The Crave
Weekly tips and stories that will help you do your job and make you smile (or groan).
By Jerry Virta May 12, 2022
The seven sins of change management
Working in a growing company involves a lot of moving parts. Teams multiply in size, new markets are discovered, and processes are born and optimized. Expansion is exciting and adrenaline-inducing, yet seldom comes without growing pains. Change is hard. Dealing with change management doesn’t have to be. There are many ways to execute adjustments to how your company or team works, and the approach depends on your organization’s architecture and culture. There are, however, some things you should avoid. I call these The seven sins of change management. Though not technically life-threatening, they can still critically harm the process and leave your colleagues dissatisfied and skeptical of change.
Change is hard.
Dealing with change management doesn’t have to be.
1. Greed: “When do we want it? Now!”
When you’re introducing something you’ve worked hard on and are proud of, it’s easy to get greedy and want everything changed immediately. However, cutting corners will most likely backfire in the long run. Adopting change takes time, and expecting too much too quickly of your colleagues puts pressure on them. This can result in negative feelings and resistance toward change. Take your time and let others do so, too.
2. Pride: “My way or the highway.”
The “my way or the highway” mindset hardly works in healthy change management. It’s important to establish authority, but shutting others out of the process and avoiding feedback is not the way to go. Be curious, listen, and ask for help. Involving specialists from different teams brings in fresh perspectives and valuable insights.
3. Poor communication: “You’ll figure it out.”
Be transparent and proactive and let stakeholders know what’s happening and why and when the change takes place. Make sure to introduce the new process or principle properly — you can even throw an event to celebrate this new chapter in your company’s history book. Explain the change's what, why, and how, and host workshops and Q&A sessions. Send out a survey. Do everything you can to make everyone aware of (and excited for!) the change.
4. False promises: “We’ll give you the world.”
The other side of poor communication: overpromising and therefore setting unrealistic expectations. This can result from wanting to please, provide answers quickly or avoid difficult conversations. Change is not always pleasant for everyone, and that’s fully okay. Just be open and honest about it. Hyping up your team is great. Just make sure not to mislead them.
5. Taking the path of least resistance: “Bare minimum.”
Someone needs to drive the change. Whether it’s a team or an individual, clear responsibility must be established from day one. It’s essential to do proper research, proactively ask for feedback, and keep optimizing and learning from the process. It takes willpower and some hard work, but the truth is: you can’t manage change without proper preparation and leading by example.
6. Not acknowledging concerns: “Do not disturb.”
As mentioned, change can be tough for some people. When processes and practices change, people face having to learn a new way to work. Listening to your colleagues, addressing concerns, and providing answers and solutions show people around you that you care. Be accessible and approachable. Believe it or not, this will help your team understand where you're coming from and adopt the change.
7. Insufficient documentation: “It makes sense to me, so it should make sense to you too.”
For the change to be carried out smoothly, everything needs to be documented well and clearly. Explain and justify the reasons for the change and describe how it will affect individual teams and employees. Documentation must be easily accessible, and everyone has to know how to contact the person responsible with any questions. Read more about creating adequate documentation here.
Let’s talk about it together!
Share your thoughts on LinkedIn using #thecravediscussion This week’s topic: What sins of change management have you come across?
Jerry Virta
Content Ops
About the author
I’m Foleon’s content governance police and quality gatekeeper. Besides telling people what to do, I enjoy creating written and visual content, wandering in nature, and consuming trash tv.