Networking is not just about going to meetings.  It is also about sharing introductions between great folks that you know and can endorse.  So let me take this opportunity to introduce you to Sharon Parker.  Sharon is a business colleague and friend from Canada with whom I have had the pleasure to work.  She is my go to person for Corporate Canada/America change leadership.  Sharon recently wrote an article, “Leading Change versus Managing Change.”  With her permission, I’m sharing it with you.

 

Leading Change versus Managing Change

By Sharon Parker

Leaders don’t force people to follow them; they invite people on a journey.  

Are you the leader of a change effort and stuck in the weeds? Have you read the latest Change Management book, but no one seems to be following you? Are you frustrated that your team or your organization seems to have forgotten that you shared your vision with them already?

It could be that you have a sense of your vision but you haven’t defined it in detail. It could be that your vision doesn’t captivate your team. It could be that you are focusing your efforts on creating the perfect plan. It could be that you are all about implementing but haven’t focused on preparing for or planning the change.

In today’s world of on-going change coupled with a scary rate of failure, it is super important to realize, or remember, that there is a massive difference between leading change and managing change.

It is so easy to mix up these two very important roles. For your organization to be in the 15% of successful change efforts, you cannot afford to mix up these roles or their responsibilities.

Management is doing things right; leadership is doing the right things. (Peter Drucker)

The Change Leader is the Captain of the ship, the one who determines WHERE the organization needs to go, and provides the ongoing drive and resources necessary to reach the goal.

The Change Manager is the First Mate, responsible for the crew, overseeing the details of the change voyage and managing the resources; figuring out HOW to get there.

To support you in leading change successfully, CoreShift has identified the many C’s of Change©. Let’s discuss the first three C’s of Change.

 

1.  Clear Vision

“Leadership is the capacity to translate vision into reality.” – Warren G. Bennis

We need clarity around where we are going; a compelling, comprehensive and clearly defined change goal.  What will it look like when we are there? What will we need to get there? How are we going to get there?

We need to start sketching in as much detail as we can, as early as we can.  It’s not enough to say we want to be ‘an employer of choice’. What does that really mean? It may mean high(er) employee satisfaction rates measured through satisfaction surveys, absenteeism, sick leave requests, innovation measures, low(er) turnover … It can mean whatever you want it to mean, for your organization and for your stakeholders, but, your vision HAS to be clear to everyone.

 “Without a vision, change can dissolve into a list of confusing, incompatible, time-consuming projects that either go in the wrong direction or nowhere at all”

 

2.  Champion

“If you’re a champion, you have to have it in your heart.” – Chris Evert

“I think self-awareness is probably the most important thing towards being a champion.” – Billy Jean King

Regardless of the size of your change project, you MUST have a change champion.  Like a conductor, the Champion is the person with the excitement, drive and vision to see you through the difficult times and to celebrate the good times.  The champion is the person who can speak intelligently and passionately about the change.  The champion is the person who defines and then supports the resources necessary to achieve the change – yes that means the time, the dollars, and the people.  The champion determines (with input from others of course) whether the change is a business imperative or a good idea. They openly demonstrate and endorse the change. They authorize resources and have the power to both reward and reprimand.

The champion has got to be at the top of the ladder for the change.  A manager should NEVER be the champion for an organization-wide change initiative.  They won’t be taken seriously, they won’t have the necessary clout, and they certainly won’t be able to effectively reward or reprimand.  The champion has got to have the respect of the people involved in the change.  If not, there will be a lot of lip service paid to their requests, but nothing will really change.

The Champion has to be the model of the change. Whether it is developing a high-performing team or turning a billion-dollar organization around, the Champion sets the tone AND maintains the energy.

 

3.  Communication

“The single biggest problem in communication is the illusion that it has taken place.” – George Bernard Shaw

Of course, we all know communication is important.  Without communication, you will be relying solely on ESP.  This may work in some circles but for most of us, we need steady communication, through numerous channels, delivered over and over.

As leaders, we need to repeat our messages over and over and over again.  Why? Because sometimes people just aren’t listening, or they forget, and they aren’t following the details, or they have other ‘noise’ they’re listening to.  As leaders we hate repetition, but it is absolutely critical.  It also serves to show everyone that we are still focused and still committed to the change.

People need to understand where they fit in.  They need to understand both the challenges AND the benefits to them and the organization.  Tell the whole story!

It is also important to remember that different communities will need different communications at different times.

Transformations require more than changing a process or rolling out a new technology. They demand a core shift in behaviors, attitudes and beliefs – like a fundamental shift in how a product gets to market, or a new approach to working with clients.

 

Change is a disruption of expectations – successful change requires an expectation of disruption.

There are certain things all successful change initiatives have in common. You need a clear vision. You need a committed champion. And, you need consistent communications.

You also need someone who can both navigate the change management and guide the change leadership. Someone who works with clients at both levels – the level of management (to make sure things get done) and the level of leadership (to hold the vision and model “our new way of being”).

 

Founder of CoreShift, Sharon has worked with the public, private and health sectors for twenty years and is a faculty member at Queens University Industrial Relations Center (IRC) for their Change Management seminar series.

Sharon Parker has demonstrated expertise in individual and organization development and change management, and has held a number of senior advisory positions within the Canadian federal public service and the private sector. Sharon specializes in supporting executives in leading individual and organizational change.

During her years with the federal government, Sharon successfully built two change management and leadership coaching practice groups. Her key passions focus on helping teams and leaders unlock their possibilities to achieve success.