Times of Change

The first day of autumn is right around the corner.  For me, this season change is my favorite.  I love observing how visible change is and I am always in awe of nature’s beauty.

As an Organizational Development consultant, the topic of change is typically on the agenda with leadership groups.  We all know, intellectually, that change is constant and necessary for growth and development.

Last week I spent the day with a team of executives facilitating a workshop on how to give an engaging presentation.  This leadership competency is core to effectiveness in communication at this level of leadership.

As the group worked through the planning steps of a presentation with current topics, change was on the agenda.  Like other organizations, their industry and thus their company was experiencing rapid and sometimes overwhelming change.  They knew that if they were effective in engaging employees in the change, that the transition through the change would be much smoother.

After the workshop, the feedback from participants showed definite patterns in what the group found most valuable in terms of strategies to engage employees.  Here are a few of their insights.

1.       Understand your audience.  Different levels of employees have different needs in terms of information and what they need for support to implement change.  Objections and/or resistance to change can be simply viewed as an unmet need.  Understand the needs, the questions, the fears, the excitement, and the challenges of your audience and you will find the answers to how to engage them.

2.       Communicate clearly.  During times of change it is just as important to talk about what is not changing as much as talking about what is changing.  Focusing on strengths, mission, productive processes and engrained skills will help individuals feel less overwhelmed with change.  Clearly defining the action items important to progress the change will help individuals stay focused and productive through change.

3.       Facilitate dialogue.  Adults learn best in collaborative environments.  They are naturally problem centered in their learning.  Taking time with teams to discuss different aspects of change and allowing them to collaborate on solutions will engage them.

Warm Regards,

Georgine

Remembrance

With the tenth anniversary of 9/11 nearly upon us, I want to offer up some thoughts in memory of that day.  I believe in the power of love and the incredible resilience of the human spirit.  In spite of all that was lost on that day, both tangible and intangible, there remains a sense of hope and renewal that is at the core of humanity.  I can only imagine how the loved ones left behind in a vapor of loss watched incredulously as the Earth continued to spin.  They must have been certain that all the clocks would stop and the wind would cease, just as the lives of their family and friends had.  And yet, the sun still rises and sets, the leaves still flutter in the wind, the seasons pass, and life goes on.  Therein lies hope.  No matter the pain and suffering, the sun will rise tomorrow and we have another chance to live fully.

The best thing I can do in remembrance is to do just that: live fully and with hope.  So, in that vein, here are my remembrance commitments:

• Be nice and work hard.
• Be of service to others.
• Give more than I take.
• Spend as much time as possible with the ones I love.
• Never give up on hope.
• Laugh.

I would love to hear your remembrance commitments.  Share them with us, please.

In remembrance,

Lynae