Companies nowadays are facing an escalating amount of stress, uncertainty and adaptability are the key indicators of strategic measures that aim to secure sustainable results in these difficult times.

The ability to adapt is no longer an option that only the “big ones” pursue, it is a necessity for every organization that is willing to exceed challenges and make it to the next step.

How can we create a new result if all we have is the existing resources?

This is the issue that organizational change aims to address through different tactics and organizational re-structuring. There are many success stories and at the same time there are even more cases that demonstrate that organizational transformation goes beyond strategies and data analytics,organizational transformation is closely connected to team culture and values. The best way to guarantee a successful transformation is to focus equally on strategic change and Team Values.

The team is a system, each individual affects the system and the system affects each individual. It is important to get to know the system before trying to create any change, and the best way to know the system is to focus on the team, its beliefs, and its formal and informal way of doing things.

There are 5 main steps that need to be taken for a successful transformation:

1-     Discover the System

2-     Clarify what needs to change

3-     Communication

4-     Accountability

1-     You can`t create change if you don`t know your starting point.

The first step you need to take is to run a discovery activity with the team. This discovery doesn`t have to be a formal setting, the main goal is to identify the team values, what are the driving forces within the team? What are the strengths of the team that will support you to create the desired change? How can the team be motivated when things are not going well? All these questions and more will help to discover the team values and honor them in challenging times to keep the transformation going.

2-     Clarity is crucial even when you are not clear yourself. Feel free to share if you lack a clear view of the big panorama,change leaders don`t need to have all the answers, ask your team for input anytime you feel unclear. When you trust your team and ask for help, you create trust and support, and the best way to do so is to lead by example.

3-     Communication is a key to success in any given situation, especially during an organizational change. Communication is a powerful tool that needs to be used to make sure the team is aligned with the common goal. The focus of communication during change should be to identify 2 main groups: Resistors to change and Supporters to change. Communicate frequently with both groups with a different purpose in mind, convert resistors into supporters and create space for supporters to share their mindset and onboard other members in this project.

4-     Accountability is strictly related to the level of connection that each team member has to the common goal. When sharing the change that is about to happen make sure to put the emphasis on the “Why” for this change. Find the answers to the 3 Why’s :

-Why is it important for the company?

-Why is it important for the Team?

-Why is it important for me as a team member?

There is not a single solution for successful organizational change, it is more like a trial-and-error process. You learn by each setback and use the new learnings to forward the action. Get to know your team, base actions on team values, and hold people accountable by using frequent and clear communication. You may not guarantee success, but you will make sure to use efficiently all your existing resources to create successful change.

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