Six ways to lead others through change
Change is inevitable. Big or small, change happens every day. As leaders, it’s our duty to make sure that those in our organization are fully prepared for changes that occur, and how to best navigate them.
In his blog Leadership & Learning, Kevin Eikenberry discusses “What Can’t Change in Times of Change,” or, in other words, making sure change is successful by understanding how humans learn to adapt to it. He provides six actions that we can take to address human nature, and help us adapt, adjust to, and embrace change. These include:
- providing perspective by regurgitating to people the current and most accurate knowledge we have on an issue or topic;
- uncovering the unknown by helping people see the unseen and navigate uncertainty with an open mind;
- understanding the why by helping them recognize the purpose of it – even if they may not like the change;
- bringing people in to help them more easily accept and embrace the change;
- giving people time to deeply understand the change and have the space to reflect on it; and
- providing hope by emphasizing that this change will help the future be a lot better.
In the end, it’s best to ensure that those in our organizations are fully prepped for changes that come and go into our lives. At NAFCU, we spend a lot of time discussing our “why,” which helps our team understand that ultimately any changes we make are reflective of our mission to help credit unions grow and better serve their communities.
In this week’s blog, I’d personally like to extend a hand and my prayers to the families affected by the Robb Elementary School shooting in Uvalde, Texas on Tuesday. May they find peace and hope in this extremely unfathomable circumstance.