It has been my great honor to be a part of a new professional group known as the Making Managers Into Leaders Institute, sponsored by my friend and colleague, Ed Oakley, author of Enlightened Leadership and Leadership Made Simple. The following Power Idea contains some of the thoughts shared at one of the MMIL webinars, entitled Leading Through the Twilight Zone, delivered by Ed and his partner, Carol Bergmann. I know that you will find this information both interesting and useful. Thanks Ed and Carol for your insights!
With any change process there are three phases of transition -- Completion (letting go of The Old Way of Doing Things), the Twilight Zone (what happens in between The Old Way of Doing Things and The New Way of Doing Things), and on to Full Engagement (having the team completely engaged in The New Way of Doing Things).
Since most organizations spend their time in the Twilight Zone, I thought I would share with all of you what happens in this area, as described by my friends at Enlightened Leadership. During the Twilight Zone phase, there exists a gap between the old and the new. It is a time of psychological re-alignment for most people. Letting go of the old way and moving on is not always a pleasant experience. It can be a time of chaos and confusion, or it can be a time of great creativity. Leadership is the key distinction of which way this phase of change will go and how long your organization will be in the Twilight Zone.
The two parts of any change process is the HARD PART (processes, measurement, tools, structures and procedures) and the SOFT PART (buy-in, commitment, attitude, creativity, overcoming resistance to change, and self-leadership). The Hard Part is about Management -- the Soft Part is about Leadership. In order to lead your team through the rough waters of the Twilight Zone, there are four key factors:
- Focus
- Communications
- Involvement
- Alignment
In the words of Carol Bergmann, "Managing Change is about Managing Focus." During the Twilight Zone some people are beginning to work through the changes they are experiencing (don't expect everyone to process the change at the same rate of speed!). During this time you will experience set-backs, relapses to the completion phase, and even downright desertion from the goals of the new change. Until the team gets through to Full Engagement they will not be fully forward focused -- and until they are, the struggle with the change will continue. Here are some things you can do as the leader:
1. Normalize the process and redefine what is happening. Help to lead your people from chaos to opportunity. Let people understand that what they are feeling is normal. It is ok to be unsure or unclear, as long as they understand that the transition plan is in place and is moving forward.
2. It's all about Forward Focus. While the team will want to live in the past, your job is to focus forward. Having a very clear perspective yourself of the goals and objectives of the new strategy is essential. Set short term goals and checkpoints to help people experience small successes and places along the way where they can celebrate the transition.
3. Where necessary, create temporary roles, responsibilities, systems, etc., to fill in the voids left by the changeover. All of the answers will not be in place just because management decided to change things. Getting the issues out on the table and discussing solutions with the team is critical to transitioning through the Twilight Zone.
4. COMMUNICATE, COMMUNICATE, COMMUNICATE. There are three key points to communicating effectively during this time of uncertainty:
- Be clear. If you don't know the answer, be truthful and say so.
- Be consistent -- get your own clarity first. Be sure you know what the goals are and stick to them, even when others are not at the same place you are.
- LISTEN to what people are saying (and not saying). Put the past in the past and talk in terms of what successes we have had and how we are going to move forward.
Be sure to check your Personal DNA. Have you made any limiting dreams that impact your ability to lead the shift to the new strategy? DNA is a law that builds on our decision. It is:
Decide - what do we want more of?
Notice - indications that we have it
Acknowledge - and celebrate each time
So, what questions can we ask to help us shift focus to the new strategy?
- What is the current situation?
- What is the goal or outcome we want to achieve?
- Where are the participants currently focused?
- What is the best approach to shift the focus toward the goal or outcome?
- Check your Personal DNA before taking action.
This brief introduction to Leading Change in Difficult Times was designed to get you thinking about the changes going on in your organization and your responsibility for helping your team through the Twilight Zone.
If you like these ideas and want to know more, drop me a line at jerry@houstonpartnersinternational.com and share your situation. We'll be happy to be your sounding board as you work to help your team out of the Twilight Zone.
Have a Great Week!
Jerry
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