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6 Actions to Make Change Easier for Any Team – Get Excitement & Action · Enhance.training

• 0:00
  SPEAKER_00: Make change easier for any team by using six actions to reduce fears, provide purpose and help individuals learn and adapt to what is changing.
• 0:10
  SPEAKER_00: Humans don't like rapid change as a general rule.
• 0:13
  SPEAKER_00: Our brains create patterns and once it recognises a pattern, we follow the actions that worked well last time almost without thinking.
• 0:21
  SPEAKER_00: Change means our brains need to create new patterns which takes effort.
• 0:25
  SPEAKER_00: The more effort needed, the more resistance to change for the person.
• 0:30
  SPEAKER_00: On top of this, we humans are emotional and often irrational beings.
• 0:34
  SPEAKER_00: If, when taking teams, departments and companies through change, we don't pay enough attention to the human side of change, the changes planned are going to be a lot more painful for everyone.
• 0:45
  SPEAKER_00: Much better is to work carefully, guiding staff through change and providing support and help to change.
• 0:52
  SPEAKER_00: Change will be a lot quicker and a lot more successful as a result which helps everyone.
• 0:57
  SPEAKER_00: I have implemented a lot of business-wide projects, from functional turnarounds to ERP systems with over 50 users, corporate restructures and redesigning operational systems to increase scalability.
• 1:09
  SPEAKER_00: Guiding people through the change has always been a much bigger challenge than planning out the steps and activities of the actual project.
• 1:17
  SPEAKER_00: Always focus more of your time on the people than technically what needs to happen.
• 1:23
  SPEAKER_00: Today we're going through six actions to make change easier for any team, and these are firstly start with the most important, the why.
• 1:31
  SPEAKER_00: Secondly, explain clearly what is in it for them.
• 1:34
  SPEAKER_00: Third, break down change into manageable tasks and activities.
• 1:39
  SPEAKER_00: Fourth, spend more time listening than talking.
• 1:41
  SPEAKER_00: Fifth, teach people how to change, and then sixth, hold team members accountable for change.
• 1:48
  SPEAKER_00: Your staff are your business.
• 1:50
  SPEAKER_00: The people in the business make the decisions, decide what work to do, and how to do that work.
• 1:57
  SPEAKER_00: When you win over the people and they are happy with the change needed, you will get change, as you expect it, a lot quicker.
• 2:05
  SPEAKER_00: Try to change with skeptical staff members and you'll get a long list of reasons why people resist change in the workplace.
• 2:12
  SPEAKER_00: Employ the best change management with teams that you can so you get the best results as quickly as possible.
• 2:20
  SPEAKER_00: The first action to make change easier for any team is to start with explaining the why.
• 2:26
  SPEAKER_00: If we're being asked to put in a ton of effort to change, we want to know why.
• 2:31
  SPEAKER_00: Think about what questions will be going through everyone's mind when you start communicating the change needed.
• 2:37
  SPEAKER_00: For example, will the effort of changing be worth it?
• 2:40
  SPEAKER_00: Or how will a change benefit me and my colleagues?
• 2:44
  SPEAKER_00: Or how will this change help the company and improve my job security?
• 2:49
  SPEAKER_00: Or is this change important and will it last?
• 2:53
  SPEAKER_00: Before explaining the detail of the change, explain the why.
• 2:57
  SPEAKER_00: Give purpose and context to the change by explaining the why.
• 3:01
  SPEAKER_00: Make it clear in everyone's mind the change has a purpose and it will make people better off as a whole.
• 3:08
  SPEAKER_00: When change helps the group overall and has a clear purpose, most people are much more willing to accept change, even if they will be personally worse off.
• 3:18
  SPEAKER_00: Always explain the why before doing anything else.
• 3:21
  SPEAKER_00: Then you can go into more detail about what is being changed and how the change will happen.
• 3:27
  SPEAKER_00: Explain the why first.
• 3:30
  SPEAKER_00: My name is Jess Coles, and if you're new to this podcast, Enhanced.training provides resources and courses for you to build management expertise and confidence to lead any team to their best performance.
• 3:41
  SPEAKER_00: I've included links to additional resources in the podcast description to help you with how to lead teams through change.
• 3:48
  SPEAKER_00: Do take a look at these.
• 3:50
  SPEAKER_00: The second action to make change easier for any team is clearly explain what is in it for them.
• 3:56
  SPEAKER_00: Explaining the why provides purpose.
• 3:59
  SPEAKER_00: Explaining exactly what is in it for them provides the incentive to change.
• 4:03
  SPEAKER_00: The more powerful you make the incentives, the more likely people will change quickly.
• 4:09
  SPEAKER_00: The more you know about the ambitions and fears of the people in the team or the function, etc., the easier it is to position positively how the change will make them better off.
• 4:20
  SPEAKER_00: Talk to what they want and what they want to avoid.
• 4:24
  SPEAKER_00: Be clear, be realistic and be honest in your communication.
• 4:28
  SPEAKER_00: Maintaining trust is very important to leading teams through change.
• 4:32
  SPEAKER_00: Don't overly exaggerate or gloss over the challenges or ignore the problems.
• 4:37
  SPEAKER_00: Chances are the team members will be very aware of them anyway.
• 4:40
  SPEAKER_00: Acknowledge the challenges while presenting the best upsides for individuals and groups.
• 4:46
  SPEAKER_00: The more realistic you are, the more confidence team members will have that you can implement the change successfully and they will get the benefits promised.
• 4:54
  SPEAKER_00: Always take individuals and teams through what the change will do for them.
• 4:59
  SPEAKER_00: The third action for good change management with teams is to break the change into manageable tasks and activities.
• 5:07
  SPEAKER_00: Explain to the team and each individual what they need to do to transition through the change.
• 5:13
  SPEAKER_00: Make it as easy as possible for the other person to know what they need to do differently and what they need to learn and change.
• 5:20
  SPEAKER_00: The better they understand how they need to change, the more likely they'll be able to change quickly.
• 5:27
  SPEAKER_00: Go through step by step what they need to do.
• 5:30
  SPEAKER_00: Spend time answering their questions.
• 5:32
  SPEAKER_00: Ask them to explain what needs to happen back to you.
• 5:35
  SPEAKER_00: Check they understand each point before moving on to the next.
• 5:39
  SPEAKER_00: Provide notes and diagrams to remind team members what they should do differently.
• 5:44
  SPEAKER_00: Explain the impact on their jobs, their tasks and their activities and their responsibilities.
• 5:50
  SPEAKER_00: Break down change into manageable tasks and activities that the team understands and can easily relate to.
• 5:57
  SPEAKER_00: The fourth action to make change easier is to spend more time listening than talking.
• 6:03
  SPEAKER_00: Change can be very scary for some people.
• 6:06
  SPEAKER_00: We all have fears, insecurities and questions when faced with change.
• 6:10
  SPEAKER_00: Having the opportunity to voice our concerns and talk through what is sparking our fears and insecurities usually reduces those fears and makes us more accepting of change.
• 6:20
  SPEAKER_00: When leading teams through change, spend more time listening than talking.
• 6:25
  SPEAKER_00: Listen to concerns, issues, challenges, ideas and solutions from team members.
• 6:31
  SPEAKER_00: Chances are you'll learn something new, spot something you have not considered, or be given a better solution to a specific problem.
• 6:38
  SPEAKER_00: Being able to lead teams through change and reduce the resistance to change will make you a lot more effective at successfully implementing change.
• 6:47
  SPEAKER_00: A very valuable skill to any company.
• 6:50
  SPEAKER_00: Listening carefully to others gives you access to a much wider range of ideas and solutions than you might have thought about on your own.
• 6:58
  SPEAKER_00: Use the talents and experience of your whole team by listening to them.
• 7:02
  SPEAKER_00: Spend more time listening than talking during change.
• 7:06
  SPEAKER_00: The fifth action to make change easier for any team is to teach people how to change.
• 7:12
  SPEAKER_00: Even bright and very able people need to help building the skills and experience that will enable them to make the change that you are asking for.
• 7:22
  SPEAKER_00: Don't assume that explaining what change you need is enough to enable all of your team members to make that change.
• 7:28
  SPEAKER_00: You are the best person to judge the capabilities of the people you lead.
• 7:33
  SPEAKER_00: I personally have always found it a lot quicker and easier to teach people exactly what they need to do to change.
• 7:40
  SPEAKER_00: Go through the steps with them in detail, answer all their questions, ask them to explain it to you, sit with them while they go through the steps for the first time.
• 7:49
  SPEAKER_00: Go back the next day and observe them so you can answer any more questions they have and correct what they are doing wrong.
• 7:55
  SPEAKER_00: Repeat this observe and teach process until they've really got it.
• 7:59
  SPEAKER_00: When you're leading a much bigger group, make sure all of your managers know exactly what is needed and observe them teaching their teams to make sure it is consistent and correct across the business.
• 8:12
  SPEAKER_00: Make sure your manager has it right so they will get it right for their staff members.
• 8:16
  SPEAKER_00: This is a brilliant way to leverage your time and it reduces future challenges.
• 8:21
  SPEAKER_00: Teaching people how to change is a lot quicker than hoping they'll work it out for themselves.
• 8:27
  SPEAKER_00: The sixth action to make change easier is to hold team members accountable to change.
• 8:33
  SPEAKER_00: Holding team members accountable is one of the bigger challenges of change management.
• 8:37
  SPEAKER_00: Forty three percent of leaders find giving corrective feedback stressful and difficult.
• 8:43
  SPEAKER_00: Even more managers find holding team members accountable an even bigger challenge.
• 8:48
  SPEAKER_00: When going through change, and especially after you've put in all the effort to explain the why, the what and the how, plus provided support and training, you need individuals and teams to make the change that you've asked for.
• 9:00
  SPEAKER_00: Once you've set really clear expectations with a team and you've earned the trust of that team, holding team members to account is a lot more straightforward.
• 9:09
  SPEAKER_00: To hold team members accountable for making the changes, asked, do each of these actions.
• 9:16
  SPEAKER_00: Firstly, communicate clear goals and expectations about the change being asked for.
• 9:21
  SPEAKER_00: Secondly, build capability in your team to make the change.
• 9:24
  SPEAKER_00: Third, create visibility of progress towards the goals of the change.
• 9:29
  SPEAKER_00: Fourth, follow up and give plenty of honest feedback.
• 9:33
  SPEAKER_00: And fifth, implement clear consequences for resisting change and benefits for making the change on an individual level.
• 9:40
  SPEAKER_00: Holding team members accountable is a process or a framework of using each of these interdependent steps.
• 9:46
  SPEAKER_00: Make sure your team implements the change that you're asking for by doing all of these steps day in and day out through the period of change.
• 9:55
  SPEAKER_00: So, in summary, make leading teams through change easier and more successful by implementing each of the six actions that we've covered today.
• 10:04
  SPEAKER_00: Always focus more of your time on the people rather than technically what needs to happen to change.
• 10:10
  SPEAKER_00: As a quick reminder, the six actions to make change easier for any team are these.
• 10:16
  SPEAKER_00: Firstly, start with the most important, the why.
• 10:19
  SPEAKER_00: Secondly, explain clearly what is in it for them.
• 10:23
  SPEAKER_00: Third, break down change into manageable tasks and activities.
• 10:27
  SPEAKER_00: Fourth, spend more time listening than talking.
• 10:30
  SPEAKER_00: Fifth, teach people how to change.
• 10:33
  SPEAKER_00: And then sixth, hold team members accountable for change.
• 10:37
  SPEAKER_00: Don't forget to visit us at enhance.training to take a look at all the resources we have available to help you make leading teams through change quicker, easier, and more successful.
• 10:47
  SPEAKER_00: If you have any questions on the six actions to make change easier for any team, please email me at support at enhance.training and I'll get back to you.
• 10:57
  SPEAKER_00: Thanks very much for listening, and I look forward to speaking to you again soon.