Making Change to Quickly
I have found that by seeking input from the team, they are more receptive to a needed change. It also forces me to move slower.I learned this lesson the hard way, by seeing a need and making an immediate change which was then not received well.
N.,
great point here. When we ask them & truly listen, they are much more open to us.
Ryan Meers, Ph.D.
Making changes too quickly can jeopordize credibility! Especially ina new job or internal advancement. I'm reminded everyday that it takes teamwork (trust, confidence, etc)to rally and impliment changes. In my experience, the best way to get people to "rally" around change is to get them to believe you have both the companies their interest, and the customers interest in mind. Don't be a selfish leader and make changes in a "vacuum". Collaborate, get the big picture, and seek guidance on what others think before you "pull the trigger".
Wayne,
yes, others have called this the "quick win" paradox. The feeling that I need to come in & make a quick change to demonstrate success.
Ryan Meers, Ph.D.
I have also encountered,in a very bad expiernce that by making change too soon when a class lesson was not taken,but rather skipped.It craeted problems and set backs.A lot of work was created to tay back on track.Same here,lesson learned.
Eloy,
yes, sometimes we save time over the long run but slowing down a little.
Ryan Meers, Ph.D.
I completely agree. I very infrequently make unilateral decisions with my staff. We talk out issues and decide as a group. This helps to course-correct, make every voice heard, and hear out different perspectives for a balanced analysis of issues. The psychological and emotional effect of having a forum where we can talk out problem areas and solutions without anyone having to go out on a limb alone helps build team cohesion, and the sense that I'm in the situation with my employees, not looking down and making decisions. Every day I am reminded how important my team is and how many problems we avoid with the way we function.
brian,
this is great & when this is our typical approach, when we do need to make the unilateral decisions our folks are much more accepting.
Ryan Meers, Ph.D.
Yes, I am living thru a bad situation of making many changes quickly. I have a team of 8 persons and 3 are talking about leaving due to the changes. I am trying to be supportive, yet these are the new policies. any one of them would have been good but all together has made the team feel like no one cares about their suggestions. On an average how much time should you let go by before changing many policies at once?
Larry,
wow, this is a loaded & difficult question. I'm not sure there's a magic number as some philosophies say to do them all at once & get them over with while others say spread them out. If you're going to spread them out I would say you need more time in between otherwise it seems like you just get done with a change & then you're in another one.
Ryan Meers, Ph.D.
I am in a process of make a big change and it will be drastic. Things have to change in order to function better. Sometimes is necessary to make big changes. Not everyone will like the change, but most of the time you keep the ones who are serious about the project.
I believe we also, have to be willing to think outside of the box and embrace change for the better.
Sandra,
yes, if you know the change is inevitable, better that you help your team be positive & see themselves in the new reality than grouse & resist.
Ryan Meers, Ph.D.
