You get maximum efforts that improve the organization's capacity to execute when you regularly express that you support, trust, and care for your team members as individuals.
FREMONT, CA: The COVID pandemic's instability and complexity has made one thing abundantly clear: the ability to implement strategic change rapidly and efficiently is more critical than ever. This is particularly true for CIOs and IT leaders, considering that many of these changes are digital solutions to the new reality. Here are three steps for successful change management:
Create the Right Environment
Connect the dots: A sense of purpose is needed for people to be committed. However, getting a target in mind isn't enough. That sense of intent must be translated into organizational goals and individual expectations. As a consequence, purpose becomes evident and actionable.
Equip them to succeed: Leaders often send mixed signals, with their acts contradicting their words. You must ensure that your team members have proper expertise, abilities, resources, and authority for any strategic plan to succeed.
Treat people as human beings first: You get maximum efforts that improve the organization's capacity to execute when you regularly express that you support, trust and care for your team members as individuals. It can also help to ease the anxiety that many people are feeling right now.
Build the Right Team
If you don't build the right team, all of your efforts to create the right focus and establish the right atmosphere will be worthless. Along with the requisite skills and experience, look for adaptability, responsibility, and optimism, all of which are essential today.
You need people who can adjust to changing circumstances and high-pressure environments, who take the initiative, and who have confidence that your business can and will thrive in these trying times.
Develop the Right Focus
Focus on your attention and prioritize your objectives. Trying to tackle so many strategic transformation projects at once is a surefire way to fail. Choose a few strategic initiatives that best fit your requirements, keeping in mind that you can only choose what you can jointly and adequately resource. Then support your decisions by mentioning the implications of not carrying them out. There will be a greater motivation to implement if the consequences are convincing.
Hold bi-weekly or monthly progress monitoring meetings to ensure that time-related goals are reached, and possible roadblocks are established and addressed. And, as circumstances change, be vigilant in readjusting your strategic initiatives.
