Implementing Change

You should really read Leadership From the Inside Out by Kevin Cashman. He talks a lot about how to implement change in a non-threatening way. Among his advice are four steps to making that change. I think back on an experience I had while I was serving as a missionary in the Caribbean and one of my leaders implemented a change that I really didn't agree with. I felt it was too aggressive and I spoke up about how I felt. I was more or less shouted down and "put in my place" even though I wasn't trying to be disrespectful or disobedient. Even though I technically complied with the change my heart was never in it. I think I would have reacted much more positively to the change if these four steps had been put in place. Here are those steps along with my thoughts:

Step 1- Focus people's attention on the Idea and what the future will be like once it is fully implemented

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People need to know the "why" behind a change and most people think that saying something like "it will increase profits" or "because I said so" is a good "why." But people need more then that. They need to hear how this will change their future. What will their future look like when the change is complete?  

Step 2- Create an Environment where talking about the change is an everyday occurrence

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Talking about the change one time when you launch the idea isn't sufficient. That would be as absurd as women during the women's suffrage movement having one rally then never talking of it again and expecting something to happen. You need to encourage talk about the change often and to listen to people's experiences with the change. They need to know that you care about them and how the change is affecting them. They need to be encouraged. They need you to hear their complaints and if justified, change or pivot to better fit their needs and wants. 

Step 3- Give people space

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People need time to process the change and how it affects them. They need to have the space to consider it without feeling like you are ramming it down their throat. This is a balancing act that you have to judge in the moment. You have to balance being vigilant in promoting the change with also leaving people space enough to have their feelings and work through them.

Step 4- Keep reminding people what is important

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Sometimes when you implement a change you get people who become zealots of that change and lose sight of the overall mission. Other times you implement change and you feel like no one heard anything you said. In either case you need to be able to connect the change with the higher purpose of your organization.

People resist change. As a good leader you have to be able to help them make those changes. You have to lead them gently to the water and with any luck, they will drink.