Change can do you good
Have you ever watched the show While You Were Out? It's a whole show about redecorating a room or a house in a week while the person is gone. I like this concept-leave for a week and the change magically happens. Changing things up but without the chaos that comes from the alterations is something many would prefer.
When organizations change, it is the same. The company is thrown into complete turmoil and employees are left scrambling to keep their heads above water. In Creative Destruction, Foster and Kaplan make the argument that surviving change is not the same as performing through changes. They say that the difference lies in the leader's ability to manage rapid changes and not just "tread water."
The new leader and company enjoy the process of transformation, actually thrive on the change. Many companies are now performing aptitude tests on potential employees to see how well they deal with change. This idea, that an employee can embrace the inevitable re-inventing that the fast-paced business world brings, is a new model.
As leaders, managers need to create a culture that loves change. Here are some ways to do that:
- Recruit the right people-some need constant stability and may not be right for the current workplace
- Hire people that thrive on constant learning
- Be committed to development and skills acquisition.
- Reward people with interesting work
- Show how change will have a positive impact on their futures
- Make sure people keep their jobs, compensation and status during change to make it a positive experience
- Reward those who rapidly adjust
- Keep employees well informed of the process
So don't wait until you're "out of the office" to shake things up--employees can find that change is a satisfying part of their career, part of what makes their jobs exciting. All it takes is leaders to embrace the process and guide their people through it.
Leadership Solutions can help assess how to make the business ready to not only respond but lead with change.
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