I know most change models describe 6 or 7 things you need in place to successfully implement change. For me, the most critical aspect revolves around the leaders. How equipped and skilled are they to drive and support the change? And how engaged are they in the rationale for making the change?

I’m not talking about the senior leadership of the company, I’m talking about the guys in the middle. The leaders who are required to implement the changes within their teams, deal with the individual issues that arise from the change, make sure the change sticks, and be supportive the whole way through. They are often expected just to get on with it, and to magically know what they should be doing and saying to make it all work.

In my experience, this group have the worst of both worlds – maximum expectations from above (with insufficient support), and maximum chaos from below if the change is not widely understood, poorly managed, and impacts people’s worlds (doesn’t it always?). They have minimal ability to affect decisions or direction, and are expected to implement things with a smile and reassuring voice.

To help middle-tier leaders not just cope with change better – coping is a pretty ordinary expectation – but feel confident in their abilities to support and implement it, we need to significantly upgrade the time and effort spent. And not just when the actual change is happening but as an ongoing part of their development.

Helpful information would be:

• Information about how change actually manifests at the individual and team level
• the change process and framework being used
• how to handle various reactions to change
• leading in times of change
• the importance of their role in successful implementation
• How to manage their own uncertainty while dealing with the team’s issues
• how to apply these concepts within their own teams

There’s more for sure – but this would be a great start.

I’ve often felt the middle managers get the raw end of the deal on so many levels. Don’t make the mistake of assuming they’ll just get it, be fine with it, and do whatever’s required.