Embracing change: How to lead your team through transformation

Unveiling the benefits of change.

Behind every change, there will be a belief that when it happens, the change will deliver some sort of benefit. Things like:

• Better, faster, or easier service.
• Greater efficiencies and lower costs.
• Improved quality of products and services.
• Easier collaboration and access to knowledge.  
• A safer or more enjoyable work environment.  
• Improved access to learning and so on.

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Navigating uncertainty with change.

But any benefits of a change can only be realised if those being impacted by it, such as you and your team, choose to embrace the change. In most cases where change fails, not enough focus has been put on making sure changes are adopted and embedded. This is why as a leader, you need to champion the change and set an example for others to follow.

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Building confidence with change.

When you’re facing a change, you may wonder what you can do to get your team to embrace it. Well, it’s important to recognise that change is fundamentally about the human experience. It’s about how people feel leading up to and during the change. If the experience is positive, it’s far more likely that the benefits of the change will be seen. And it also means people are more likely to embrace the next change, which probably won’t be far away.

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Creating a positive change experience.

So, how do good leaders of change create this positive experience?  

• They bring their team on the change journey by having conversations with them.
• They involve their team in conversations about what the change is aiming to achieve and what the benefits are for them.  
• They help to create a plan to adopt the change.  
• They focus on getting the team off to a great start when the change arrives.  
• They reinforce positive experiences and work with their team to resolve any unanticipated problems.

Embracing change for long term success.

While it can be tempting to delay these conversations, good leaders have learnt that if you wait until the last minute to discuss the change, your teams’ anxieties, fears and frustrations will only get bigger.  

If you’re not sure where to start, or are struggling through a current change journey, use the Embracing Change action pack to introduce and embed the regular conversations, routines, and practices you’ll need to help build your confidence to lead and your team’s ability to adapt to change.

Empower yourself and your team.

Embracing change is not just about coping with the inevitable; it's about embracing a mindset that unlocks personal growth, adaptability, resilience, and success. By effectively leading and embedding change in your team, you can achieve better results and build a resilient team capable of embracing future changes.

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