Your team is resistant to change. How can you build trust and lead them through a culture shift?

Getting crystal clear on the “why” we need the change and the price of not doing it, creates the call to action. This then becomes the catalyst at a personal, team and enterprise level. I had to do this at several moments in my career. One that comes to mind is a company that had recently become profitable and the mandate was to transform it into a multi-billion dollar business. We had to build a high performance culture with a Short Term and Long Term Incentive Plan linked to growth KPIs. It took time but once the Why became evident it galvanised the team members forward to embrace the change.

Transformation starts with making changes, and it takes time. For these changes to lead to lasting transformation, a transition phase is crucial. Transition acts like a bridge, guiding us from old ways to new ones, ensuring learning and adjustment. Trust is key during this transition. Building trust involves clear communication, team involvement, providing direction, defining roles, celebrating wins, fostering collaboration, and being patient. In summary, change is the first step, and the transition is the guided journey toward a comprehensive and lasting transformation, where trust plays a vital role.

Communicate clearly what's in it for them and it should originate from the leader's heart(not sound like the management wants to do this). Allow sufficient time for them to mentally align to the new paradigm possibility, involve them completely by empowering them in the change journey. Don't push ideas top down, though guidance of change management and follow through is essential

Meet them where they are. Understand the neuroscience behind resistance, change and psychological safety. Define the behavioural shift. Is that realistic within this organisational system right now? Find a trusted adviser - this is not a problem we can solve in 750 characters. If we could our organisations wouldn't be in the position they are today.

For me at least, the seminal book "Our iceberg is melting" - John Kotter and Holger Rathgeber and his 8 step approach comes to mind as this was the book I read when I was leading one of my teams through a radical transformation journey. Ultimately, as their leader, I had to create the sense of urgency, the vision, instill confidence that we could succeed and then continually provide the encouragement and advocacy to the team to contribute to the solution and to support them through the journey. Communication is assumed , but it all comes down to the telling and the intent.

-Change takes time, and not everyone will adapt at the same pace. Be patient and provide ongoing support and encouragement. -Ensure you involve your team in the decision-making process and empower them to take ownership of the culture shift. Encourage autonomy and creativity in finding solutions to challenges that arise during the transition. When team members feel empowered, they're more likely to be invested in the change. -And critically, model the behaviours and attitudes you want to see in your team. Show enthusiasm for the culture shift, and actively participate in its implementation. Your actions speak louder than words, and when your team sees you embracing the change, they're more likely to follow suit.

In order to get buy in for change, your team needs to know and understand the why. Good communication is the key! That along with showing enthusiasm for the change, will create the spark for so many possibilities!

This is a perfect time to emphasize your cultural attributes: Core Values and Core Behaviors. Change is inevitable for every organization, but when you lead through your values and behaviors, change becomes an Agreement as opposed to a mandate. By engaging your team in the change, you create greater ownership of the change. This closes communication gaps and enhances the involvement and ultimate success. Core Values are the guideposts of why; Core Behaviors are the agreed upon actions that define how you execute.

It's essential to create an environment where team members feel valued, heard, and confident in their ability to adapt to the changes. Here are my steps: - Share reasons behind the culture shift. - Make team members feel their opinions are valued. -Help the team understand how the change aligns with organizational goals - Illustrate the positive impact on individuals and the team as a whole. - Support adaptation with training and resources. - Acknowledge and celebrate small victories and milestones. -Foster team-building activities. -Regularly update the team on the progress of the culture shift. - Be patient and understanding of individual adaptation processes.

Dr. Stephen Covey once said, “no involvement, no commitment. “He couldn’t have been more correct. The days of forcing adoption through leadership authority are virtually over. What’s needed, and expected, now is a more collaborative model. And it turns out the more you involve the team in making a decision, or designing a new process, the more likely they are to not only perform, but to take ownership of the outcome. I urge all the executives I coach to abandon the practice of making big decisions in a vacuum, and then unveiling the outcome to the team. This method is not only outdated, it’s ineffective. A better approach is to come to the team with two or three alternatives, and engage them in an open discussion of which is best.

Most employees want to be part of the solution and not deemed as resistant to change. Even the most difficult of challenges can be met by employees with their full support if they feel they are important to the changes being implemented versus being acted upon, that's the way to inspire others and build the culture. Supporting the culture also includes frequent communication, deep commitment to discussing issues facing the company, and improving the relationships that drive the business.

On parle souvent de résistance au changement, oui quand il est subit. On a jamais vu quelqu'un résister à un changement dont il est lui-même l'initiateur. Avec cet angle d'approche la facilitation pour enrichir les idées et co-construire des stratégies est clé!

According to a seminal HBR article by Katzenbach, Steffen, and Kronley, it’s hard to expect employees to change culture all at once. It’s essential to select a few critical shifts in behavior and foster and cultivate those. To do so, as a leader you must provide employees with the necessary skills, learning experiences, and resources to embrace the culture and take ownership of the change. You can involve employees in the change process by soliciting their input, providing training and development opportunities, and recognizing their contributions. For example, in 2021, McDonald's introduced a training program called "TodaysWomanNow," which offers development opportunities for female employees to prepare them for leadership roles.

Very good points. If it’s possible to take their feedback and apply changes based on that, then that’s always a plus. There may be times when change is mandatory and nothing can be added or revised. In these cases, we can still involve the team by assigning tasks to initiate and execute the change.

Todo somos humanos! Así que el cambio es un proceso para todos. Ser humanos empaticos y entender que el ritmo y la motivación de todos es diferente por lo tanto entender a cada uno y saber cómo irlos apoyando es vital! Esto aplica para abajo, arriba y los lados, humanos somos TODOS más allá de la nomenclatura de un rol

One thing that I have found helpful in transforming the business is the use of large scale involvement of employees to think on the current pitfalls of not changing and later making them think on the benefits of change. This exercise when done in cross functional teams yields fantastic results. Teams come up with fantastic ideas for the transformation. The role of the leadership is to facilitate the process without a hidden agenda. Open and transparent discussions to converge on the ideas builds trust. And when trust levels are high, challenging one another to achieve a common higher purpose becomes easy. A robust action plan commonly agreed by all evolves. A journey of magical transformation starts with confidence and commitment of all.

Asking for input from team members at all levels may sound daunting, but it's a great opportunity to gather great ideas. Put the business need on the table and ask for suggestions. Chances are you'll get some ideas you never thought of. And when you include the team in the decision-making process, you drastically increase the likelihood of them being all-in with the new direction. DO NOT leave a vacuum! I've seen this fail particularly stunningly when leaders farm for ideas and input, and then make closed-door decisions that are contrary to the team's suggestions. Use the opportunity to help your team members understand how and why you think specific things will work and others won't work. This helps them learn more about the business!

Como líder, é sua obrigação fazer com que todas (mesmo as pessoas de papéis mais secundários) se sintam incluídas no projeto. Para um envolvimento maior, a equipe precisa estar sincronizada, sendo guiada na mesma direção, dito isso, esse envolvimento pode ser feito de diferentes formas mas sempre com a participação efetiva e afetiva da liderança.

Primero intentaría abandonar la mentalidad estática de resistencia, probablemente detrás de esa "resistencia" hay miedos desatendidos en la implementación, así que el primer paso es escuchar los miedos y atenderlos en el diseño del cambio.

Culture eats strategy for breakfast. If the change is not visible in actions it will ultimately fail to meet the original goal. Teams pay attention whether leaders are walking the talk. As a leader recognise that you might have been privy to early on information and thus had the time to digest. Communicate this clearly and recognise the state of the play throught out the process. People react and act differently, and in different speed. Dont expect the same journey but recognise the diversity. Be humble but decisive as the more challenging change the more clarity is also needed, ie leadership.

Show your humanity. Notice how people are feeling, notice how you are feeling. Change is difficult, but if people see that you don’t find it easy either but you have learnt methods to cope, they will start to believe they can get through it too.

Una acción vale más que 1000 palabras y es por esta razón que liderar con el ejemplo, es uno de los factores más importantes en la implementación del cambio. Las personas hacen lo que ven, no lo que les dicen que deben hacer por lo que al alinear a los líderes de una organización en sus acciones y comportamientos, los cambios son aceptados y se entienden mejor. También la alineación del modelaje con la medición del desempeño y los reconocimientos, generan un impulso al cambio que se desea implementar.

It's worth remembering the saying that culture is the worst behaviour tolerated. And this is especially true if it's management or leaders behaving badly - the fish rots from the head. There is no room for do as I say not as I do

El ejemplo del líder es esencial para modelar la cultura del equipo, que será el gran aliado o enemigo del cambio. Pero recordemos que la forma como nos miden, también moldea y limita, la forma cómo nos comportamos. Si me visibilizan como miembro del equipo, que estoy incumpliendo los acuerdos y normas que tenemos como equipo, solo me quedan dos caminos: alinearme o salir del equipo. Por esto, considero que una formula más cercana a un modelamiento de cambio exitoso sería, 50% ejemplo y 50% medir lo que importa respecto del cambio buscado.

I believe that maintaining consistency is paramount when driving change initiatives. Persistence is key, as change requires time and effort to yield tangible results. It is imperative to showcase both the transformation process and its beneficial outcomes to inspire confidence and commitment. Perseverance is essential in reinforcing desired behaviors and steering away from entrenched models. Having previously collaborated with teams entrenched in the status quo, I understand the challenge, yet remain committed to facilitating meaningful change. #changemanagement #leadership #results #organizationaldevelopment #workculture

As a leader, in any organization, the most important decision you’ll make is to clearly and courageously model the change you seek to drive in this world. Yes, last we checked, actions still speak louder than words, especially in a digital first world. As a leader who grew up analog, and leads digital, your every move is being scrutinized. Be clear…because clear is kind, unclear is unkind. When you embody the desired behavior you seek out in others, it inspires and motivates others to follow suit. But they will only do so, if they know it’s safe to do so. Show them that courage is to be encouraged and exemplified. Consistency in your actions builds trust and credibility, reinforcing the change you want to see in the world.

101. Once the line is in the ground don't be surprised when others hold you to it. Understand who are the pulse-takers in your org and conscript them to the cause. Leaders can live at any level and people will most readily follow those around them. So the more people you can get walking the talk and the sooner you can get them onboard the better chance change will stick.

A mudança é feita e determinada por quem quer que a mudança aconteça. Para mudar a cultura de uma organização, é preciso um processo visando o longo prazo e com etapas que não podem ser negligenciadas. Liderar por exemplo nesse caso é contagiante, então fale e mostre o comportamento que deve ser adotado de forma saudável e empática, fazendo com que se espalhe rapidamente e efetivamente no time.

This is a great point, and I think most leaders do a terrible job because change is uncomfortable, and the behaviours will feel forced or unatural. I strongly recommend that this area is given a lot of attention. Leaders need to lead the desired behaviours - but first need to learn them, and practise modelling them. I recommend coaching and role playing to refine these intentional leadership skills.

One of the most important aspects why most transformational journeys derail half the way is lack of adequate support and the environment of safety given by the leadership. With safety net your employees become ready to take necessary risks and give all efforts to come out of their comfort zone. Adequate training and technological support is expected by them. If that's given transformational change becomes a happy journey else people change their jobs because of frustration.

Supporting staff through culture change requires clear communication, comprehensive training, leadership exemplification, recognition, open feedback, supportive networks, regular updates, and patience. Initiate transparent communication about the change's reasons and alignment with organizational values. Implement well-rounded training, covering technical and soft skills. Encourage leaders to exemplify the new culture, recognising and celebrating positive behaviours. Establish feedback channels, fostering open communication, and create supportive networks for collaboration. Provide regular updates to keep the team informed and maintain transparency. Emphasise patience, a growth, and celebrate incremental progress, ensuring transition.

People move at different paces when it comes to change and your change strategy needs to incorporate that. So support and guidance - available for a significant period of time - are key. And real, practical support and guidance tailored to the change, not just a generic offer. What is invested here will pay dividends later.

The natural normal way of most workplaces is competition, not collaboration. Sure, you can engage a few people with a shared vision and goal for something that they believe they have the resources to accomplish if they work together. That is a natural. But most big problems seem to require a lot more collaboration BETWEEN the teams, a not-normal circumstance. Lots of good ideas in this discussion. Lots of possibilities and things to consider. But surely to take the time to generate more collaboration across teams, to generate more peer support rather than supporting the, "who wins?" culture which really generates the, "I lost again," reaction. People are really tired of the competitiveness, and many see no chance of winning.

Savoir lire les signes, faire preuve d’écoute active et faire émerger les bloquants pour les dénouer viendront soutenir efficacement la période de changement.

Uma mudança de cultura exige uma desconstrução profunda de processos e conceitos antigos da empresa, então é normal surgirem dúvidas e até ceticismo. A liderança precisa estar disponível para que se estabeleça um sentimento de confiança na equipe em todos os níveis, e ainda permite com que ninguém na equipe fique perdido sobre a filosofia de trabalho e o ritmo do grupo. Mudar não é fácil, é quando se trata de cultura, menos ainda.

Ensuring the team is feeling seen and heard is key during major changes. Transparency with key events included in the change will help to create a timeline and milestones of the change as it progresses.

See coaching as a must not an add on … focus on the activities that will help deliver the right outcomes to deliver the goals

[UNE TÊTE DE PONT] C’est de ton équipe que tu attends une vigilance aux signaux faibles sur les transformations de l’environnement, et l’expression d’intentions sur les modalités d’y répondre de façon convergente avec notre raison d’être partagée, en vue d’une meilleure résilience collective. Dès lors, tu t’assures que chacun se perçoive dans un environnement sécurisant, et en capacité de resserrer les liens entre parties prenantes. Alors ton équipe se vivra comme une tête de pont, et vous inspirerez ensemble la confiance que vous construisez les uns avec les autres.

You are only as fast as your slowest member. People will adapt to change at varying speeds and require varying degrees of support and guidance. Do not take a one size fits all, or a one speed suits all and more important shift past a one and done approach. True behavior change requires reinforcement over time. People are going to struggle and make mistakes this is part of learning, so be willing to provide timely feedback, be transparent with expectations and create culture of accountability, where it is okay to make mistakes but it is not okay to just revert to old ways.

Celebrating progress and success along the way, and throughout change is paramount. 🏆 Start with recognizing, publicly, acknowledging the achievements through team meetings or newsletters or blogs. Give Rewards by offering incentives like bonuses or extra time off. 🏅 Organize gatherings like a Showcase to foster camaraderie and celebrate progress. Mark significant milestones with symbolic gestures, genuinely. Make it authentic and meaningful for those you’re spotlighting for going above and beyond. 🙏🏻 Remember, celebrating the smallest moments and measures in positive change reinforces positive behavior and boosts morale. 🎉

As a people person and leader I believe Celebrating change after success reinforces positive behaviors, boosting morale and team spirit. Recognition creates a sense of achievement, motivating individuals to embrace future transformations with enthusiasm. It fosters a culture that values adaptability and innovation, essential qualities for sustained growth and competitiveness in any dynamic environment.

Every progress/update meeting should have a slot for wins, no matter how small. And then periodic celebrations for key milestones or set frequencies e.g. monthly or quarterly gatherings. These also help to build team spirit, trust and credibility on the programme.

Erfolge feiern ist sehr wichtig. Aber auch Feedback - positives wie negatives - hilft, um aus dem Abgeschlossenen zu lernen und für z.B. andere Projekte auf diesen Erfahrungen aufzubauen.

Celebrar as mudanças e recompensar o progresso é fundamental. Geralmente durante as mudanças as pessoas se sentem mais perdidas, desconectadas e até mesmo com certo medo do que está por vir. Celebrar é por pra fora a energia da conquista, e isso é extremamente importante.

One of the downfalls in this area is celebrating outcomes rather than the behaviours. One leaders I worked with kept celebrating how the team achieved success despite the odds, always in a mad rush at the end. This celebration unknowingly reinforced that huge last minute effort was more important that careful thoughtful planning. Planned success went by without notice, but those last minute rush jobs got all the attention. And people took notice.

I consider that recognizing the nuanced difference between empathy and sympathy is paramount in leadership to build trust. Demonstrating empathy towards your team during periods of change, particularly when encountering resistance. Furthermore, as a leader, cultivating facilitation skills and deploying tailored tactics in accordance with the stage of the change curve is imperative for adeptly guiding your team through transitions.

Scaling culture change requires measuring progress and celebrating success. You must establish clear metrics and key performance indicators (KPIs) to track the organization's progress such as the employee Net Promoter Score (eNPS), employee engagement, and retention rates, as well as other metrics that demonstrate the impact of the culture change on the organization's performance. One of the most commonly used methods for measuring culture change is surveys and interviews. According to Better Up, an excellent way to track culture is by conducting "stay interviews," which the opposite of "exit interviews," which are considered too late in the employee journey as they take place after they made their decision to leave.

This step is crucial. It should be done as a structured workshop. To be able to celebrate success together! And it should be done regularly. As a structured success retrospective. Collect wins and share them. Tell stories that inspire and encourage. Focus on progress made each step. Together review where you've been. Regular celebrations boost success. But only if done together.

La mise en place de rituels pour cette étape est essentielle. Cela permet de célébrer les résultats et de prendre le temps de ventiler.

Answering why is an act of empathy and adds a layer of persuasion to communications. Just What and How sometimes faces lots of resistance ,when people know why they’re being asked to do something, they’re much more likely to do it.

It's important to make sure you're embracing transparency. We've found it to be much better to simply show our cards and share all that we are able than it is to keep things hidden or in the dark.

Change is an art and science and difficult to explain all the essentials in a few sentences. However, one core thing for all changes (and change "resistance") is to be mindful of how the human brain processes information and why emotions are essential for change acceptance and a key reason for change resistance. If you pay attention to emotions, i.e the human way of understanding the world, and how we perceive the world, you will understand why "resistance" occurs. Resistance is in most cases an adequate response to feeling uncertain.

Resistance to change in and of itself may be more of a perceived concern than a reality. There will be dissenters, but my thesis has always been that few humans resist a change just because it is a change. Let's consider the lessons of COVID. Consider how quickly leaders and employees had to change in ways that were sudden, surprising, drastic, and pretty scary (e.g., you're all working from home starting tomorrow, healthcare professionals and front-line workers in protective gear their entire shifts and in harms way). Culture change? That isn't much of a challenge compared to what we have all been through. People are resilient. People band together when there is rationale clarity, clear communication, and inclusion in strategy & execution.

Some of the things to consider: - prepare your team emotionally. A lot of people resist change because of their relationship with uncertainty and also strong core need for safety - help them to build emotional fitness first so they don't resist or freeze during the change - be transparent all the time and talk about the change and plans - talk about the resistance and normalise the feeling so people know they may feel that way

One of the primary triggers for resistance is the attempt to implement numerous changes simultaneously. Consider this scenario from the perspective of your team members: your work routine and your team's processes being overwhelmed by several alterations at the same time. Too much change introduced too quickly is never perceived positively. My recommendation is to initially take a step back and observe. Develop a prioritized list of possible improvements and actively engage your team in this process. Encourage them to identify and vote on the most pressing issues, and then collaboratively address these issues one at a time as a team.

What is a culture shift? Why does it have to be seen as a change? If our culture continues to evolve, then help the team evolve with it. We need to reframe the "change" conversation to that of evolution instead. If I say "Hey we are going to implement a change program!" Where do you think most people's minds go to? "Here we go again..." "Will I lose my job?" "Were we not doing it right or achieving enough?" Mostly negative connotations come with the "change" conversation. However, when we move to the evolution conversation...it goes to forward thinking. "You know where we were 3 year ago, and where we are now, our business has evolved. Let's think about the next three years. What do you see as the next evolution of our business?"

For leaders it is important to consider "change" as two elements; 1. The actual mechanical change. 2. The humanistic journey of leading change. We often try to convince people using metrics. It will be better because of XYZ. However, generally people are uncomfortable with change. Focussing more on how the people will deal with the change, and helping them make the journey from where they are, to where they need to be.....that's change leadership.

When initiating change as a leader, prioritize clear communication to articulate the vision. Involve the team in the planning process to ensure buy-in and address concerns. Provide adequate support and resources, fostering a culture of adaptability. Lead by example, demonstrating commitment to the change, and celebrate milestones to sustain motivation.we have to take into account both the process and the impact on the human lives who will eventually embrace the change. Hence communication transparency clarity of vision and empathy are very critical for bringing in any organisation al change.

D'après mon experience en participant à plusieurs projets de changement et de transformation menés avec différents cabinets de conseil, je peux dire que les étapes des modèles de changement se chauvauchent et peuvent être repenser de la manière suivante: 1- Permettre aux concernés et acteurs de prendre conscience des enjeux du changement. Ceci s'obtient par une bonne communication du POURQUOI avant le lancement du projet. 2- Créer, chez le personnel, l'envie et la volonté de contribuer et de participer au changement. 3- Developper les capabilities de l'organisation: Il faut rendre le personnel à l'aise dans son nouveau rôle. 4- Ancrer la performance en cultivant dans l'organisation une culture de la performance .