We are a country that has been experiencing big change for more than two years now. Within Minnesota, the larger societal implications of a decade or more of easy living are coming home to roost in harsh, surprising ways.
And our political landscape just got a massive make-over. So, if the closing of Minneapolis North, redrawn school boundaries in Eden Prairie or the Big Box cemeteries that remind us of old buying habits haven’t hit your Change Radar, surely the news of the state’s updated deficit will. There are no easy answers to these issues or the ones you face in your life or office. And if that’s not enough, it’s all compounded by the fact that everyone is starting to feel drained by this prolonged sense of uncertainty.
Like the life form from “Alien”, change seems to be everywhere – at work, in our homes, cars, phones and our own expectations of raising kids or seeing parents in their golden years.
If you are charged with leading others through change, I encourage you to pick up or download a copy of William Bridges’ Managing Transitions: Making the Most of Change. He reminds us that change is situational and that the human side of change is psychological. As leaders, we need to guide others through the transition, which requires different focus than what changing the situation might require.
Sometimes, we lose sight of common sense when the pressure is on and sand is shifting beneath our feet. Bridges offers up a very natural theory of transitions: first, accepting the ending of that which is known; second, encountering the chaos or ups and downs associated with new systems, new leaders, and new ideas, technology or values being used to create this new tomorrow; and third, that little sense of trepidation that comes with recognizing the arrival of the new beginning. is just as taxing to the human condition. So much learning, so much compromise.
If indeed we are in the chaos zone, what can a leader do to reduce the drama, tone down the cacophony and ease peoples’ fears? Bridges encourages us to establish short range goals, complete with check points or benchmarks. Celebrate the small wins, setting a realistic tone along the way that these are not easy times. Keep the group united and model behavior that recognizes the importance of assessment, evaluation and fact-based decision making.
DuPont CEO Ellen Kullman has led a company through great change, rising up through the ranks. She suggests during these times of widespread uncertainty that leaders focus on what they can control, communicate often and with clarity and remain true to the organization’s mission.
Translated into action in the community or office environment, it might mean greater commitment to focusing on established priorities and knowing that the final goal may be achieved through many smaller gains. Just as important, remember that nearly every organization has a mission statement which describes the organization’s intentions and direction. It’s a gift from predecessors to see the organization through good times and bad.
Taking a moment to ground ourselves in the resolve of our past and the values which have delivered achievements to date gives everyone the chance to count to ten and put their best foot forward.
