Head Tilt #62: I got a bad haircut

Hiding in my hoodie

Recently I got a bad haircut.

It happens. 

In the scheme of things, it was nothing to be upset about.

But I was upset. 

Here's why:

• It wasn't what I asked for.
• It took twice as long to style.
• Even when I put in the time and effort, it just didn't look right. 

I got discouraged and hid in hats, hoods, and headbands.

Oddly, my little bad-haircut experience parallels what many feel as they traverse big corporate change: negative emotions, resistance and frustration. 

Changes such as implementing a new software system, navigating the on/off cycle of working from home, or adapting to new leadership can increase employee angst while reducing employee engagement. Neither of which is good for the employee nor the business. 

And similar to my bad haircut reaction, employees can struggle because:

• They didn't ask for the change.
• The learning curve involved with the change makes things harder.
• With as much effort as they put in, the results aren't immediately visible.

And still, thriving individuals, departments and organizations rely on managing change successfully.

If you are leading corporate change, help your employees embrace it. 

• Let them know change is coming. No surprises! Give them a long runway so they can ask questions, make adjustments and shift their mindset. This is particularly important for people who are motivated by stability and security.

• Get them involved. Query them about their concerns. Ask for their input. 

• Acknowledge the learning curve. Turn up the empathy. Allow them to be comfortable with discomfort. Explore the stages of change and highlight milestones and deliverables. Pair them with a peer learning partner— someone they can lean on and learn from. 

• Define and determine what's in it for them (WIIFT). Clearly explain how they will benefit from the change and how the organization will. Better yet, ask them how they think they will benefit.

Back to the bad haircut...

I guess it's not as bad as I thought. I don't love it, but I am used to it. I've learned how to make it not-so-awful, and I even got a compliment the other day. 

Now I can be upset about things that really matter. 😳

 

Head Tilt #48: Ch-ch-ch-changes

We often get more change than we'd like.

Continually

Having

A

New

Growth

Experience

That's C.H.A.N.G.E. 

At least that's how one of my fellow acronym-loving friends sees it. She's such an optimist and I love that. 

Full disclosure: I don't love change. 

Nonetheless, I've studied it extensively and, much like the gym teacher who eats donuts on the sidelines while telling students to run laps, I teach others about it often. 

Here's some of what I know about change:

1. We are hard-wired to resist change. Thank you, reptilian brain, for always looking out for danger. We appreciate you. 🦖  🙏

2. We only resist change we didn't choose, don't want, or can't understand. Think about it: You get the promotion you always wanted- BIG CHANGE! Do you resist it? Heck no. All in!

3. We can navigate any change a bit better when we stop and take a good look at it. We fear the unknown. Invite change in, pour some tea, and get to know it. 🫖

Last week I helped leaders from my favorite municipality (you know who you are!) navigate their own resistance to change, as well as empathize with their team members' push-back. Here are the questions I asked them to consider. 

• RATE: How fast is the change? Do you (or your team) have time to ramp-up gradually, or is immediate compliance expected? 
• DESIRABILITY: Do you and/or your team desire the change? Can you see the positive impact? If so, can you champion that to others who might not see it?
• DEGREE: Is this a big change or a minor one? This matters! Bigger changes (like a new software system) are often more stressful than little ones (like a notice that proclaims food left longer than three days in the company fridge will be thrown out).
• CONTROL: How much control (or input) do you have regarding this change? Were you consulted? Regardless, do you have any autonomy for implementation? 
• JUGGLE: Is this a singular change, one of many, or does it affect a series of changes?

To be clear, a few of the leaders in my class were dealing with huge changes. They represented the Fire, Police and Water departments in my  oops, I mean, their community. 😉  

The changes they've dealt with over the past year are monumental!These are frontline workers who were required to show up. Fires tore through the mountains-- over 86,000 acres were scorched. Justified protests popped up all over the community. Oh, and water —our lifeblood—is ALWAYS an issue in California. 

The first step to handling change is having a framework for understanding change. Stay tuned for how to help your team manage change. 

Photo by Stephanie Bayer https://pixabay.com/users/stephenbayer-17941/