Working World - Organizational

Organizational change is constant. There are changes in business direction, leadership power, titles, responsibilities, and changes in the in/out flow of employees. But, the transition to a new leader is often the most profound because it impacts on the daily aspects of our work more quickly than any other organizational change. It can frustrate your personal career goals and directly impact on general organizational morale and success.

So, while welcoming a new leader can be exciting, many employees will immediately feel insecure, anxious and vulnerable. This is understandable because employees are typically not involved in the recruitment process and have little information on which to create a sense of trust. As well, a leadership change creates a situation where some people will experience a loss of meaning and sense of value while some will indeed gain benefit.

No matter whether the former leader was a well-loved icon or a hated tyrant, individuals will feel a sense of loss and experience a void that creates confusion about how to realize personal success. People feel a sense of the unknown because they don’t know the new leader. Some individuals will perceive they’ve been sidelined with their views no longer counting and so they move into career survival mode, the pain of which is so real it feels like your own personal version of the TV survival series.

Successfully managing a leadership change process is very important. If the transition is mismanaged, social and political relationships and the general work environment can become dysfunctional resulting in lower morale and productivity and most likely the exodus of top-notch talent.

If you’re the employee, what can you do? First, know that the wild ride of emotional upheaval experienced as you move through a leadership change is normal. No, you aren’t going crazy! And, just as you would when helping a friend, forgive yourself when anger and pain surfaces. There is no doubt, you will experience a sense of loss, a numbness and depression that can temporarily cripple and drain you of energy. Then as you search for your sense of new meaning in the workplace, recognize that in most cases, there will be continued opportunity to make a contribution in your current organization.

Next, it is equally important to understand the developmental stages your employee group will move through as the new leader creates and molds a high performing, synergistic team. This is not a linear process but rather a series of commonly known stages which can take anywhere from one to several years of transition to complete. Stage one (forming) occurs when your new boss arrives, conducts an evaluation of the organization and your employee skill set and begins to create a new team. Stage two (storming) is the process of changing roles and responsibilities and dealing with the interpersonal conflict that inevitably surfaces. Stage three (norming) occurs when the new team is finally starting to function effectively which hopefully then leads to the final, high performing stage.

As an employee, you need to keep a career management perspective throughout the entire leadership change process. You need to truly understand your full range of capability, define what you like to do and what you are the best at and assertively scope out a comfortable and satisfying role. If after much analysis and assessment, you find there just isn’t a match between your new leader’s values and direction, or if you find that your new role and responsibilities don’t fit with your personal career drivers, then take the initiative to go out into the world and find that right match.

On the other hand, if you are the new leader, you have a tough task ahead! It’s a significant responsibility to lead and manage a leadership change process. And, most often, you will have only one chance to develop that strength of employee trust and respect needed to propel you toward success. Now, as your leadership journey begins, remember that leadership change is not a linear process, so be sure to apply careful thought and sensitivity to everything you do.

Although the “how to list” is long, I’ll leave you with four key strategies that can start you on the road to successful leadership change:

 

Create a Safe Environment

Remember that leadership change creates vibrations of insecurity and apprehension amongst employees so be careful how you scrutinize current structures and systems. Seek ways to create a safe work environment while you redevelop a high morale.

 

Be Open and Sharing

Don’t play a mystery-mastery leadership game where you dig deep for information on the organization and its employees yet keep them in the dark about who you are, what you value and where you envision organizational success in the future. You can’t lead if there are no followers so make sure the sharing goes both ways.

 

Value Employee Input

As the new leader, you will need the trust and support of your employees. Acquire this by involving them in developing a new vision. Sincerely listening, hearing their ideas and valuing their past contributions will go a long way to getting them on your side.

 

Communicate! Communicate! Communicate!

If you are going to change roles and responsibilities, explain your rationale and support the employee as they strive to gain a sense of new meaning. There is nothing worse than finding out your job has changed through email or simply being left off the invitation list for the next important meeting.

 

Barbara J. Bowes, FCHRP, CMC
Barbara Bowes is President of Legacy Bowes Group. She can be reached at barb@bowesgroup.com.