change management process change management plan
Change management is a common concept for most organizations. But, not everyone has the same idea as to how change should take place, be inspired or unravel. One common ideology is the belief that the best way to get people to change is to create a sense of urgency. Another very common concept that's been used in this realm is the term "the burning platform," which was coined by Daryl Conner. But, the thing is that there's a massive misunderstanding (in my opinion) when it comes to these ideas. We hear "urgency" and "burning platform" - and our mind immediately jumps to "JUMP!" I mean, let's imagine ourselves on an actual burning platform, I'm sure we'd feel a sense of urgency to get ourselves off the platform (at whatever cost, whether we can swim or not, and whether it looks like we'll live or not). In that moment, what might we feel? FEAR. PANIC. ALARM. How about LIFE OR DEATH? I think so. Well, that's the problem. "Urgency" and "burning platform" don't need to mean (a nd maybe were never meant to mean) "scare the pants off your people, so that they do whatever you tell them to do." No, no, no. I think we have it all wrong. In the past, I've discussed how leaders can rethink this concept. But, in this article, I'd like to talk to the employees that are potentially being led by not-so-logical leaders.
So, are you wondering what to do with your manager? The one that has the 'burning platform' concept backwards? The leader who thinks she's inspiring others, but really is just igniting fear and worry? The manager that thinks the only way to convince his employees that they must change is to threaten them with the consequences they'll endure if they don't? Is your manager downright degrading when presenting potential opportunities for change?
What's the solution when you're not in charge? Unfortunately, it's not easy. Fortunately, there are some things you can do.
Challenge by asking 'curiosity' questions. If you aggressively cha llenge managers, they are likely to become more defensive than anything else. So, the key is to ask curious questions that force them to think about what they are asking of you and others. This will require them to think through the process,which is often ignored when the 'burning platform' is misunderstood.Present alternative perspectives. Most of the time, when managers are recommending something that stems from anxiety, their perspective narrows. Not always intentionally, it just sort of comes with the territory. For this reason, either ask them to brainstorm alternatives with you or do your homework in advance and present your thoughtful alternatives to them. Even if they don't adapt your open attitude, multiple perspectives force others to see things differently (even if they don't want to).
Do research. Think through what they are asking you to do and go through the effort of determining what it would take to actually do what they want. If it's unreali stic, your point will be more convincing if you approach them with a realistic plan that blows their unrealistic idea out of the park.
Most of the time, if managers are telling their employees that something must be done "or else...." - it doesn't empower employees as much as it scares them. But, if you're an employee, don't jump to conclusions about why a manager is asking you to do something that doesn't seem right, ask more questions, think of alternatives and research the process. The reason this is important is because some managers just might not be experts at explaining what they want. So, it's not fair to assume they're overreacting, if you haven't done the due diligence of digging deeper.
Your goal, as the employee, is not to point out that they are wrong and you are right - that's never really advantageous for anyone. But rather, the goal is to together come to conclusions that are valuable, realistic and inspiring for the entire team.
Doug C. Watsabaugh, senior partner at WCW Partners, understands how to meet your unique performance challenges. With more than 20 years of experience, WCW Partners is a performance-improvement company that helps businesses revitalize their results and achieve record-breaking performance.
If you are looking to excel in sales, service or leadership, let Doug develop the capability in you! http://wcwpartners.com/.
If you're hoping for more change-management insights, check out WCW's blog now. http://wcwpartners.com/our-blog/