Chinese, the symbol for change is made from two characters, one meaning “danger” the other, “opportunity.” The danger is clear — change can mean trouble. What’s the opportunity? Like dealing with conflict, change can be experienced as positive and constructive, or as painful, disorienting and draining. So, I hear you asking, what makes the difference?

In my work with organizations, I’ve noticed four principles that “make the difference” for affecting lasting change. These principles work together to prevent trouble and seize opportunity.

1. Acknowledge and Explain Why the Change is Taking Place.

Initially write down the purpose, intention, and “why now” for yourself, then prepare to explain the purpose in terms people can understand. Management’s reasons for making a change don’t necessarily map to what’s in it for them.

People need reasons — even lousy, honest reasons are better than not communicating. Left open-ended, we all tend to fill in the blanks from our own (unfortunately negative) experiences. Brain research has shown that an almond-shaped region of the brain known as the amygdala activates or “hijacks” our emotions in ways even we cannot explain. People might “hallucinate” that the organization has big plans that don’t include them, and will then automatically begin asking themself “Is this something I hate? That can hurt me? Something I fear?” If there’s no evidence to the contrary, the tripwire sends a crisis signal, and look out! Provide a clear, believable demonstration of why change is necessary, and people will listen to reason, not the voice in their head.

Negative experiences get our attention, serving both times of danger and, with hindsight, opportunity. When there is no positive payoff for the people affected (such as a layoff), acknowledge intentions, feelings, and likely reactions, and let it be. Do not take or accept false responsibility.

2. Under-promise, Over-deliver.

When initiating change, explain its purpose, and set expectations that can be systematically exceeded, then do the work and don’t say much else. It would be better to lay back on promises or claims and have everyone be pleasantly surprised later. It’s much easier to raise expectations based on evidence than to live with disappointment and cynicism from falling short. Let the program’s results speak volumes; the best type of internal P.R. is a celebration of what proved to work.

3. Create a Suitable Forum for Dialogue.

By encouraging questions, accepting feedback, and listening to other’s concerns, you and others can make necessary adjustments while reducing the FUD-factor (fear, uncertainty and doubt) of those affected. Sort out apparent conflicts or contradictions. To prevent one-sided complaining or insidious rah-rah cheerleading, facilitate contrasting pairs, pros and cons: (a) strengths and weaknesses, (b) what’s working and what isn’t, (c) their likes and dislikes, (d) advantages and drawbacks, or (e) opportunities and threats.

Rephrase confrontive feedback as a question. “Could it be that … the low morale is a temporary cost of this reorganization?” Don’t look for instant, easy answers. Sometimes there aren’t any. Get or make a commitment to carefully investigate anything that seems important to them and report back as quickly as you can.

4. Implement Changes One Step at a Time.

If the shift will take months or years to complete, introduce the changes gradually, systematically, in phases, and ask for feedback along the way. This goes back to principle #2: Don’t promise what cannot be delivered. Run a “pilot” or a series of experiments focused on learning, so adjustments can be made in the overall initiative. Avoid “ready, fire, aim!”

By making room for resistance and skepticism, deliberately preserving the value of the “old way” within the new, a systematic shift can inspire people and slingshot the organization. By acknowledging the negative while looking for positive intentions, change agents model how to pay attention to danger signals while building context and consensus, so others can find their unique path through the transition period.

Fear: Part 1

Is Fear Useful, or Just. . . Scary?

By Daniel Robin

How do you now deal with fear at work?  This article pinpoints the types of fear that cause needless suffering, and advocates workplaces that consistently maintain an “absence of threat.”

For better or for worse, we all bring our personal history to our workplace relationships.  Many of us learned “fear tactics” from our parents, who, with good intentions and limited options, used threats to get us to obey their authority.  This just doesn’t work.  When such authority is imposed at work, it not only destroys morale, but left unaddressed, breeds office politics, CYA, turf wars, entrenched negativity. . . reinforcing a cycle of mistrust.

In many workplaces, this unfortunate pattern begins when employees are afraid to ask questions or shy away from asserting their truth.  Pride and trust are undermined, and relationships turn sour.  So what are we dealing with here?  Are there different “types” of fear: some you can count on (like feelings of apprehension during a performance review) while others are indicative of a broken process (“I can’t speak up; they’ll fire me!”)?

Is There Anything Good About Fear?

Surprisingly, many executives quietly (perhaps unconsciously) assume that fear is “good” — or inadvertently cause fear in others in an attempt to motivate.  Think about it.  If you wanted something done and encountered resistance, certainly one way to “inspire” action is to highlight the consequence of not doing it, making that more distasteful than the resistance.  And will that work?

Make no mistake: externally imposed fear is not an effective motivational tool.  Though it may yield short-term gains, it usually backfires.  This practice, part of the legacy of traditional hierarchies, prevents people from doing their best.  A study of 580 companies by the American Quality Foundation found that imposed fear is simply destructive. . .it either inhibits or causes overreaction such as knee-jerk resistance.  Speak up about it and interrupt the cycle.

Whose Motives are These?

Instead of extrinsic motivation, when you have a goal that involves other people, demonstrate leadership by tapping into the vast ocean of intrinsic motivaters.  Guess what?  People are already motivated, and wise leaders need only harness that already exists.  If you get resistance, tap into and understand that, too.  People are far more likely to go the extra mile when they see a genuine concern for employee well-being — not the often heard “You’d better. . . or else. . . and that’s final.”

On the other hand, fear that comes from within you — such as a concern that you might not meet a deadline you voluntarily agreed to — produces discomfort or anxiety and if it doesn’t cause overwhelm, will inspire action.

Manageable, self-imposed fear acts as the fuel for change or improvement.  It propels us forward and helps us move through stuck points or avoid hazards.  It is a natural part of learning.  But if I’m concerned about being judged or penalized or fired. . . I’m not going to learn, and I might not even hang around, let alone perform well.

So if we can fully commit to building a workplace culture where externally-imposed fear is headed for extinction, we’ll all win.

What Can Be Done To Handle Fear?

First: Acknowledge what you don’t want.  Second: Decide if there’s anything you need to do to prevent that downside.  Third: If so, formulate a plan to handle it; if not, find a way to live with (come to terms with) the downside — even if it never comes to pass, at least you’d know you could handle it if necessary.

Let your response to fear teach you what it’s like to be fully present.  Help the leaders understand the impact of their behavior.  By the way, do remember to breathe!

Leadership Out of Control

Accessing Organizational Leverage Points

by Daniel Robin

“Well, ambulance I can’t tell you what to do, sovaldi sale Alex, capsule but if you’re going to reach your goals, you’d better do something to get your team’s act together.”

“Like what, join hands and sing Kumbaya in three-part harmony? Get serious. We’re only as good as our leadership, and you people act like you’re out to get us. So, what gives?”

“If you mean we’re trying to get rid of you, you’re sadly mistaken. I just want results. Now I understand why you haven’t kept us in the loop and you’ve avoided returning my calls….”

Workplaces are like ecosystems … complex, interconnected webs of relationships that blend chaotic and well-ordered patterns of activity. This article is about using the best of both to interrupt patterns of stress and take charge of change using what I’ll call leverage points.

So Much Time, So Little Change

If we could just focus on the changes that would make the biggest difference and ignore the rest … we’d have it made. Unfortunately, humans can’t always separate out what’s pointless from what’s powerful until after we’ve jumped in with all three feet. Then we’ll know from experience how to “surf the chaos” and leverage that learning into other arenas.

Another way to gain this type of wisdom is to rely on established principles and “natural laws.” Such principles apply to organizations whether or not we know about or believe in them. For example, even if I choose not to believe in the law of gravity, I’m still affected by it. Similarly, here are three leadership principles that powerfully influence personal and organizational change:

  1. Tap the power of self-organizing systems (described by chaos and complexity theory), letting go of control. How? Build in teamwork and accountability systems. Accountable to what? Agreements, alias leverage point #2, below. This frees up leaders from spans of control – which often causes micromanagement – to “chaords” (chaos and order in dynamic balance), providing sustainable marketplace advantage. To quote Tom Peters, “The winners of tomorrow will deal proactively with chaos, will look at the chaos per se as the source of competitive advantage, not as a problem to be got around.”
  2. Organize and prioritize work around meaningful, coherent goals and powerful, voluntary agreements. Usually our purpose and priorities are clear to us, but is everyone on the same page? Impose structure on the chaos with clear goals and complete agreements. Shared vision, defined mission and articulated core values increase stakeholder buy-in and result in an increasing commitment to the success factors for the organization. It also instills an entrepreneurial edge so that this ever-increasing number of committed employees will act like owners – co-investors – not just additional pairs of hands.
  3. Now the big one: notice your assumptions – the “mindset” out of which all of this arises – and bust the myths and outmoded ways of thinking that led to accepting perceived (assumed) limitations as facts. A definition of insanity is to keep doing the same thing over and over expecting a different result. The key to innovation and creativity – busting through the well-worn reactivity and defensive loops that sometimes have us “rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic” – is to have the courage to irrationally throw off limits and dare to dream.

At first, it may seem counter-intuitive or can be quite uncomfortable to step back from habitual ways of thinking (“We’ve always done it that way!”) to notice the structure of patterns that give rise to well-worn problems (“We have to get away from this, but we can’t …”) or undiscussable issues (“I scare people? Nobody has complained to me about it so far!”). These patterns can transform stress-provoking stuckness into empowering moments of creativity when there’s a shift from a point of view to a viewing point: new, constructive dialogue emerges and people quickly move to get the job done.

Self-Assessment Questions

What are the most powerful places to focus your attention? How can you leverage your time and talent to bring forward the patterns that produce greater success?

As you notice the situations that currently drain you or that reflect defensive loops, deep-seated conflicts, or other cycles of stress – you can ask yourself the following questions:

  • Is there an area where I’m holding onto how it has to be, where I’m rigidly attached to an outcome or goal?
  • Where am I not achieving an outcome that reflects a broken promise, a lost opportunity or some other “sunk” energy that I could retrieve?
  • What are my top three goals and how is my work organized around achieving those goals? For example, is my office space a mirror of what I’m actually working on, or more a reflection of stuff I happen to have?
  • Am I operating out of any false assumptions – or causal “myths” – that put me at odds with the laws of human nature? For example, do I believe that I need to motivate or empower people to do their best work? Or, have I ever assumed that “If I let a team manage their own commitments and hold themselves accountable, they will slack off and become complacent”?

It turns out that people are already motivated (to do something); often people are motivated to do the best job they can– we need only tap into what already exists. Given the backing they need, people empower themselves, and if I’m an effective leader, I can get out of their way.

Holding people accountable externally is less useful than setting up systems and structures where people hold themselves accountable (and those who also care about the outcomes – for example, management – can simply pay attention to how it’s going).

These old assumptions about how workplaces work are based on a consensus way of thinking that perpetuates the myth – until someone stops to look at it and pushes back. This isn’t about who is right and who is wrong – it’s much more practical than having a philosophical debate: it’s about what works.

Shifting an assumption will, in turn, lead to a different result. Change your assumption and you’ll change your experience. This resets expectations, and expectations have a profound influence on behavior and results. How do you respond when the people around you expect you to be (or assume that you already are) brilliant, unstoppable, successful?

Because assumptions always appear to be correct and complete to the person who holds them, it may not go over well if we directly challenge (attempt to change) someone’s mindset. Indeed, a better approach is to ask the person to observe if their current assumptions are getting the results they are after, while we come from the alternative mindset. In this way, leading quietly by example provides a persuasive demonstration of what would serve them, too. In time, the shifts occur naturally, effortlessly, given the respect and flexibility that is the centerpiece of skillful leadership.

Organizational Pathways: Part 3

Strategies for Leading Change

By Daniel Robin

This is the third installation in a three-part series on dealing with workplace change. So far we’ve explored personal strategies (Link to Part 1) and interpersonal strategies (link to Part 2) to help make transitions less stressful and more humane; this article dives into how organizations can use the change process to effectively manage and build a healthier, happier, more productive workplace.

By the way, the principles and techniques outlined here apply to organizations of any size, even if you are the organization, or if you’re at the affect of change (otherwise known as an employee).

Two Faces of Change

In Chinese, the symbol for change is made from two characters, one meaning “danger” the other, “opportunity.” The danger is clear — change can mean trouble. What’s the opportunity? Like dealing with conflict, change can be experienced as positive and constructive, or as painful, disorienting and draining. So, I hear you asking, what makes the difference?

In my work with organizations, I’ve noticed four principles that “make the difference” for affecting lasting change. These principles work together to prevent trouble and seize opportunity.

1. Acknowledge and Explain Why the Change is Taking Place.

Initially write down the purpose, intention, and “why now” for yourself, then prepare to explain the purpose in terms people can understand. Management’s reasons for making a change don’t necessarily map to what’s in it for them.

People need reasons — even lousy, honest reasons are better than not communicating. Left open-ended, we all tend to fill in the blanks from our own (unfortunately negative) experiences. Brain research has shown that an almond-shaped region of the brain known as the amygdala activates or “hijacks” our emotions in ways even we cannot explain. People might “hallucinate” that the organization has big plans that don’t include them, and will then automatically begin asking themself “Is this something I hate? That can hurt me? Something I fear?” If there’s no evidence to the contrary, the tripwire sends a crisis signal, and look out! Provide a clear, believable demonstration of why change is necessary, and people will listen to reason, not the voice in their head.

Negative experiences get our attention, serving both times of danger and, with hindsight, opportunity. When there is no positive payoff for the people affected (such as a layoff), acknowledge intentions, feelings, and likely reactions, and let it be. Do not take or accept false responsibility.

2. Under-promise, Over-deliver.

When initiating change, explain its purpose, and set expectations that can be systematically exceeded, then do the work and don’t say much else. It would be better to lay back on promises or claims and have everyone be pleasantly surprised later. It’s much easier to raise expectations based on evidence than to live with disappointment and cynicism from falling short. Let the program’s results speak volumes; the best type of internal P.R. is a celebration of what proved to work.

3. Create a Suitable Forum for Dialogue.

By encouraging questions, accepting feedback, and listening to other’s concerns, you and others can make necessary adjustments while reducing the FUD-factor (fear, uncertainty and doubt) of those affected. Sort out apparent conflicts or contradictions. To prevent one-sided complaining or insidious rah-rah cheerleading, facilitate contrasting pairs, pros and cons: (a) strengths and weaknesses, (b) what’s working and what isn’t, (c) their likes and dislikes, (d) advantages and drawbacks, or (e) opportunities and threats.

Rephrase confrontive feedback as a question. “Could it be that … the low morale is a temporary cost of this reorganization?” Don’t look for instant, easy answers. Sometimes there aren’t any. Get or make a commitment to carefully investigate anything that seems important to them and report back as quickly as you can.

4. Implement Changes One Step at a Time.

If the shift will take months or years to complete, introduce the changes gradually, systematically, in phases, and ask for feedback along the way. This goes back to principle #2: Don’t promise what cannot be delivered. Run a “pilot” or a series of experiments focused on learning, so adjustments can be made in the overall initiative. Avoid “ready, fire, aim!”

By making room for resistance and skepticism, deliberately preserving the value of the “old way” within the new, a systematic shift can inspire people and slingshot the organization. By acknowledging the negative while looking for positive intentions, change agents model how to pay attention to danger signals while building context and consensus, so others can find their unique path through the transition period.