It’s difficult to feel excited about change if we can’t see the point of it. Change that appears to be happening simply for change’s sake does not motivate. And if we want people to engage in a change program, we need to make sure they understand why the change is necessary—So how can you make change exciting?
Change needs to represent a journey towards something that really grabs the imagination. Ideally, all change efforts should affect both the heart and the mind. Here are a few tips to keep people excited and engaged:
• Keep ‘em motivated. A key aspect of successful change management is the ability to empower others to make the changes for themselves. Create a vision and allow people to ‘go for it’; people are more likely to be motivated by extra responsibility and satisfaction of a job well done than by proving their ability by following instructions of others.
• Keep ‘em engaged. Remember, the person with the most enthusiasm for an idea is usually the idea generator; make sure you keep him or her involved throughout the change effort.
• Throw away the box. Change efforts are driven by creative thinking. The best ideas are never generated when we “think outside the box”. Having the box suggests there are boundaries separating those who are creative and those who are not. Get rid of the box to produce great ideas.
• Don’t focus on process. Since most change efforts require a change in attitude focus on the culture. The rest will fall into place.
• Be ready to dip. Performance always goes down when change is introduced; it’s important to recognize this, openly acknowledge it, and plan for it. Prepare for dips in performance by establishing some easy wins; short-term goals that can be celebrated to give a boost of confidence can go a long way.
The pace of change is unlikely to slow down any time soon. Gear up and get ready, tomorrow we’ll change again!
Lisa DiTullio, Founder, Your Project Office, www.yourprojectoffice.com
