I don’t know of any industry that is not working through transitions of change. If you’re a leader in your organization you are leading change. And you may have noticed that some employees are not comfortable with the change. A few are openly resistant. Most are subtly hesitant and cautiously embracing the changes.
In my work with leaders around the country I’ve discovered that two core reasons exist for employee resistance to change:
- Leaders are not clear on the purpose and not communicating why the change is important.
- Leaders are chasing the latest fads or cool ideas in a personal attempt to be successful.
One of my customers is a man that is constantly upsetting his staff because he does everything impulsively. He pretends to be focused and disciplined; but the quick shifts in direction have created a general disgust for the “flavor of the month” distractions and his employees are less devoted to giving their best efforts or leaving the company all together.
It is better to be intentional than to be impulsive.
Intentionality builds confidence, impulsivity destroys trust.
Look at the changes you are responsible to accomplish and evaluate your leadership in terms of intentional vs. impulsive behaviors. Can your employees define the reasons why a change is important? What would they say about yourcommunication, implementation and follow through?
It could be that your team members are just waiting for you to clarify the purpose and to create some stability during the transitions.