They say the only constant in the world is change; and businesses that fail to change often find themselves falling behind. But motivating your team to embrace new ideas isn’t always easy, even if the change is necessary. So, when push comes to shove, how can you motivate your team to try new ideas when the time for change arrives? By providing the guidance they need to feel confident in the shift.
And reaching that state of confidence can be achieved. To help you along that journey, here are some key steps to lay the groundwork necessary for implementing a new idea.
1. Articulate Your Vision
Your team needs to know more than what is changing; they also need to know why. Being clear about your intentions, as well as the final goal, can help them understand the new course they will be following. Often, change is easier to embrace when the destination is clear. While you might not be able to predict every impact the change will make, letting your employees know the primary purpose will help them prepare to manage the unexpected in the name of the greater good.
2. Delegate Properly
When change requires specific actions, make sure you delegate the tasks properly. Choose actions that play to each team member’s strengths and interests. That way, they have an opportunity to flourish while the changes are taking place, and you increase their level of engagement during the process.
If it is appropriate, you can even get your teams input regarding which tasks interest them the most. Then, you’ll have the information you need to help choose tasks that peek their interest. And, once they’re interested, moving forward with the changes won’t seem as intimidating.
3. Encourage Communication
Silence is the enemy of change. As things move forward, questions will arise, and concerns will surface. Managing these issues requires an active approach. Maintain an open-door policy throughout the process, and make sure to check in with team members on a regular basis.
Now, this doesn’t mean you need to give significant time whenever an employee just wants to complain. Instead, make sure to listen to concerns, but enforce an attitude of working towards a resolution and not simply dwelling on the fear or discomfort that change naturally brings.
4. Don’t Let Discontent Fester
While being available to team members and being open in regards to hearing out concerns is important, don’t let an attitude of discontent and negativity gain a significant foothold. Once a consistent point of resistance begins to spread, it can be challenging to move forward. If a particular employee is only focusing on the negative, make sure to address that specifically. Otherwise, they may end up poisoning the perspective of other team members and creating an unpleasant environment for everyone.
5. Stay Flexible
Just because you decided to try something new doesn’t mean you have to see it all through no matter what. Sometimes a change looked good on paper but doesn’t work as well in practice. If everyone is giving their all to the new process and it isn’t producing the results that were expected, be open to making additional changes to get things moving in the right direction. And, if it turns out that the new idea is simply not going to work, then don’t be afraid to stop everything and start from scratch. That will help you build more support from your team over the long-term as they know that just because a change gets started that it won’t be forced to completion if it simply doesn’t work. And, in the end, that’s just being a good manager.
Are you looking for new talent to join your team?
If your next big change is bringing in a new employee, the professionals at Resolution Technologies are here to make that change a breeze. Contact us today and speak to one of our recruitment professionals, and see how working with us can be a welcomed change for you and your business.
