During any change initiative there are two processes at work – the process the organisation is going through, and the process each individual will go through

At any time a leader should be able to ascertain where their team members are in terms of stages of their personal change, and the stage the organisation is at as part of the overall change progam. This dual knowledge puts leaders in the strongest position for understanding and working througn resistance.

For example, lets say you – the leader – knows some team members need more communication about the rationale for the change -why it is a priority.

If the change initiative is in early stages, you know there is plenty of communication and  engagement activities yet to come. If the program is in the later stages then you know  there won’t be much more communication about the rationale from prgram level. You need to provide that information yourself.

An leader educated in change processes has the ability to diagnose issues respond effectively to help their people accept and buy into the change.

If you don’t have awareness of both processes, its a bit like trying to shoot fish in a barrel with a blindfold on. You know those fish are there, but you don’t know where to aim. So you shoot enthusiastically but randomly into the water – after all – how could you miss??

Sadly, it’s never an effective strategy. The outcome is usually that you mostly miss, but sometimes you might wound some fish, who will never look at you the same way again….

OK -maybe dead fish isn’t the best analogy, but you get the picture! The moral of this story is, unintentioned action to help people come to terms with change is often well-intentioned but ineffective, and at worst, causes more harm than good.