CHANGE.

When it happens it feels like being thrown into a FREEZING cold plunge pool doesn't it? 

The funny thing is we all know it's coming.

After all, life is change.

So why do so many leaders struggle to get their teams to embrace it?

One of the most common concerns that clients tell me (who reach out to me about my leadership trainings) is that their teams are confused, stressed, and resistant to embracing change.

What I've shared with them, and what I'm starting with you is there are often three mistakes organizations make when going through seasons of change that prevent their people from embracing the change.

Here are the mistakes you must avoid…

Mistake #1: Believing That Announcing Change Is the Same Thing as Leading Change

Too many leaders think that sending an email, holding a meeting, or dropping a "huge announcement" is enough to get their teams excited and ready to run with it.

It's not.

Managing organizational change isn't just about operations, it's about managing emotions.

Whenever you introduce change you stir up the waters, creating disruption and uncertainty. The truth is your team is not just having to navigate through the change itself, they're also processing what that change will mean for them. So even if the change you've introduced makes all the logical sense, your people will still need to be led into change. 

Mistake #2: Ignoring the Emotional Toll of Change

We are emotional at our core.

So, you can give everyone the logical strategies of why and how to implement the change, but if your people are feeling the stress of change, that anxiety and worry can prevent them from wanting to move forward.

The truth is even GOOD changes can stress us out. Why? Because change brings uncertainty, and uncertainty triggers fear. The thing is people will not often say, "I'm scared!" What you'll see instead is they'll resist, complain, disengage or even leave.

So, if you don't manage their emotions and factor in their expectations, fear will drive their buses, and potentially sink your team.

Mistake #3: Expecting People to Love It Without Building Trust

As I emphasize in all of my leadership, culture, communication and marriage programs, all relationships are built on a foundation of safety and trust.

If your team trusts you, they'll follow you. If they don't, they'll push back, resist and hold on to the old way as long as they can.

After working with thousands as a leadership speaker and coach, I can tell you that if your employees don't believe that leadership has their best interests at heart, they'll respond to change as something that's being forced on them, instead of something that they'll want to move forward with.

The Bottom Line

When your teams don't want to embrace change, it's easy to get frustrated at them.

But what if the issue isn't them … it's you?

Don't get me wrong, your people might have issues (you might have just yelled AMEN!) but how you help them deal with the hangups they have is all about you.

There is so much more I'd love to share, but for now, if you avoid these three big mistakes you'll make it much more likely that your team will accept, embrace and run with the changes they are facing. 

BTW: If you're struggling to get your team on board—or if you need a fresh voice to help guide them through transitions—let's talk. Whether it's a keynote, a workshop, or a trusted partner to help you lead through changing times, I can help.