4 things to keep in mind when leading your team through change

I recently facilitated a lunch and learn with a global organization on leading through change and ambiguity. The audience was mostly managers (new and older employees) and I really empathized with them. Being a manager often means being caught in the middle between those you are leading and those who are leading you. When executive leadership is focused on outcomes and productivity, managers are supposed to manage those priorities while also ensuring that their team feels supported and is resourced appropriately. This can be difficult, especially in times of high ambiguity and organizational change (hello pandemic!).

A few takeaways from my session with them that might be helpful for you today:

1. Change is inevitable. Sometimes we initiate the change, sometimes we don't. The better prepared we are to handle the changes that we are in control of, the easier it will be to handle the changes that are out of our control.

2. Psychological safety is CRUCIAL during times of ambiguity and change. This means that psychological safety needs to be an ongoing priority in your organization so that your team is healthy when surprises pop up. (Pro-tip: check out The Anxious Achiever podcast, episode 12 for more on this topic!)

3. Adjust your expectations AND your timelines. During times of change and high ambiguity, your team is likely not going to be functioning at 100%. We saw this early on in the pandemic (and still!) with employees juggling children learning from home, caretaking of elderly family members, etc. It is unrealistic to expect 100% during these times; manage your expectations appropriately and your team will thrive.

4. Celebrate the wins. When circumstances feel unsteady, it's important to celebrate ALL the wins. This includes mundane things like your team just showing up sometimes and lessons learned from failures and mistakes. Do this and watch your team morale shoot through the roof.

Have you been able to implement any of these with your team? What other tips would you recommend?

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If your organization currently finds itself in the midst of change and ambiguity, get in touch today so we can help support your team.