In a growing organization, change happens often. Successfully leading a team through change can present both opportunities and challenges. To maximize benefits and minimize stress, leaders need to be organized, strategic, and almost overly prepared. Read 8 Figure Firm’s blog for guidance on how to prepare your team for change.
Why You Need to Prepare Your Team
Leading change requires the buy-in and support of all employees impacted by the change. They need to know what to expect, their role in the change, and the benefits of change. Unfortunately, many organizations struggle to achieve employee buy-in and support for change, for reasons such as employee resistance, inadequate resources, and leadership behavior that doesn’t support change. To effectively lead change, here are a handful of actions you can take to prepare your team.
Steps to take when preparing for change
Share the vision
Employees need to understand not just that change is coming, but why the change is necessary. Taking the time to craft and communicate a vision for change helps the team to see that the change is a reality and not just words or wishful thinking. A vision can also be a source of inspiration to the team because it helps them visualize how things will look after the change has taken place.
Create a plan
Once the motive for change is understood, you need to create a plan. Your plan should summarize the reasons for change, define its scope, outline key stakeholders, and provide a detailed roadmap of the steps that will be required to implement the change. By having a plan in place, your team will have a sense of direction for the changes to come and have an understanding of what is expected from them.
Communicate Frequently
Employees benefit from hearing messages of change frequently and in different forums so they have ample time to develop a deeper understanding of the change that is coming. Frequent communication in the form of one-on-one conversations, team meetings, and email communications not only helps the team understand upcoming changes, but also improves transparency, gives employees opportunities to ask questions, and helps to open the door for employees to provide feedback.
Create Opportunities for two-way feedback
Communication about upcoming changes shouldn’t be one-sided. Two-way feedback that provides employees with a forum for expressing their concerns allows you to add clarity and resolve any confusion. It can also help to reduce employees’ anxiety or fears about change as they learn how their role in the change management efforts will look.
Determine Training Needs
Sometimes changes are complex. A valuable way to prepare your team for change is to determine what kind of training will help them better cope with change and approach it successfully. Pinpointing training opportunities that will help employees more effectively approach change before it happens.
Designate Change Champions
Like many things in the organization, preparing for change is a team effort. Instead of assuming that leadership teams are the only ones who can help prepare the team for change, it can be helpful to identify others on the team who can help to drive and champion change. Instead of going it alone, look for those who are excited about the change and embrace the ideal behaviors and actions you want to see in everyone else.
Strengthen the Company’s Ecosystem
Ecosystems are created to help transform organizations, change the status quo and lead new paradigms. When teams have clarity about the change they are solving for, it becomes easier to strengthen your company’s ecosystem. Though the team may experience some constructive disruption along the way, with proper strategic focus, teams that are stitched together into an ecosystem in the right combinations will be geared for success and are aligned to have the most effective change management results.
In many ways, preparing for change can be just as challenging as dealing with the change itself. With some thoughtful actions that introduce a vision for change and support individuals along the way, it is possible to reduce resistance or confusion about the upcoming change.
Speak to the Experts
Preparing your team for change will come with difficulties, but you don’t have to do it alone. With programs like ONE.Coach, we can support you on your journey to building your dream team and growing your business to an eight-figure firm.
If you’re ready to take your law firm to the next level, register for ONE.Coach today. We’ll help you turn your law firm into a law business.
