I attended a training seminar on coaching skills awhile ago. Their guide to problem solving offered a helpful change management chart.
| Adaptable (open to opportunity) | Create Opportunities(challenge) | Build stars(maintain)
|
| Rigid (closed to opportunity) | Doing little, going nowhere(avoid) | Go-easy(pace/posture)
|
| Low Performance | High Performance |
The questions deserve renewed reflection.
1. Does the team have adequate stimulation to foster innovation and change?
Oranges could over stimulate as in the example above; Greens could stimulate analytically or intellectually and leave out the emotions; Blues always want others to develop their full potential. Golds usually want to be left alone to do their work.
2. Is change happening at a safe pace?
Leaders need to listen to all style colours of staff and encourage different styles to appreciate the diversity of each other.
3. Has adequate time been allocated for staff to adjust to the change?
Without planning for this, invites resistance and a digging in mentality.
4. Has the expected change been effectively related to existing goals?
People need to comprehend the meaning and bigger picture (some remain micro perspectives and messages need to be sent out accordingly).
5. Do employees understand their part in the change and how their job impacts the desired change?
This is where most leaders who are out of touch with day to day operations lose major support.
6. Is there adequate incentive to ensure the change will be implemented?
If some employees are motivated by power ‘over’ others, they may simply stop the change to prove their power base.
7. Have you developed contingency plans for set-backs and disappointments? Blues can influence this step.
8. Has adequate time been given to resistance?
I recommend all involved in leading change study Fisher & Brown’s text Getting together Building a relationship that gets to yes.
9. When the change is accomplished, do you and your team know what it will look like?
This is the role of the visionary. Different styles of workers need varied amounts of detail. Communicating this clearly will greatly help the change go forward.