 Leading Change
“The only thing permanent is change.” (Heraclites) This is
especially true in business.
So how does a leader prepare an organization for change, and enable
people to take a more positive outlook on changes that will affect them?
Clear communication of thoughts and rationale will
help the members of the organization see the need for change, and may prompt
some of them to make their own suggestions for change or adaptations to new
conditions.
To help people accept the need for change, leaders can:
- Present the change as an opportunity, rather than a threat
- Accept the proposition that people will view change differently and
be prepared to approach them using different methods
- Gather and share information regarding the external environment, as
well as the status of the organization within that environment
- Anticipate internal and external barriers to needed change and
prepare ways of overcoming them
- Enlist the support of other leaders, both formal and informal, to
encourage people to look at the changes more positively
- Prepare people for the change(s) with open communication,
expressions of vision, potential benefits, etc.
- Lead by example – if belt-tightening is required, the leaders should
be the first ones to go on a diet
Change in organizations is rarely easy, often painful, and always
interesting (Chinese curse: “May you live in interesting times.”) Effective
leaders will provide the tools necessary for their organizations to meet the
challenges and opportunities presented by change.
By Barry Schapiro, Business Practice Leader, Management
& Team Development
To learn more about leading change in your organization contact
Kathie Chambers at
314-539-5309 or Barry Schapiro at
314-539-5329.
 Top 10 Reasons to Coach
Coaching — sometimes we think we don’t have time or don’t know how to
access this powerful performance tool. Or we may think, “Why do we need to
coach people? They should know what they are supposed to do. Nobody coaches
me.” You may change your mind after reviewing this Top Ten List which gives
you just ten of the reasons why you should coach:
10) It will help improve performance. Employees need to hear what they’re
doing right in order to reinforce performance, just like they need to hear
if they are doing something that needs to be improved.
9) It makes performance reviews less painful. There is nothing worse than
surprises at a performance review. If a direct report is surprised by our
evaluation, perhaps we haven’t coached them throughout the year.
8) It’s fast. Sometimes we think we need to schedule 30 minutes to an
hour with someone to provide performance feedback. Coaching can be as fast
and simple as, “Here’s the situation, here is how you handled it, and here
is what the impact/benefit was. Thanks!”
7) It can make your training dollars go farther. Training Budgets are
precious. Reinforcing what your employees learned and acknowledging their
improved performance will encourage continued performance improvement on the
job.
6) It’s free. Every manager loves those words. Coaching is a motivational
tool that is free to you and your organization. Give a generous supply.
5) It makes you feel good. Coaching not only motivates your employees it
helps you feel good as well. Try it and it will “make your day”.
4) We can all use the practice. We have learned coaching skills, but
without practice those skills get rusty. Keep your own skills sharp and
people will notice.
3) You can set the example for your manager and peers. A lot of times we
don’t coach because we don’t see those around us coach or we don’t always
receive the coaching ourselves. Stop the cycle…be an example, be a coach.
2) It strengthens relationships with your team. You will be amazed how
coaching can build relationships with your direct reports and your manager.
And the #1 reason to coach? It is the right thing to do!
CBIL offers programs like “Coaching for Success” and “Coaching for
Improvement” to organizations throughout the St. Louis Metro area. Contact
Kathie Chambers at
314-539-5309 or Barry Schapiro at
314-539-5329 or learn more at
www.cbil.org
|
300 South Broadway,
St. Louis, MO 63102-2810
