We are all change fatigued.
Research shows our collective willingness to support organizational change is plummeting. It just feels non-stop. Never-ending.
And while the volume of change has been high, volume’s not the only issue.
We’re exhausted not just by how much change, but also by how much it’s catching us off-guard. Like that old jump scare.
The key to the jump scare is you don’t see it coming.
I mean…imagine watching Freddy Krueger roll up in his Subaru, hop out, lock the car, and climb the stairs. By the time his claws emerge, you’re scrolling socials.
Horror films don’t show the lead up.They rely on the jump scare to jolt your nervous system into high gear.
But frayed nervous systems do not serve our work.
We need to be leading through change more sustainably, more transparently, more collaboratively.
Here are just a few of the ideas we cover in our Leading Through Continuous Change Workshop for leaders. Oh. And if you’d like to explore bringing a half-day live version into your organization? Reach on out!
Transparency: Don’t Freddy Krueger this. If a change is on the horizon, start talking about it in broad strokes sooner than later. Give people time and space to consider it. We need to urge our Corporate Comms teams to be more collaborative, more iterative. We can’t wait for I’s and t’s to be dotted and crossed. We need to open up sooner than later.
Context: Talk to your teams about what’s happening– in the market; with your competitors; with your customers; in your senior leadership meetings. The less context we have, the more likely we are to be caught off-guard. If your competitors have launched a product that threatens your market share, talk about it. This way, when you need your team to shift all their energy into strengthening your product, they’ll already be anticipating the call to action.
Collaborative Dialog: Invite your team to be more than passive receivers of information. Invite them into the creation process. If you know a strategy shift is on the horizon, then start tapping your team now for their insights and ideas. When the time comes, your approach to change will be informed by your team. Which means it will be richer, and they will already be bought in.