Change is a constant in business, and there may be points in your leadership career where you find yourself with the task of managing a team who have been through or are currently going through a significant change.
Periods of change can be unsettling for any team. It can damage morale, impact productivity and affect results. Losing key members can disrupt team dynamics and create gaps in skills and knowledge. Even gaining new members can bring positive, fresh perspectives, but will also require time for integration and for new dynamics to form.
There are some key considerations for leaders managing teams through change, which I will explore in this article. Let’s start by looking at the impacts of different types of change.
Managing Planned Change
Change can broadly be categorised into two different types; planned and unplanned. Both can be disruptive, and as a leader it’s essential that you consider the different impacts of these two types.
A planned change is generally easier to manage, with the right planning and communication. However, some managers can be found to keep changes ‘secret’ until the last minute, believing that this will cause the least impact. All this tends to do though, is increase suspicion and uncertainty and erodes trust within the team. It is essential that key facts about changes to the business or team structure are shared with all colleagues as early as feasibly possible, this way employees do not feel hoodwinked or less valued than other members, due to finding out about changes last – or worse – on the grapevine.
It might be that the change relates to something as big as restructuring, significant changes to the place or the nature of work, or it could be the introduction of new workstreams or projects. Whatever the planned changes, remember the importance of sharing information early and with clear communications, to cement trust within your team. After the change is announced, increase your offer of support to any team members who might need additional support in dealing with the changes.
Managing Unplanned Change
Unplanned change can be incredibly unsettling for a team, and has the potential to be incredibly disruptive, even for previously high-performing teams. As a leader in a position where your team are going through a big change in real time, this requires specific leadership qualities. Let’s look at what to focus on in the short term to get you through the difficult period:
- Continual assessment of the situation
It’s understandable that even as a manager you might shy away from tackling uncomfortable issues head on, but with an unplanned, ongoing change, its essential to keep reviewing the situation in order to keep your team in the loop. It might be that a restructuring is taking place – be as involved and engaged with the process as possible and offer regular updates to affected team members.
- Offer transparent communication
Employees will value your honesty during any difficult situation. Don’t be avoidant with information, be honest and clear with updates, even if you believe the updates aren’t what the team wants to hear. This will avoid speculation about potential changes.
- Identify opportunities
Employing your instinctive managerial qualities can come to your rescue during times of crisis and sets apart great leaders. Yes, your team might be making cuts, or having to make unwanted changes, but take this chance to see if there are any opportunities you can take for the benefit of the current team. Are there new products, markets, or projects that you can consider? Can you identify new roles or workstreams with existing team members to your advantage?
Inheriting a Changed Team
Finally, let’s look at perhaps the most challenging scenario for a leader, that of taking up a leadership post in a team where significant change has happened before you arrived.
Teams which have gone through a period of change usually have one thing in common – they will be suffering from uncertainty, which can easily lead into a lack of trust; both with management and with other team members.
Add into the mix yourself as an additional new member of the leadership team and its easy to see how you might be met with suspicion and resistance.
To effectively manage a new team, try to avoid falling into the trap of trying to get all the team members to like you; the key is to ensure they know you are there in the best interest of the business – this will be the shared common ground to build on.
The same leadership skills are necessary in this scenario as mentioned above as with planned change; continual and consistent assessment of the team dynamic, open and honest conversations and forward planning involving current team members wherever possible – but there a few additional considerations to note.
Consistency – Consistency is so important in gaining the trust of new team members after an unsettled period. Set clear expectations, make room in your diary for weekly catch ups, and follow through with everything you take on. Don’t forget to give regular feedback and honour your commitments. No matter how busy you feel, creating an inconsistent relationship with your new team will not help you form those all-important bonds early on.
Empower your team – Previous significant changes could have stripped team members of feelings of ownership in their roles. Instil some empowerment back into the team by delegating new projects to relevant team members, but then take a step back and give them the opportunity to showcase their skills and thrive in their positions.
Be supportive and adaptable – adaptability is a key leadership skill no matter the context, but it is especially essential when the trust of a new team is needed. Your new team will be (consciously or subconsciously) sizing you up to see if you are able to create the sense of stability they are looking for. Remember that your new team might need additional support which could present in many different ways. Continually offering support and adapting to the needs of the team might be a test of your leadership skills, but offering this gold standard of leadership will be worth it in the long run, as the result will be a solid team who can depend on you, and you on it.
Finally
It’s important to remember that while not all change originally stems from a negative place; the very nature of change means that those implementing the changes are unhappy with the way certain things are. When you consider this it’s easy to see how any changes to your team, planned or unplanned, can be perceived negatively by team members.
Employing kindness and consideration in your leadership style will benefit your team and organisation during difficult periods of change.
If your team is lacking cohesion stemming from issues relating to recent or current changes, and you need help and advice on how to manage this, Zestfor can help. We run leadership courses focusing on how to manage change in your organisation – click here for more information on how these courses could help you to manage changes in your team.
Until next time,
Julia Carter
About Zestfor
Zestfor delivers training coaching and development programs and resources scientifically tailored to develop new and experienced leaders and their teams in technical markets – including Pharmaceutical, Life Sciences and I.T.
Our blend of in-classroom, online, and virtual live-stream delivery methods will engage and assure even the most introverted team members from the first meeting.
You can find out more about our leadership training and development programmes here.
