Are you a Change Manager or Change Enabler?

Last week I (with a colleague) presented at the International Coach Federations

UK event: Inspiring Coaching - the next 20 years.

The title of our session was “Harnessing the Dynamics of the Future’ and in it we referenced a couple of reports PWC 5 Global Megatrends, and the CIPD Megatrends – The trends shaping work and working lives.

The purpose of the session was to raise awareness of the huge shifts taking place globally and then reflect on what that means for us as leaders, because we are ALL leaders.

So my invitation is for you to do the same and feel free to read the reports in full, but for now here are the key themes:

• Economic power shifts are taking place and the gap is widening
• Technological breakthroughs are occurring with greater speed and less costs
• Global resource shifts – oil and gas reserves are depleting
• Changing demographics, there is now greater diversity in the workplace, a better educated global population and more people moving to live in cities.

The pace of change is increasing and most organisations are not changing at the same pace!

As a leader how are you preparing yourself to work in a world that is becoming more agile, complex and ambiguous?

Are you thinking about creating an agile organisation with a flexible, responsive structure to the management and conduct of work?

 

One thing is for sure the future requires a different way of leading, one that enables others to be more agile and responsive rather than manage others.

Which are you?

If not sure of the distinctions, use this rather quick and dirty checklist to do a little self-assessment.

  

Change Managers

1. Initiate change work to the plan where almost everything is prescribed
2. Invite only those of a certain grade to the table to problem solve
3. Manage change through a project office
4. Communicate major changes through a managed timetable with carefully honed scripts
5. Bring back any deviations from the norm back in line
6. Manage based on past experience and what has proven to work
7. Work through the hierarchy 

Change Enablers

1. Create conversations that generate problem-solving activity
2. Look for internal activist who want to be involved and have the courage to challenge the status quo
3. Invite and encourage commitment by asking people to get involved in the how of things from the front line not top down
4. Discard the notion of the right way
5. Learn as you go
6. Experiment
7. Encourage creative thinking

These two lists are not meant to be definitive. They are presented to initiate some reflection on how you are leading change currently, and hopefully, consider how you may adapt to be more enabling. Leading by harnessing the energies of those around you.

Making real change is a challenge for most of us – just think of all New Year resolutions that lapse after a very short period of time.

What one thing can you do to ensure the changes you’re leading come to fruition?

"To design the future effectively, you must first let go of your past."  


Charles J. Givens