Teach an Old Team New Tricks
September 14, 2023 | By David M. Wagner
When the CEO of my then-employer announced a new corporate strategy, staff met the news with curiosity.
Curiosity grew into skepticism when the CEO prioritized values that were at odds with the traditions (habits?) ingrained in the company.
Change is often desirable. Even necessary. How do you persuade a team to upend long-standing ways of doing things and embrace new goals or methods?
Had that CEO followed these three keys to changing behaviors, he might have faced less resistance.
Emphasize the Imperative
People respond more positively to changes when they understand why they are important.
Emphasize the imperative for changes in messaging to affected stakeholders. That might include explaining the negative consequences of continuing the status quo, or highlighting the benefits of improving on your organization’s success.
In the case of my then-employer, leaders were concerned that the company’s culture was preventing it from bringing proactive solutions to its customers. But that important justification for changing the culture got lost in the roll-out of the strategy.
Explaining the “why” behind a change in direction also opens up dialogue with stakeholders about how to respond to the underlying imperative, which leads to the next key.
Invite Input
People are more likely to embrace changes that they have a hand in forming themselves, or at least the opportunity to shape through their feedback.
I’ve written many times before about the importance of soliciting input from stakeholders in almost any circumstance.
Invite stakeholders (or their representatives, for big groups) to participate in the process of choosing how to change. One thing the CEO in our example did right was to make different teams be responsible for deciding how to adjust their own processes and norms in response to the new strategy.
And remember, the goal of inviting input is not to achieve consensus, but to foster commitment to a new path.
Demonstrate Accountability
Even more than stakeholders, it is critical that leadership commits to any changes.
Leaders can hold themselves and others accountable for adopting new norms with the same principles needed to overcome cultural obstacles to strategy:
Plan your support. Will people require…training to implement the new model? Time to pursue alternative opportunities? Transition periods to adjust to new standards?
Set the standard. Communicate specific expectations for new norms of behavior. It says even more when leaders demonstrate those new behaviors themselves. (In our example story, staff shared through surveys that they felt leaders were acting contrary to the values in the new strategy!)
Reinforce new patterns. Acknowledge individuals and teams that embrace change and correct others who still need to adapt. For external stakeholders, consistently reiterate the new norms – including the underlying “why.”.
Many leaders struggle to persuade their stakeholders to adopt new approaches. I coach leaders to clearly communicate “why,” invite input, and lead with accountability to bring about lasting change. Set a free consult today to discuss a coaching solution tailored to your needs.