This past year has been an extremely challenging year for many companies, and unfortunately, some of those challenges may stick around into the new year. With that said, and as we look forward to 2021, it’s important that leaders start to form a plan that can help tackle some of these challenges, and ultimately, will help their team move forward in a positive direction.
One crucial thing that leaders will need to focus on in 2021 is helping their team adjust to any changes that may come about. Most people don’t do well with change, and it can make it even harder to adjust when everyone’s thoughts and feelings aren’t taken into account.
In a study conducted by Gartner, it was found that most change initiatives fail due to the fact that 80% of companies use a top-down, minimal-involvement approach that doesn’t take into consideration the concerns of all employees.
Employees want to know that they are being heard, and they start to become concerned about changes if they feel as if they aren’t being heard.
- Information Concerns
- This can include questions such as “what exactly is the change going to entail?” and “why is this change happening?”.
- Personal Concerns
- Some personal concerns that employees may have, include, “how will this change impact me?” and “can I learn how to do this change?”.
- Implementation Concerns
- Examples of implementation concerns may be, “who will be able to help me through this change?” and “is this change realistic?”.
- Impact Concerns
- Impact concerns could include, “is the change going to work for all of us?” and “is this change worth all of the effort?”.
- Refinement Concerns
- An example of a refinement concern might be, “can I trust my leaders to guide us through this change?”.
Some employees have had a difficult time making the transition to working remotely in 2020, and may be skeptical at the thought of having to go through any further changes – especially in a virtual setting.
Being able to lead virtually through tough times and through times of change is an important skill to have, and will only strengthen the trust and bond between you and your team. Encourage your employees to ask questions so that they feel more comfortable once it’s time to transition, and try to ease any concerns that they may have – it will only strengthen your bond in the long run.
At Level Up Leadership, we provide our clients with powerful tools and resources to create impactful leaders with the skills they need to motivate teams, maximize productivity and cultivate loyalty. We have many new programs that you and your team can take advantage of, including our leading through change program. Our programs can help you make better hires, have stronger communication with your team, develop your leadership skills, and so much more. If you’re interested in learning more about all of the programs we offer, please don’t hesitate to contact us!
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