EFFECTIVE LEADERSHIP #4: OF EARLY ADOPTORS & EEYORES

Change in vision and strategy are part of organizational life: the market ensures statis leads to irrelevance.

When it comes to change, Effective Leaders can answer the questions: “is my team with me?”, and “are they sufficiently bought in?”.

Creating a shared need

Often change initiatives fail because as Leaders, we have not laid a proper groundwork to ensure that our teams understand the importance of the destination, what it means for them and what is expected of them.

It’s important to know your team’s attitude toward the change?  Do they love it, hate it or can’t be bothered to think about it?  

Do they perceive a shared need to change, or are they digging in their heels, hoping this storm of change will pass, leaving them unscathed?

Where are they today in their attitudes and beliefs and where do you need them to be for the change to be successful?

Of Early Adopters & Eeyores

No doubt, some will be enthusiastic to move in a new direction.  These are “early adopters” and they practically invite you to leverage their energy and excitement. Reward them with opportunity.

You will likely also have a small but determined band of naysayers who would be opposed to offers of free ice cream.  They are predictably the last to get on board with any change.   

Such people remind me of Eeyore, the forlorn and woebegotten donkey in Winnie-the-Pooh: it's always raining where they are. They bring a lot of deep sighs and tiresome negativity to the discussion, serving as an emotional drain on you and the rest of the team.

Consider how much of your limited energy and time should be devoted to winning over these perennial nattering nabobs of negativism. Sometimes “good-bye and good luck” are the kindest words of all. 

The remainder of the team is in the middle.  Their attitude is positive (they are not Eeyores) but more in the direction of “I hear you. Now, convince me”.

These “wait and see’ers” need your time and energy because success requires you to win a critical mass of them.  You may not need them all to “love” the strategy or the changes it brings, but you can ill afford for them to pelt you with rocks and garbage.

So, it’s time to get out there among the team and make your case: create that shared need.  They will have questions and concerns.  Fair enough.

Be honest and don’t sugarcoat challenges.  Tell them what you need and expect for them and help them make the connection between their work and the view from the mountaintop you want them to see alongside you.

Look for chances to reward those who demonstrate commitment: it should pay to be a winner.

Leadership Nugget:  for any change, do a similar exercise with key stakeholders outside your immediate team.  Knowing where they are today vs. where you need them to be will help you work out the tactics required to get them onside. It’s hard to win if all your peers are throwing rocks so go and make your case!

I’d welcome the opportunity to share with you how I can help you and your team reach your next summit on this or any other topic through creation of bespoke training, consulting or individual/team leadership coaching. 

To book a complimentary and no-obligation Exploration Session to discuss your challenges, please click on the link below.  I look forward to speaking with you.

Until next time,

Brian