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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


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


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)


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?


Avoiding Labelling



Withdrawing Attacking



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


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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