The prevailing thinking is that CEOs get fired as a result of poor financial performance. However, it is not the only reason. According to Forbes (May 2023), 31% of CEOs are also fired for not managing organizational change well enough. The rapid pace of technological advancements, market dynamics, and organizational growth necessitates strong change leadership skills. To avoid this pitfall, here are some dos and don’ts for CEOs and leaders to successfully lead change in their organization.
DO Involve employees in the change
When employees feel that the change is being made “with them”, it increases their motivation and makes them more likely to adopt the change long-term.
DO Be transparent in communication
When you acknowledge past failures and tell employees what you are doing differently, their trust that this change will succeed increases.
DO Prepare your organization for change
Taking the time to ensure the implications of the change are well-understood and that leaders and employees are ready will lead to smoother implementation and higher adoption of changes.
DO Communicate 10+ times, over 3+ Channels
Using multiple channels, including two-way communication like town hall meetings, drastically increases the odds that employees will internalize how they need to change and adopt it.
DON’T Take a top-down approach
Without employee involvement, people will feel as if the change is being done “to them”, leading to resistance and a lack of adoption.
DON’T Ignore your change history
Employees will remember past change failures. If you try to push through the change without acknowledging them, they assume mistakes will be repeated.
DON’T Start the change too fast
Jumping into the implementation of a change before you understand its implications leads to rework, high resistance, and will ultimately delay the realization of benefits.
DON’T Take a top-down approach
Without employee involvement, people will feel as if the change is being done “to them”, leading to resistance and a lack of adoption.
DON’T Rely on one form of communication
Only relying on an email or company-wide announcement to communicate the change won’t cut through the employee noise, and they won’t internalize the messaging.
Organizations need to get creative in developing their teams to accept and embrace change in order to remain competitive. Our change management consulting services help equip leaders and teams with the skills and mindset to navigate uncertainty and build resilient businesses that are ready and willing to embrace change in order to grow and thrive.
