What Needs to Change in Corporate Training? Neglecting Change Management Skills

Tony knew all there was to know about how to design IT software. But when it came to implementing his brilliant ideas he faced resistance and revolt. He had not taken into account how people respond to changes – especially technological ones.

Zaria is competent and capable as a first line manager. She excels at getting her team to produce. Yet she’s not considered for promotions. Her manager says: “She isn’t adaptable to industry changes. She doesn’t see beyond tomorrow’s tasks.”

Change is often considered after the fact, when a new idea or shift in strategy is contemplated.

But by that time it’s too late.

Learn to Thrive on Change

Change management is not peripheral to organizational success. It is THE central factor that ensures companies, teams, or individuals thrive. Placing the mastery of coping with change at the heart of the leadership model shifts the emphasis from the change initiative of the month to coping with change as the premier leadership competency.

The emerging change management leadership model makes the sciences of neuropsychology, social psychology and behavioral economics front and center of organizational effectiveness - not an afterthought.

Consider Margaret’s leadership stance. She says, “Everything is always moving. We can either fixate on keeping the moving parts in our control, or we can learn how to be the observer/participant at the eye of the storm, bringing skills and tools to make everyone succeed in the steady state of stress and change.”

I have been a keen observer/leader regarding change since 1970. My qualifications include developing both internal organization and external consulting solutions that have helped thousands of executives cope, flex and adapt to change.

In my experience, leaders that can thrive on shifting sands require three interlocking skill sets to succeed.

1. Honing their triple focus of self, relationship and contextual intelligence.       

2. Developing a culture that withstands difficult, high-stakes conversations while also encouraging warmth and goodwill. (The secret sauce is the integration of conflict resolution with the generation of goodwill.)

3. Preserving their team’s – and their own – most precious resource: focus and attention.

Small Steps Go a Long Way

Not sure where to begin? Start where you are. Here are some incremental steps to take.

• Include change management as a core competence in hiring, training and performance reviews.
• Encourage teams to embrace awareness skills. You can start with committing to self-regulation in meetings. Instead of allowing negative emotions to dominate via temper tantrums or silent disagreement, make the practice of the team dealing with conflict in productive and effective ways.
• Schedule meetings to develop good team behavior. A meeting is the most powerful lever for organizational change. They are microcosms of how conflict is handled, power is dealt with and issues are effectively discussed through process tools like skillful agenda building.