46 | THOUGHT LEADERSHIP
Influencing change while keeping the wheels turning
I t’s approaching summer. Warm days, tick (hopefully). Lighter nights, tick. Dreaming of a summer break, tick. Does the need for change also take a break? Erm, no. If anything, it seems to me that change is coming at an ever-increasing speed, and although most of that change is good and the outcomes often exciting, at times its relentlessness can feel exhausting. But fear not, this article aims to give you some hints and tips to act as a great change influencer within both your department and the wider business, while still delivering great services to your stakeholders. Win, win. "If you aren't clear on the end goal, how are you going to bang the drum and generate the momentum for people to come with you for the ride?"
Build your followers If you want your change to be a success, you need positive folk on your side. The more, the merrier. At Housing21, we do this by building communities of Change Champions. Depending on the size of the change (read into that, available budget), these Change Champions can be anything from full-time standalone roles to positive people willing and able to spare a few hours championing the cause. Your Change Champions are the eyes and ears for where you can’t be, acting as the bridge between the change leaders and the people impacted. Change Champions can cascade information down as well as filtering questions, concerns and good ideas back up. Want to know what your people really think? Set your Change Champions on a mission to find out.
how big or small, your ears are your best friend. Conduct regular pulse surveys (we call them ‘temperature checks’) to find out how people are feeling, how supported and informed they are and what barriers could be removed to help them succeed. This could include redeployment or sharing of tasks, additional resources (if possible) or just a listening ear to hear how change is impacting them personally. Remember, everyone reacts to change differently. Keep an eye on business as usual Usually change occurs alongside the day job and it’s important not to lose focus on delivering great services to your customers. This can be tricky, especially for large changes or when the pace of change is too fast. However, there are things you can influence to reduce the risk of change failure or burnout in the team, as follows:
Set out the plan All change initiatives will have a
Careful upfront planning Think about your busiest times of the year or when your resource
beginning, a middle and an end. In case you were wondering, the end isn’t 'Go Live Day'. The end comes much later, when the change is fully embedded from both a skills and behavioural perspective. Be clear on the milestones and the elements of the plan that have a degree of flexibility about them. Sharing this upfront can help people plan and prepare not only their workloads but also their mindsets. Some people love the pressure of a deadline looming to get the task done, others prefer to know in advance. I'm definitely in the latter camp. Throw something last minute and I’ll panic and not deliver to the best of my ability but give me chance to plan and ideally use a few colourful highlighters along the way and you get a much more polished piece of work.
How?! I hear you cry…
Be clear on the end goal What change are you trying to achieve? And most importantly, why. If you aren’t clear on the end goal, how are you going to bang the drum and generate the momentum for people to come with you for the ride? To get yourself clear, ask questions, and lots of them. Channel your inner child and ask why on repeat. Trust me, you’ll be glad of it in the long run. People that understand 'the why' are far more likely to embrace change (even if they don’t necessarily agree with it) than those who don’t understand the rationale. Simon Sinek will give you all the theory you could ever need on this philosophy.
Listen Throughout a change process, no matter
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