Flip resistance with effective change leadershipThe benefits of leading with empathy

We have been facilitating our ‘Leading Changemodule which forms part of our Leadershift programme a lot over the past few months and thought we would share some learnings from the practical ‘on the ground’ wisdom from our delegates.

Change is hard and evokes an emotional response that is often seen as resistance, and resistance is seen as negative. But what if we flip resistance to be a positive opportunity to get data and information of why the change is not going so smoothly? Applying this practically we learned that most resistance happened because the people the change is being ‘done to’ didn’t have all the information they wanted and needed.  

Here are some practical ways leaders can use effective information sharing and communication to lead change successfully:

  • Leaders should explain the change initiative’s aims and expectations to their team members. This will help to guarantee that everyone is on the same page and pursuing the same goals.
  • Leaders must be candid and honest about the difficulties and risks associated with the change effort to develop credibility and trust with their teams. Even if they don’t know all the facts yet, rather say so to avoid assumptions.
  • Leaders should explain why the change is important and what the benefits will be. This will help team members comprehend the necessity for the change and motivate them to support it.
  • Leaders should offer regular progress reports on the project. This will keep team members informed and engaged throughout the transition process.
  • Leaders should encourage team members to ask questions and share feedback. This will reaffirm the fact that everyone is on the same page and working towards the same goals.
  • Leaders should provide team members with training and support to help them adapt to the changes.

All the above points to transparency being a very powerful tool and all our delegates agree that is builds inclusion and develops trust!