Effective change management leadership hinges on being genuine with stakeholders and seeking their buy-in to change (Hubbart, 2023). It is also crucial to recognize that, even if team members come to terms with the need for change, they may still harbor significant concerns, including:
- The perception that the change will compromise the quality of their work.
- Fears of job loss if the change is framed as a cost-cutting measure.
- The potential loss of job identity that some employees may experience.
- Separation from colleagues and teams, disrupting established connections.
- A sense that the change undermines their ideal career trajectory or doesn’t align with their initial expectations.
As Carr and Gabriel (2001) state, motivation is not a question of finding the right button and pressing it, but recognizing that, through work, people pursue many different conscious and unconscious aims. Some people “sublimate” or channel into work most of their physical and emotional energies. For those who are quite passionate about what they do, there’s a lot at stake when change is forced.
The most impactful change agent then is one who truly understands and resonates with these feelings, drawing from their own personal or relatable experiences in the type of work going to be affected. By leading from the trenches, they can inspire enthusiasm for the change by clearly illustrating the connections between current workflows and the proposed improvements. They can help those affected by the coming change to navigate the feelings that will be inevitably associated with the change.
Leading from the trenches with empathy not only fosters trust but also ensures that the change agent’s passion for transformation is not unintentionally perceived as a greater loyalty to the change compared to the commitment to supporting and valuing the team members they lead.
By integrating these insights into change management strategies, the leader can leverage empathy to foster lasting, more sustainable change and create a resilient, engaged workforce.
References
Carr, A. and Gabriel, Y. (2001). The psychodynamics of organizational change management. Journal of Organizational Change Management, 14(5), pp.415–421. doi:https://doi.org/10.1108/eum0000000005872.
Hubbart, J. A. (2023). Organizational Change: Considering Truth and Buy-In. Administrative Sciences, 13(1), 3. https://doi.org/10.3390/admsci13010003
LEARNING DESIGN by Paul G Moss 