Opinion: Area leaders share advice on managing change

Change is a constant in life and business, and this past year-plus has proven how nimble we can be.

Granted, many of the changes we adapted to at home and in the office (and the home office) were forced at first. But if you’ve taken inventory of the shifts you’ve experienced in the past year, perhaps, like me, you’ve discovered gratitude. A crisis can certainly produce chaos, but it also can create something wonderful.

As much as our lives have changed amid the coronavirus pandemic, there’s still plenty of pivots around the corner. Leaders are well served by embracing new opportunities and processes while acknowledging that people, teams and customers, must remain the focus.

I’ve asked area business leaders to share their best advice on the subject.

On leading a team
Marlene Chism is a consultant and author reaching C-suite leaders. People don’t resist change, she says, they resist uncertainty and lack of control. Here’s her advice to leaders:

1. “Dial up the choice to give some measure of control. Ask for opinions, through a survey or a focus group. People embrace what they help to create.”
2. “Dial up certainty. The brain craves certainty to feel a sense of psychological safety. Leaders can dial up the certainty by building a plan, all based on the opinions and feedback gathered from employees. Within the plan, identify the easy-to-accomplish milestones to document the accomplishments. A plan only offers direction, not perfection. Chances are, your plan will change along the way once you gain new information. That’s why you need to set up structured times to communicate successes as well as course corrections in advance. Otherwise, you risk making changes that will blindside employees.”

On shifts outside of your control
The retail industry was forced to dramatically shift the way it did business. Summer Trottier and Brittany Bilyeu lead Culture Flock Clothing LLC, celebrating eight years in business this month. Here’s their advice on dealing with change outside of your control:

1. “Honesty and transparency with customers. Giving your clients a realistic expectation and also keeping in mind that we are all in this together. The supply chain shortages affected everyone in different ways, but every link in the supply chain needed to be patient and understanding with one another.”
2. “It was really important for us not to get bogged down with the frustration of what wasn’t working. We had to adapt, whether we wanted to or not, so looking for creative workarounds was crucial. For example, we serendipitously began the process of making our entire shop inventory available for purchase online in January of 2020. Thankfully, by the time things shut down in March and April, we had laid the groundwork to conduct business in a different sort of way.”

On rallying employees
Commerce Bank Southwest Region Chairperson and CEO Doug Neff leads a team of 255 employees. He says he encourages the team to focus on what they can influence and to let go of what they can’t control. Here’s his advice for leading a team:

1. “Change is difficult, but it is important to get the team to align around the end goal. We are firmly committed to engaging in the conversations necessary to make our team members feel safe, valued and respected, and truly listen to ensure the team feels supported and have the tools and resources to enable change. We talk about why change is necessary, share the vision of the change with everyone and get their support early.”
2. “Change doesn’t happen overnight. There are steps dealing with the transition: Accepting the change, find time for reflection, take it one day at a time, find a mentor and learn to be an optimist.”

On protecting your health
When embracing change, don’t forget brain science, says Shelly Farnan. She leads Burrell Behavioral Health’s Be Well Initiatives. Farnan advocates leaders asking of themselves and their team if they are feeling safe, connected, significant and respected amid a change. Here’s her advice on caring for mental health:

1. “We must support leaders and employees beyond the work. People will embrace change more effectively if they feel informed, part of the process, and as though they have a meaningful say in the process.”
2. “Always start with hope, which triggers motivation and sets the stage for transformation.”
3. “Invest in building trust now so when the going gets tough, we know who the organization has always been, not just during a crisis.”
4. “Self-care will be necessary through change and is a must in the workplace. Self-care is whatever helps us arrive as our best selves, in the spaces we want to arrive as our best selves. When we realize how we are feeling, we must know what strategies are effective in helping us feel better. Make self-care a part of the process in navigating change.”

Springfield Business Journal Executive Editor 
Christine Temple can be reached at ctemple@sbj.net.