Leading through Change
What is my role in leading through change? 1
How do I manage myself through change? 2
How to I lead and manage my team through change? 3
APPENDIX 4
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Leading through changePart One – During the Change
Your questions answered
Leading through Change
1. What is my role in leading through change?
As a leader and manager you play a critical role during times of transformation and change to ensure understanding and successful implementation within your area and across the University.
You have accountability for two key activities:
- Managing yourself effectively- Managing your team effectively
Doing this will mean you and your team will survive and embrace the organisational change and the University will realise the benefits of the change. It will also ensure your personal brand and legacy remains positive.
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Managing teams effectively
Managing yourself effectively
Demonstrate the appropriate behaviours
Consider the likely emotional responses
Plan your intent and use the tools
More effective change
Leading through Change
2. How do I manage myself through change?
As a leader and manager, the ability to recognise the impact that change is having on you and manage that impact as soon as possible is vitally important.
Leaders and managers who effectively regulate themselves through the turmoil that change can create will mitigate the impact on their own productivity and that of the performance of their team and the organisation. There’s nothing more disheartening to a team than a leader/ manager who has given up. A leader/ manager who has not brought in to change initiatives, actively resists change, and undermines or disparages leadership/ management will reduce morale and efficiency and hinder progression.
Whether change is positive, unwelcome, or unknown, research has shown that individuals respond to change in a similar way. This reaction is illustrated in the change curve, which shows the range of feelings and emotions people typically go through during the course of a change.
The best leaders and managers:
1) understand where they are on the change curve and actively work to move through to commitment, demonstrating the appropriate behaviours.
2) understand their capability to manage change
3) actively seek to manage change effectively
Managers or leaders have a number of change options open to them when they find themselves in what they perceive to be an unsatisfactory situation, which are set out in this diagram. For example if you aren’t satisfied with the role you find yourself in following a restructure because you think the job you have been given isn’t stretching enough and are concerned that your development and career prospects will be harmed, you could respond by:
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Note: changing yourself is different from merely putting up with the situation since your thoughts, feelings and behaviour are different.
Available tools to help you manage yourself through change: Managing yourself through the change curve (Appendix A, p6) Managing Change – Self Assessment form (Appendix B, p7) Your communication style under stress exercise (Appendix C, p8)
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3. How do I manage my team through change?As a leader and manager there is a higher expectation on you to demonstrate the right behaviours when managing your team and others through change.
Doing this requires many skills, however there are a few key behaviours that every leader and
manager must demonstrate when delivering potentially challenging or ambiguous messages.
Key behaviours Managerial courage: Respect: Assertiveness:
The ability to make or
support the hard decision,
own the decision
The ability to recognise and
work through the difficulties
of the situation
The ability to maintain your
credibility and integrity
Empathise but don’t
sympathise
Avoid using emotive
language where possible
Strengthen the concept – this
is about the role, not the
person
The ability to help the other
person maintain their self-
esteem
The ability to make the other
person still feel valued
The ability to treat people
with dignity and respect
The ability to be direct,
honest and fair
The ability to keep the
issue/topic and the person
separate
The ability to stay present
and in the moment
The ability not to be
aggressive nor submissive
The ability to set out the facts
and say what you mean
The ability to use appropriate
communication techniques
and language
The ability to be clear,
focused and maintain where
you want to be all times
The ability to coach
employees through the
transition and manage
resistance
Note: Where a leader and manager has responsibility for a geographically dispersed team, it is important to plan approaches/ sessions that bring the team together face to face on a regular basis, including utilisation of video conferencing technology such as Skype. Where practicable, these sessions should rotate through each location.
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Available tools to support managing your team through change: Demonstrating Assertive behaviour (Appendix D, p10) Tips for managing employees through the change curve (Appendix E, p12) Dealing with Anger, Denial and Resistance (Appendix F, p13) Your weekly communication checklist (Appendix G, p15) Change Communication Planner (Appendix H, p16) Team Communication Plan template (Appendix I, p17)
Leading through Change
Appendix A – Change Curve for managing yourself
Working through and managing your emotional responses to change
Shock/ Denial
Behaviours StrategiesWithdrawal
Business as usual
Focus on the past
Activity without result
Seek information
Listen to expectations and advise on adjusting to change
Create time to think and understand
Discuss further with your manager/ leader
Acceptance/ Commitment
Behaviours StrategiesCoordinated efforts
Proactive input
Committed: looking for the next challenge
Set long-term goals
Concentrate on team building
Create a mission statement
Be a change champion
Anger/ Bargaining/ Resistance
Behaviours StrategiesAnger and blame
Anxiety and depressions
Active obstruction
Retirement on the job
Self reflect and acknowledge feelings
Seek support from leader, EAP etc
Develop actions to understand and address concerns
Testing/ Exploration
Behaviours StrategiesEnergy and new ideas but lack of focus
Confusion, still learning
Set on priorities and short term goals
Participate in training
Conduct brainstorming, visioning and planning sessions
As an example, think through the impact that a leader has on their team who is stuck at the bottom of the change curve.
Typically, there is a lot of blaming going on - often blaming of senior leadership for all of the ills of the organisation. Virtually every problem that comes down the pike is tied to the ‘inept’ leaders, thus removing any responsibility for improvement from this leader and their team. Imagine the destructive environment this leader is creating.
There is a constant stream of vitriol that is being fed to those they are leading, and they are no longer giving regular feedback on how they can improve - because they see the senior leadership as the ones who need to be changing.
Productivity and morale decrease, and the outside scrutiny on the team increases. Unfortunately, the increased scrutiny only feeds the leader’s negative view of leadership. The organisation is looking to that leader to lead the team out of their slump, but the leader is in no position to turn the team around. This example is unfortunately all too common in the face of change. Leaders who don’t manage themselves effectively through change can be extremely costly in terms of dollars, contract success, morale, and employee retention, among other things.
On the contrary, a leader who effectively manages themselves through change can pull their team through almost any obstacle.
Remember, it is unrealistic to expect leaders to not be impacted by change. Rather, the most effective leaders travel along the shallow change curve - recognising the impact that the change is having on them, effectively managing their emotional state, and presenting themselves in a way that helps their team pull through the change in the most efficient way possible.
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Appendix B – Managing Change – Self Assessment
You might like to consider how well you manage change by assessing yourselfagainst these statements. You could also ask others who know you well to rate you.Note that the term unit should be interpreted appropriately as the team, department,function or group which you manage.
To assess your change management skills, indicate your agreement or disagreementwith each of the statements, using this five-point scale:
1) Strongly disagree2) Disagree3) Neither agree nor disagree4) Agree5) Strongly agree
Change capability RatingReadily takes on new challenges, and tackles them with great energy and enthusiasm
Responds positively and flexibly when asked to change
Proactively introduces changes that significantly improve the performance and reputation of their unit
Implements changes in a planned and coordinated way
Acts speedily and decisively when planning and implementing change
Treats people as adults and communicates clearly and honestly with them when introducing changes
Listens to the genuine concerns of other people and takes account of their concerns when managing change
Shows courage and tenacity to overcome obstacles and criticism when introducing change
Reflecting on your own ratings and perhaps the ratings of others, you might then liketo consider what you need to do differently to manage change more effectively.
Derived from The University of Warwick managing change toolkit.
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Appendix C – Your communication style under stressThe following questions explore how you typically respond when you are in the middle of a difficult or challenging conversation.
Instructions:
Before answering, select a specific STRESSFUL communication situation or relationship at work.
Answer each statement by thinking about how you usually approach tricky conversations in that situation or relationship.
1 At times, I avoid situations that might bring me in to contact with people I’m having problems with.
T F
2 I have put off returning phone calls or e-mails because I simply didn’t want to deal with the person who sent them.
T F
3 Sometimes when people bring up a touchy or awkward issue, I try to change the subject.
T F
4 When it comes to dealing with awkward or stressful subjects, sometimes I hold back rather than give my full and candid opinion.
T F
5 Rather than tell people exactly what I think, sometimes I rely on jokes, sarcasm, or snide remarks to let them know I’m frustrated.
T F
6 When I’ve got something tough to bring up, sometimes I offer weak or insincere compliments to soften the blow.
T F
7 In order to get my point across, I sometimes exaggerate my side of the argument.
T F
8 If I seem to be losing control of a conversation, I might cut people off or change the subject in order to bring it back to where I think it should be.
T F
9 When others make points that seem stupid or irrational to me, I sometimes let them know it without holding back at all.
T F
10 When I am stunned by a comment, sometimes I say things that others might take as forceful or attacking- comments such as “Give me a break!” or “That’s ridiculous!”
T F
11 Sometimes when things get heated, I move from arguing against others’ points to saying things that might hurt them personally.
T F
12 If I get into a heated discussion, I’ve been known to be tough on the other person. In fact, the other person may feel a bit insulted or hurt.
T F
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Your results:
After completing the survey, complete the following score sheet. For example, if you responded to question 5 by answering ‘True’, then indicate this by placing a tick (√) in the box provided. Next, add your ticks and indicate your total score.
Did you….Masking Controlling
Answer ‘True’ to Question 5? Answer ‘True’ to Question 7?
Answer ‘True’ to Question 6? Answer ‘True’ to Question 8?
Avoiding Labelling
Answer ‘True’ to Question 3? Answer ‘True’ to Question 9?
Answer ‘True’ to Question 4? Answer ‘True’ to Question 10?
Withdrawing Attacking
Answer ‘True’ to Question 1? Answer ‘True’ to Question 11?
Answer ‘True’ to Question 2? Answer ‘True’ to Question 12?
Flight: Fight:
‘Your Style Under Stress’ score indicates your preference for ‘flight’ or ‘fight’ behaviour you turn to most often. Your scores provide a measure of how frequently you might fall into these less than perfect strategies. A high score (one or two checked boxes per domain), means that you use this technique fairly often. It also means you’re human! Most people alternate between holding back and being too forceful.
Refer to Appendix D to understand what Fight, Flight and Assertive behaviours look like.
Establish a plan to address any area(s) identified as an opportunity to improve
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Adapted from Scott, S, 2004 Fierce Conversations
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Appendix D – Assertive behavior looks like…People tend to display different patterns of behaviour depending on the situation they are experiencing. The common categories are:
× Flight(Passive)
× Fight(Aggressive)
Flow(Assertive)
Assertive behaviour means we communicate what we think, feel and want in a way that respects the other person. It is honest and appropriate verbal and non-verbal communication.
The following tables provide you with an outline that describes these different communication techniques.
Non-verbal behaviour
Passive - Flight Aggressive - Fight Assertive - FlowBody movement
Hunching shoulders Covering mouth with
hands Crossing arms for
protection
Finger pointing Fists clenched Crossing arms
(unapproachable)
Open hand movements Sitting/standing upright
and relaxed
Eye contact Evasive Looking down
Trying to stare down and intimidate
Firm direct eye contact without staring
Facial expression
Ghost smiles when expressing anger or being criticised
Raising eyebrows Jaw trembling, lip
biting
Smiling may become sneering
Scowling when angry Jaw set firmly
Smiling when pleased Frowning when angry Features steady Jaw relaxed
Speech pattern
Hesitant and filled with pauses
Fast to slow language Frequent throat
clearing
Fluent, few hesitations Often abrupt, clipped Emphasising blaming
words Often fast
Fluent, few hesitations Emphasising key words Steady, even pace
Voice Often dull, monotonous
Quiet, often dropping away
Singsong tone
Sarcastic tone Hard and sharp Strident, often shouting,
rising at the end
Steady and firm Middle range tone Sincere and clear
Verbal behaviour
Passive - Flight Aggressive - Fight Assertive - FlowType of language
Long rambling statementsFill in words“maybe”, “er”, “sort of”Frequent justifications“I wouldn’t normally say anything, only…”Apologies“I’m terribly sorry to bother you …”, “Please
Excessive emphasis on “I”“My view is…”, “I think”Boastfulness“I haven’t got problems like you”Opinion expressed as fact“That’s a useless way to do it.”, “Nobody wants to behave like that”Threatening questions
“I statements that are brief, clear and to the point“I like”, “I feel”, “I prefer”Distinction between fact and opinion“My experience is different”Suggestions without ‘should’ or ‘ought’“How about…”, “Would you like me to…?”
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excuse me, but…”Unacknowledged choice“I should”, “I ought”, “I have to”Qualifiers“It’s only my opinion”. “I might be wrong.”Self-dismissal“It’s not important”. “It really doesn’t matter.”Self-put-downs“I’m useless”, “I’m hopeless”, “You know me”
“Haven’t you finished it yet?”, “Why on earth did you do it like that?”Threatening requests“You’d better do that”, “I want that done or else”Heavy handed advice“You should”, “You ought”, “Why don’t you?”Blame“You made a mess of that”Sarcasm“You must be joking”, “I don’t suppose you managed to do that?”
Constructive criticism without blame“I feel irritated when you interrupt me”Seeking others’ opinions“How does this fit in with your ideas?”Willingness to explore other solutions“How can we get around this problem?”
When communicating your verbal messages, consider your use of the terms “and” and “but”:
BUT…Tends to negate/dismiss what has occurred or been said previously.
AND…Allows you to lead forward into another opinion without negating what has been previously communicated.
How do I respond to tricky questions? Consider…
Key take-out – focus on what you do know and be honest when you don’t know the answer!
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Appendix E – Change Curve for managing others
Working through and managing emotional responses to change
Denial
Behaviours StrategiesWithdrawal
Business as usual
Focus on the past
Activity without result
Provide information
Explain expectations and advise on adjusting to change
Provide time
Discuss further
Commitment
Behaviours StrategiesCoordinated efforts
Proactive input
Committed: looking for the next challenge
Set long-term goals
Concentrate on team building
Create a mission statement
Create champions
Resistance
Behaviours StrategiesAnger and blame
Anxiety and depressions
Active obstruction
Retirement on the job
Listen and acknowledge feelings
Respond empathetically and encourage support
Address concerns
Exploration
Behaviours StrategiesEnergy and new ideas but lack of focus
Confusion, still learning
Focus on priorities
Provide training
Set short-term goals
Conduct brainstorming, visioning and planning sessions
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Appendix F – Dealing with Anger, Denial & Resistance
Challenging conversations: Strategies for dealing with different emotional responses
Employee behaviour Strategies
Employee who passively agrees to everything you say or decide
DENIAL
Allow some time to develop a relaxed atmosphere. Ensure that they do some of their own thinking. Question them on their
thoughts, rationale or feelings. Ask them for their conclusions. Don’t be afraid of silence, give them time to think. State your rationale (keep to the facts) clearly and check their
understanding. Actively seek and constructively include their comments.
Employee who will not agree to evidence
RESISTANCE
Ask for their reasons. Listen with an open mind. Acknowledge their right to a viewpoint. Be determined about your facts, restate your decision. Explore possibilities and potential.
Employee who defends, blames or attacks
RESISTANCE
Listen and identify the source of frustration Don’t defend, blame or attack in return Restate the objective of the meeting Don’t dismiss complaints but agree to discuss their implications at another
time and close the meeting
Employee who is impatient or tries to side-track the meeting
RESISTANCE
Clarify the agenda for the meeting Listen and note particular points to address later Don’t get side-tracked yourself Refine choices or options Commit to discuss the priority issue for the individual at a later date
Employee who talks too much
RESISTANCE
Allow enough time Don’t respond too quickly – allow them time to talk Restate the purpose of the meeting and the agenda Keep them to the agenda by referring to what they have said and asking
relevant questions Narrow down choices and focus them.
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Acknowledge the person’s anger up front.
ANGER
Anger brushed aside adds ‘more fuel to the fire’. Anger is a symptom of a greater problem so make it clear immediately that
you realise the person is upset: “I can see this is important to you so let’s discuss it.”
The message you send is that you are interested in helping them to find a solution and that you are not going to combat rage with rage.
Your supportive comments do not condone the anger, rather they redirect that the issue needs to be dealt with constructively.
Be calm and confident
ANGER
It is essential when confronted with an angry person that you remain calm, dignified, express confidence in your verbal and non-verbal communication and to speak in a steady voice that says you are concerned but not intimidated.
It is vital that you don’t respond aggressively to another’s anger. If faced with extreme aggression, draw the line: “I have no intention of
raising my voice during this discussion and I ask you to extend the same courtesy to me.”
No one can win with an angry exchange of words.
Provide a non-threatening environment
ANGER
Topics with the potential to give rise to anger must be discussed in a non-threatening, private environment.
Try to have the person seated as it’s more difficult to continue an outburst from a sitting position.
Listen and ask questions
ANGER
If the person is remaining angry, maintain eye contact and listen actively without saying anything and they will run out of steam much sooner – it’s not easy to maintain anger with someone who is not responding.
As the anger subsides, help the person move back into an objective rather than a subjective phase by using correct questions and techniques.
Work towards a solution
ANGER
If the person has calmed down enough then talk rationally about the issue and explore the various options (this might depend on what is being discussed) to arrive at a fair and workable solution.
However if the person remains angry then it may be best to postpone the discussion to allow the person to reflect and gain composure.
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APPENDIX F: Your Weekly Communication Checklist
Use this weekly, to check that you are doing the right thing to help people through change.
Have I? Action Plan
Specified the nature of the change? Y/N
What’s changed? What else have I discovered? (review FAQs etc)Have I communicated that message in a timely manner? Have I prepared for my communications as well as my audience, including their likely questions?
Explained why Y/N
Do I fit my communications into the wider context and explain how it fits?
e.g. explain the reasons for the change. It may take some detective work, it help people buy-in to the change.
Explained the change, good and bad Y/N
Am I maintaining my consistency and openness, and tackling all aspects of the change?
This minimises the fear generated by gossip and speculation.
Developed creative communication Y/N
What have I done differently this week? What will I do differently next week?
Managed the negatives Y/N
What might be perceived as negative? Do I have it covered?
Explained what success looks like Y/N
Are we working to the same vision? As each other? As last week? Am I sure it’s explicit and dear?
Explained what’s in it for people Y/N
Are my team aware of the impact of the change on themselves, the potential benefits, and the difficulties involved. Have I explained what they can do to help?
Repeated myself! Y/N
Even though I may have said it before, have I said it again?
Made communication two-way Y/N
Who has or has not communicated back to me? Have I established two way communication, more importantly, are people using it?
Been a change figurehead Y/N
How have I been consistent this week? Am I a change leader? Do both my verbal and non-verbal messages support the change?
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APPENDIX F: Change Communication PlannerPlanning to share a change – Gather and summarise the information that your teams needs to know!
Keep your message short and positive Use two-way and face to face meetings Be sensitive and show understanding
1. Think about new messages/announcements that have significance for UWA, for your function, Business Unit or team.For example, change initiatives, major updates, news or events.
List announcements / messages What you feel you can usefully share What are you going to say? How are you going to say it?
2. Think about the key concerns of your team when you last updated them about your project or other developments.For example, issues or areas for clarification.
List concerns What you feel you can usefully share What are you going to say? How are you going to say it?
3. Think about any stories or rumours that are currently circulating at UWA or in your areas that you need to address.
Note down stories or rumours What you feel you can usefully share What are you going to say? How are you going to say it?
Tips to help you deal with tough questions
Questions looking for a guarantee What if (worst case-scenario) When you don’t know the answer
Point out the question is about the future Focus on process… what is happening, not
outcomes or guarantees
Changeover from "what if" to "what is" Let them know what you know
"I don’t know" is an acceptable answer Let them know that you wish you could answer and
why you can’t answer Give a follow up with a deadline or inform who can
answer
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APPENDIX G: Team Communication Plan template with some examplesWhoto communicate with
Whatwill be communicated
Howcommunication will be delivered
Who’s responsiblefor production and distribution
Whencommunication will take place
e.g. direct reports who have teams reporting into them
UWA Strategy and how this change will enable achievement of strategy.
Purpose/ benefits of change and potential impact on area and roles. Answer questions, including declare if don’t know the answer – this is
ok! Don’t guess or make assumptions. But will seek clarity and commit to giving clarity as soon as practicable. Follow up on this commitment.
Remind team to set up regular meetings with employees, attend all employee briefings, consultation sessions, support services e.g. EAP, development workshops etc.
Provide coaching to team members on their role and how to manage the change and uncertainty positively.
Face to face.
Where employees are geographically remote try to dial in via video conferencing etc.
Me (as manager) Within 1 day post any major communication from the change team.
Prior to communicating to all team members.
e.g. all team members
UWA Strategy and how this change will enable achievement of strategy
Purpose and benefits of change and potential impact on area and roles.
Answer questions, including declare if don’t know the answer – this is ok!
Seek group feedback and commit to seeking and providing clarity as soon as possible. Follow up on this commitment.
Remind team to attend all employee briefings, consultation sessions, support services e.g. EAP.
Group discussion face to face.
Where employees are geographically remote try to dial in via video conferencing etc.Email updates.
Me (as manager) Within 1 day post any major communication from the change team
e.g. Jan Sadana (an employee who is a direct report)
Purpose/ benefits of change and potential impact on area and roles. Seek feedback on Jan’s perspective on the change, aspirations and
personal situation. Answer questions, including declare if don’t know the answer – this is
ok! But will seek clarity. Follow up on any commitments made.
Face to face or over the phone if the employee is geographically remote.
Me (as manager) Within 1-3 days post any major communication from the Change team
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