Change Management Archives - CHCI

Creating Success Through Chaos and Change

admin — Thu, 22 Apr 2021 12:27:16 +0000

Fast Company has been running a series of articles on a term they coined Generation Flux. Most generations are based on the common events that shaped attitude and lifestyle during time periods. Generation Flux is a mindset, based on psychographics; flexibility and adaptability characterize this group, not age. Gen Flux are able to adapt their business to different models in order to succeed in the competitive business environment. So what’s their secret to successfully dealing with business in this globalized, competitive economy? Robert Safian presents several case studies that delve into the nature of the chaos and how emerging leaders are responding.

To be competitive, what counts is how an organization responds, and equally important, how fast. There is no “right” model. Business, Safian says, is a paradox. It requires a balance of seeming opposites. Businesses must be open to new ideas and still keep the bottom line in mind. Bottom up leadership should be embraced, empowering employees to make decisions at all levels. However a leader, as Clara Shih of Hearsay Social says, should know where and when this is appropriate and how to make hierarchies work in order to keep innovation at the core.

Leadership is much like the steer and row model advocated by the public sector. Executive leadership, with input from employees (and customers) establish the values, strategies and ultimate priorities for the organization, which allows the team to align with the organization’s fundamental mission. This is one model that keeps the entrepreneurial spirit at its core, empowering employees to respond quickly to problems or changes. How this is executed is open to interpretation.

Generation Flux leaders have dealt with change and the failure and success that comes with it. Angela Blanchard, CEO of Texas non-profit Neighborhood Centers, calls this a “figure it out job.” The more opportunities to fail or succeed allows leaders to learn and adapt. When you think of some of the most innovative and adaptive companies, you’ll notice that they often have many projects going on at once. Generation Flux thrives on experimentation and ambiguity. How can you harness this spirit in your organization? This might be simpler than you think. Hold a brainstorming session with your employees and team leaders. What projects or ideas do they have? Safian mentions a great example from Nike. Mark Parker, Nike CEO, walks the halls of Nike, ensuring that employees don’t feel isolated and ignored, asking about projects employees are working on. While doing this Free, a billion dollar Nike franchise, was created. What incentives do you have in place for this type of creativity? Bonuses, days off, a paid vacation? Ask employees what motivates them and then give it to them as best you can.

It’s time to start thinking critically about how you embrace change and the structure and processes in place to do this. If you don’t, life will surely go on. However your organization might not.

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5 Ways to Increase Happiness and Create Positive Change at Work

admin — Tue, 06 Oct 2020 10:11:30 +0000

Have you ever started your “dream” job only to find yourself feeling bored and unmotivated a few months — or even a few weeks — in?

As consultants who work extensively in strategic culture and employee development planning, we see this common scenario time and time again: New employees join an organization (small or large) with high hopes and big expectations, but the reality often falls short of their ideal, and instead of experiencing opportunities for growth and impact, they often find themselves stifled by the monotony of routine and uncreative tasks, a lackluster organizational culture and/or a general inability to create improvements in their work or the larger organization.

If this sounds familiar, you’re not alone. In fact according to a recent Gallup survey, 85 percent of employees worldwide are not engaged or are actively disengaged in their work.

Nevertheless, there are a small group of people whom we’ve observed who seem to have the exact opposite experience — no matter where they work or what role they’re in, they somehow always manage to optimize their experience in order to create positive change in their organizations — while at the same time, having fun and advancing their careers.

We call these people “workplace mavericks” — and here are the most successful strategies that we’ve observed while working with them across organizations around the world:

1. Be an improvement addict.

When we spoke with Jodi McLean via email, she shared her experience as a new employee at a global brand accelerator: Rather than guessing at what her clients needed, or poring over the existing research, she simply asked to go through the company’s accelerator program with the clients in order to understand their journey. She was the first employee in the entire company to experience the product firsthand, which gave her unique insight into how it could improve and grow — an experience that ultimately helped her to innovate around the organization’s product line and increase their revenue streams.

Workplace mavericks don’t wait for inspiration to strike. They’re vigilant about finding products and processes that aren’t working — and turning them into opportunities for innovation.

2. Don’t ask for permission.

Danielle has a consulting client that’s a high growth technology company in Silicon Valley. Because of its rapid growth, the tools, resources and products that employees rely on to do their work are often useful one day and obsolete the next.

Whereas we’ve seen this kind of situation cause high levels of confusion and frustration in some organizations, in this case, the workplace mavericks within the organization simply build out solutions that they think will work, test them and then pitch them to the appropriate team or functional area. For instance, faced with high levels of employee turnover due to a lack of advancement opportunities within the organization, one program manager built out a career development path for his team, tested it and eventually pitched it to the people operations team, who gave additional feedback and are now rolling it out across the organization.

The point is, workplace mavericks don’t waste time navigating byzantine organizational politics and processes in order to get permission to innovate. Instead, they develop and test solutions, share the results and get their organizations excited about next steps.

3. Make it easy to say yes.

A major problem faced by workplace mavericks is resistance to change and the inconveniences it causes. In an email from Eugene Gamble, he describes how he tackled this common resistance by instituting a “no commitment” strategy. He approached the staff at his company by explaining that they would be trying something new for a limited time, and if there were problems, they’d revert back to the old system. Gamble “didn’t see this as a risk as once started, the staff would clearly see the upside far outweighed the issues.” He says the key is getting the initial commitment to change. “Once that inertia is overcome, you can then move forward at pace.”

4. Find champions.

A few years ago, Melissa Kennedy, now chief innovation officer at 48Innovate, was working at corporate tech giant Cisco, when she had an idea for a web syndication content system that would better support Cisco’s clients and drive increased business for the organization. However, as Kennedy explained to us via email, getting “this simple project through the complex ecosystem of Cisco was no small feat.”

Rather than struggle with the red tape, Kennedy decided to start with a pilot and she found an internal “celebrity” endorser. According to Kennedy, “I called him my Office Lebron James. He vouched for the idea and offered to participate in the pilot … the project was easy for everyone and drove more business across 4,000 reseller partners.”

As Kennedy’s story demonstrates, workplace mavericks realize that when you’re trying to “sell” a product or service, relationships matter — and if you want to create real change, then finding your internal champions or “sponsors” is just as important as the quality of your product or idea.

5. Embrace failure.

We’re all familiar with the common adage “fail fast and learn fast,” but as we’ve seen in our executive coaching practices, for people who are typically high-achieving, this is often easier said than done. In fact, for many people we talk to, especially those who’ve always been rewarded for their successes, the idea of “embracing” failure can feel not only counterintuitive, but also terrifying.

Nevertheless, whether your ultimate goal is to claim your seat in the C-suite or launch your own organization, at some point, if you want to advance, you’re going to have to learn how to take intelligent risks. For workplace mavericks, this means giving up any attachment to being perfect, accepting failure as a given, learning from mistakes and even finding inspiration and motivation in what doesn’t work.

At the end of the day, you don’t have to adopt every single one of these strategies in order to be a workplace maverick — even following just one of them (or the particular combination that feels most natural and authentic to you) will help you to reinvigorate your work and increase your success and happiness — while also creating positive change in your organization and advancing your career.

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How To Manage Change At Work

admin — Tue, 28 Jul 2020 07:25:01 +0000

Perpetual change is the one constant in the business landscape. Revolutionary scientific discoveries, breakthrough technologies, updated regulations, new leadership, shifting job roles, and relocation are just a few examples of major change in the professional world. The fact is, change is inevitable and necessary. Yet many employees aren’t prepared to embrace change.

Why is change so difficult? One reason has to do with our brains. The human brain is wired to scout for all that’s bad. How else would we identify a threat or discomfort? Yet Neuropsychologist Rick Hanson says the brain is like Velcro for negative experiences and Teflon for positive ones. That means we have a lot of negative associations to choose from when trying to assess a new situation, or “change”. Plus, we all suffer from what is called negativity bias, when the brain reacts more intensely to bad news, compared to good news.
Knowing that people can react poorly to change, leaders need to be very adept at change management.

But what exactly is change management? It has three parts:

any approach to transitioning individuals, teams, and organizations
using methods intended to re-direct the use of resources, business process, budget allocations, or other modes of operation
that significantly reshape a company or organization

Freddi Donner, executive coach and founder of Business Stamina, developed a valuable tool for managing any type of change in an organization. It is based on the word CHOICE, making its principals easy to remember.

C hoice

H elp Others

A ccept

N ew Normal

G row

E mbrace Feedback

Let’s go through each letter in more detail.

C | Make the CHOICE to Participate in a Positive Way

Since our brain is Velcro to negative experiences, we will gravitate toward negative perspectives if left to our own devices. This is true for the team, and true for leadership, since they set the tone for the transition.

But how do you actually make the choice to be positive rather than negative? Is it a mind trick? Not necessarily. Here are six quick tips to help you participate in change in a positive way:

Tips For Participating Positively in Change

Look for or call a role model and observe how they react to change. They may be able to provide the blueprint for you to follow as you navigate new terrain.
Visualize yourself facing the change successfully without stress. Research shows that visualizing a particular situation can create the same effects behaviorally and psychologically as actually experiencing the situation.
Use music. The first-large scale review of 400 research papers in the neurochemistry of music found that music can improve the function of the body’s immune system and reduce levels of stress.
Laughter is the best medicine. Really! Laughing releases endorphins, the natural feel-good chemicals in our brains. It can even temporarily relieve pain.
Let it out. If you’re anxious about change, or even feeling angry about the transition, tell a co-worker or manager that you trust. Sometimes things are much worse in our own minds (negativity bias); speaking your fears out loud gives us a more accurate perspective on the situation.

H | HELP Others. It Gets You Into a Positive Frame of Mind

Despite your own trepidations, help others with different outlooks than your own. Identify an issue that is real, current and changing in your department, with your client, or in work groups you belong to. Ask yourself how you will help others with this change. Here are some tips to get you started:

Tips Helping Others Face Change To Get You Into a Positive Frame of Mind

Lead change rather than fight it. As champion of the change, encourage others to become authors of the change as well. For example, if a change in software is happening, proactively start discussion groups with coworkers about what to expect and how to best face the process.
Bring others into the conversation and allow them to contribute to the design of the change. This motivates everyone to say yes and move forward.
Point out the upside to change around co-workers. This will help both you and your co-workers get into a more positive frame of mind.

A | ACCEPT That This Change Is In Everyone’s Best Interest, Even If You Don’t Agree

Sometimes the wave of change is headed your way full force whether you’re ready or not. You can either let the wave crash against you, knock you down and pull you under, or you can face the same direction the wave is headed and catch a ride to shore. Make the decision to ride the wave (accept the change) and plan to make it to shore gracefully (plan on success).

When there is a change of environment, people experience a lack of control, which can be very unsettling. To make things easier, don’t resist; open your mind to acceptance. Here are some tips for accepting change, even when you feel uneasy.

Tips For Accepting Change

Remind your team that change is made with lots of thought, even if they weren’t involved in the process.
Stay internally calm and positive. There is nothing your anxiety and negativity can do to prevent the change from happening, so you might as well avoid the stress.
Let go of any bad feelings you have about the situation and you will be more open to a smooth transition. Encourage others to do the same.

N | NEW NORMAL Needs Communication

Facing a new normal requires a lot of communication. Go beyond words when communicating—use graphs, diagrams, and before and after pictures.

The most important part of communicating is truly listening. Listen to what is being said and what is not being said, in order to uncover the fears others are experiencing but cannot express. You can do this by watching body language and asking open ended questions. Here are more tips about communicating the new normal.

Tips for using communication to adjust the team to the new normal

Start a conversation with two or three people at your organization about changes that are occurring.
Use open ended questions (who, what, when, where, how) to uncover resistance or acceptance.
Share your positive point of view.
Observe the different perspectives (both positive and negative).

G | GROWTH Is Important When Managing Change

Change provides an opportunity for your team to grow. Yet with growth comes friction, awkwardness, discomfort, and uncertainty to those around you. Remember that you are part of the story and can influence those around you by modeling what change looks like in a positive light. Here are some tips for promoting growth during change.

Tips For Promoting Growth During Times of Change

Work on improving your emotional intelligence (EQ).
Maintain a strong and calm leadership presence with breathing and grounding techniques.
Find commonalities in the group and leverage them to develop trust in your team.

E | EMBRACE Feedback So That You Know How To Stay In The Game

When it comes to managing change, not everything will go right the first time. That’s why feedback is so important. Truly listen to feedback so you can course correct along the way. It is the cheapest and easiest way to learn and grow!

But what if you don’t agree with another person’s point of view? Don’t dismiss it. Instead, find ways to “try it on”. For example, ask yourself, “What if this were true and I am just not seeing it?” This helps develop flexibility in your perspective and helps you become a wiser leader. Here are four tips for receiving feedback.

Tips For Receiving Feedback

Manage your emotions; listen objectively to make sure you fully understand.
Calmly evaluate and comment if the feedback is valid and can help you improve.
Listen 80% of the time and speak 20% of the time.
Don’t tune out and start “your own conversation”; you may miss some important points.

Do you feel ready to ride that wave of change? It may not be smooth sailing, but you’ll end up in a better place. Remember to choose to be positive, help others face the change, accept the changes that are happening, understand the new normal, see change as a growth opportunity for all and embrace the gift of feedback.

Have you faced major change in your organization? What was the most challenging part? We can all learn from each other. Let’s share experiences. Leave a comment below, send me an email, or find me on Twitter.

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Why Purpose at Work is More Important Than Ever

admin — Thu, 11 Jun 2020 09:31:03 +0000

The radical changes happening in the United States workforce are impacting organizations. If organizations don’t plan to make changes now, they are at risk of losing relevance in tomorrow’s workforce, which will look and function differently than today’s workforce.

In particular, leaders are watching as every 8.5 seconds another Baby Boomer turns 50, leading to the reality that 75 million Baby Boomers will retire in the next 10-15 years. Losing 45% of the workforce is alarming. Who is going to take their place? Now that the Millennial generation has superseded the Baby Boomers as the largest living generation, leaders must look to them in order to fill the many job vacancies created when Boomers finally hang up their hats.

But Millennial workers don’t fit neatly into the roles Boomers left behind. For one, 58% of them expect to leave their jobs in three years or less. In addition, 52% of Millennials think the corporate environment is outdated and that true success comes from carving one’s own path. So you can see why 54% of hiring managers say they have a difficult time finding and retaining Millennials.

Let’s add another layer to up the ante—employee engagement. The United States workforce is suffering from a lack of engagement. According to research, 45% of employees in the U.S. are not engaged, and 26% are actively disengaged. Disinterested employees are more than disgruntled; they also directly affect the bottom line. $11 billion is lost annually due to employee turnover; companies with engaged employees outperform those without by up to 202%.

So what’s the bottom line? A huge swath of the workforce starting to head out the door into some version of retirement, a generation with different needs pouring in to fill the vacancies in companies they may not believe in, and a whole lot of employees with far away looks in their eyes, feeling uninterested and unfulfilled. Can we agree that something needs to be done?

Start at the Core: Purpose

If you’re going to make the internal shifts needed to survive and thrive in the next decade, you might as well start at the core: purpose at work.

What sets a company with purpose apart from one without? Imperative says there are three core elements for experiencing purpose: positive impact on others, personal development, and delivery of work through strong relationships. A purpose-driven company fosters these experiences for its employees, and has a stated and measured reason and mission for being. This mission should be something that every employee knows.

You may be thinking that “purpose” at work sounds like one of the many buzzwords that have no practical application. That’s not true. Purpose does make a difference, and it’s an actionable concept. Integrating purpose into the workplace will increase employee engagement, performance, and profit. This is shown clearly by the results of LinkedIn and Imperative’s global survey*, Purpose at Work, of 26,151 LinkedIn members in 40 different countries. Let’s take a look at some of the results.

In virtually every country and industry studied, the correlation of satisfaction at work and purpose orientation was consistent. 73% of purpose-oriented workers are satisfied in their jobs, and 37% of LinkedIn members globally (40% in the U.S.) are purpose-oriented. What does it mean to be purpose-oriented? It means that you prioritize work that matters to you, your company, and the world.

A purpose-oriented professional doesn’t need to be caring for orphan orangutans to find purpose in their work. In fact, purpose can be found in every job and industry.

Of course some job functions naturally attract more purpose-oriented people. The top five most purpose-oriented job functions are community and social services, entrepreneurship, education, healthcare services and research. On the low end we have operations, support, finance, purchasing and accounting.

Purpose + Performance

One of the key issues with disengagement is how it impacts performance at work. To show the correlation between purpose and performance, Imperative worked with New York University to conduct research on purpose-oriented talent in the U.S. The results show that purpose-oriented employees score higher than non purpose-oriented employees on every measure. For example, they were 50% more likely to be in leadership positions and 47% more likely to be promoters of their employers. 64% of those surveyed reported higher levels of fulfillment in their work as well.

The study also found that 39% of the purpose-oriented people were likely to stay at their company for 3+ years. In fact, 73% reported being satisfied with their jobs. That’s no small number!

There’s no shortage of information on how to make the Millennial worker happy, but when it comes to purpose, they aren’t the only ones who need it. The truth is, they are the least purpose-oriented generation at only 30%, as opposed to the 47% of Baby Boomers and the 38% of Gen X’ers who are purpose-oriented.

This is likely a “stage not age” scenario, where young adults are focused on different things due to their stage in life. German psychoanalyst Erik Erikson, identified a shift in identity between the ages of 18-35 and 35-36. The young adults (Millennials) are more focused on relationships at that stage, and the older adults shift to associating their identity with their contribution to society.

Purpose + Profit

Let’s not forget the correlation between purpose and profit. Research from the E.Y. Beacon Institute and Harvard Business School shows purpose-driven companies are more likely to be profitable. From 2013 to now, 58% of companies with clearly articulated and defined purpose experienced growth of 10%, while only 42% of companies not prioritizing purpose experienced growth. Further, 42% of non-purpose led companies showed a drop in revenue, while 85% of companies led by purpose showed positive growth.

All of these statistics point to one thing: purpose is integral to success in the future of work. Here are three tips to get you started in your effort to become a purpose-driven organization that attracts purpose-oriented candidates.

Ready to be Purpose-Driven? Three Tips to Get You Started

1. Find Purpose-Oriented Employees By Seeking Passive Candidates

If you want to foster a purpose-oriented organization, you’d be wise to seek candidates who are themselves purpose-oriented. These people are still the minority however, which means recruiting passive candidates (candidates not actively looking for work.) Actually, as 69% of purpose-oriented employees report—they are more likely to be passive, probably because they are invested in their current positions. To grab their interest, focus on your mission, vision, products and services more than perks and benefits. Also, check out Red 5 Studios innovative strategy for recruiting passive candidates here; it’s one of our favorites.

2. Brand with Purpose

From a more macro view, incorporate your purpose directly into your branding efforts. Do the images on your website, recruiting materials and social media channels reflect an organization that values a positive impact on others, personal development and strong relationships? One common misstep is organizations that value diversity yet publish materials with pictures that don’t represent diverse populations. Look at your visual images, evaluate the language used, and align all your branding and communications with your purpose.

3. Don’t be Afraid to Start From Square One

If your organization doesn’t have its purpose clearly defined, you’ve got some serious, and very rewarding, work to do. Where can you get started? On a basic level, leaders can first define their personal values, then, move on to clarifying the values and purpose of their organization, and finally look at the organization as a whole through this lens of attracting, hiring and retaining their talent. Leaders must make purpose a fundamental piece of each step of their own, and their team’s, talent life cycle.

The massive shifts happening in the U.S. workforce are forcing organizations to take a closer look at what matters most: their talent. This closer look leads to the importance of purpose, for both their own survival as a company, and for the engagement, productivity and fulfillment of their employees. A massive shift towards purpose will benefit the economy, and the people who fuel it.

I’d love to hear your experiences with organizations with clearly defined purposes and ones without any purpose at all. What was it like to work with them?

Let’s share experiences. Leave a comment below, send me an email, or find me on Twitter.

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How to Prepare for Jobs that Don’t Yet Exist in a Multi-Stage Life

admin — Tue, 21 Apr 2020 07:08:04 +0000

85 per cent of the jobs that will exist in 2030 haven’t even been invented yet, estimates a Dell Technologies report, written by the Institute for the Future (IFTF) and a panel of 20 tech, business and academic experts from around the world.

So how do you prepare someone for a job that doesn’t exist yet? How can we prepare the young people who will be entering the workforce in the next five years? How can we prepare ourselves?

Wave Goodbye to Your Three-Stage Life

Before we talk about preparation, here’s a contributing factor to consider: The three-stage life we’ve been accustomed to is coming to an end. What are the three stages of life? The first stage is education, which can last up to 25 years. The second stage revolves around work and lasts 40 years until we retire. And retirement is the third stage in life, which lasts between 15 and 20 years on average.

Yet life expectancy is increasing and health care is advancing. Over the last 200 years, life expectancy has increased consistently more than two years every decade. This trend indicates that a child born today has more than a 50% chance of living to 105! And they won’t simply stay alive—but can actually live a healthy life in those years.

A lifespan of 100+ years doesn’t fit well into the three straightforward stages of life we are used to. For example, an education gained in your 20s won’t sustain you for 60 years of working. Saving up for a retirement that lasts from age 65 to 105 (40 years!) is unlikely if retirement age remains the same.

Meet the Multi-Stage Life

Instead, people will adopt multi-stage lives. What will that look like? Based on trends we are seeing now, it would include education on a reoccurring cycle to accommodate career shifts based on technology advancements or personal choice. Remaining relevant for 40 years is hard enough—how about 60? And perhaps the stages will vary in focus—one stage for building financial resources, another for focusing on work/life balance, another for flexibility in order to build a family or care for aging loved ones, etc.

The implications of multi-staged lives are vast. Lynda Gratton and Andrew Scott put it wonderfully: “These multi-stage lives require a proficiency in managing transitions and reflexivity – imagining possible selves, thinking about the future, reskilling and building new and diverse networks. At its best, it offers people an opportunity to explore who they are and arrive at a way of living that is nearer to their personal values.”

I agree. A multi-stage life requires flexibility, a drive for continuous learning, and the emotional intelligence to transition into ever-changing and diverse work relationships. And I propose that these are the very skills needed to prepare our employees, our youth, and us for jobs that don’t exist yet.

Preparing For the Unknown Future of Work: Four Essential Skills

Let’s take a closer look.

1. EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE (EQ)

A person with a high EQ is curious about people they don’t know, aware of their strengths and weaknesses, skilled in active listening, and aware of their own emotional states, enabling them to respond rather than react. This is a skill that can provide balance, insight, and flexibility when facing responsibility shifts, career changes, and life stages. It doesn’t matter what job you’re in—if you have emotional intelligence, you can navigate interpersonal relationships successfully, leading to productivity, collaboration, and an increased ability to face change.

In order for leaders to prepare for an ever-evolving working world, they must be skilled in constantly creating, organizing and dismantling teams. That requires a high EQ because it’s so relational. Also, they can help prepare workers for the future by implementing EQ training and displaying emotional intelligence themselves.

2. COMMITMENT TO LIFELONG LEARNING

We’ve all witnessed how quickly technology has changed the fabric of our world. The increasing global pace of growth only adds to that rapid-fire change. In order to keep pace, people must be constantly learning. Whether this happens in the form of MOOCs or peer-to-peer information exchange is irrelevant. What matters is a commitment to learning—how else can someone transition smoothly into a role they’ve never even heard of yet? We must seek this learning out ourselves—yet it’s also imperative leaders make it a priority to offer personal development opportunities for employees. We can all work together to ignite and maintain the cycle of learning.

3. ABILITY TO THRIVE IN DIVERSITY

In the future, what we consider minorities will be the majority of consumers, clients, employees, and leaders. This requires that the leaders of the future understand their diverse employees and consumers, and make sure their employees do too. Whatever the job, the teams will be more diverse than ever. And if you’re unable to learn from and embrace the benefits of a diverse team, you’re not going to succeed in any role.

4. A NIMBLE APPROACH

We’ve established that change is happening at a rapid pace. If you’re unable to respond quickly, you may lose your place at the table, and severely limit other opportunities. Yet if you can leverage constant change, you will thrive. As Chris Heiler said, “Survival of the fittest? Today–and tomorrow–it’s survival of the nimblest.”

What does being nimble look like? Is it a skill you can develop? Yes, you can practice being nimble, just like you can practice EQ. Here’s what to do: Focus on building self-reliance, facing fear, being decisive yet flexible, and regularly seek out new skills. Also, work on managing your own bias, so that you can walk into new situations with the ability to see possibility rather than blockades.

With our new workforce functioning as more of an ecosystem than a pyramid, leaders of the future need to be nimble as well. Their ability to pivot, pull teams together quickly, and exhibit out-of-the-box thinking will influence their success in a decentralized structure that is constantly evolving.

The Cherry on Top: Purpose

The last thing Gratton and Scott said rings true as well: A multi-stage life will enable people to live closer to their personal values. This is perhaps the most exciting outcome of a longer lifespan, and aligns with one of the goals of integrating artificial intelligence (AI) into the workforce. AI has the potential to enable workers to focus on work that is more aligned with their values rather than monotonous tasks.

Don’t Forget Our Youth

This movement towards purpose with multi-stage lives and the assistance of AI also applies to our youth. Social Impact Entrepreneur Peter E. Raymond explains, “As automation will continue to reduce the need for human jobs there is an opportunity to prepare our kids for the challenges that will keep them empowered and give them purpose. These challenges will create new markets and economies we have not yet imagined.” And new education platforms preparing youth for this impending reality are already in the works.

In closing I’d like to point out that while fear of change is expected (and neurological!), there is a lot of positives in line for the future. Instead of seeing yourself in a position of impending irrelevance, see yourself as empowered to build key skills that will prepare you to succeed not matter where, or how many times, your career pivots. Start practicing your emotional intelligence today, work on being nimble, dive into the benefits of diverse teams, and regularly ignite your brain with new skills and knowledge. Before you know it, you’ll be in the middle of a drastically different workscape—and you’ll be thriving.

What did we miss? What is another essential skill to prepare for jobs that don’t yet exist? Let’s crowd source the answer:

Let’s share experiences. Leave a comment below, send us an email, or find us on Twitter.

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Leaders: Learn the Neuroscience Behind Change Resistance to Master It

admin — Thu, 16 Apr 2020 10:16:24 +0000

In the rapidly advancing world of technology, all business leaders must be agile in order to avoid fading into the background. They must be able to pivot, adjust their vision when presented with innovative strategies, and adapt to the major workforce trends headed their way. All of this requires one basic component: change.

Yet change is not so easy for humans and can breed anxiety and fear. But that’s not just because we are creatures of habit. Neurosciences and cognitive sciences show that change is difficult for humans for three core reasons.

Three Core Reasons for Resistance to Change

1. Habits are powerful and efficient

Your brain creates a mind map that sorts reality into a perceptual order and creates effective, quickly established habits. This means your brain limits what it sees and reality conforms to past perceptions.

Why is this a problem? Because it means all of your lessons in life and business keep you from seeing things in fresh ways. Counter-intuitive isn’t it? The more experience you have, the more limited you can become. We’ve all seen leaders “stuck in their ways,” and know how frustrating, and potentially damaging to the business, this can be.

2. Your brain hates change

When you’re learning something new, your prefrontal cortex has to work very hard. And your brain uses 25% of your total energy! It’s no wonder why we feel worn out and our head hurts from learning.

3. You have to “see and feel” new ways of doing things

To really make a change, you can’t just read about something; experiential learning is critical. Why? Because as you learn, your brain actually changes, reflecting new decisions, mind maps, and reality sorting. So when change presents itself and you haven’t experienced what that change will be like, your brain will hijack the new thought patterns and try to put your mindset back into the old way of thinking.

These three factors paint a surprising picture: the limitations to growth are really self-imposed by the mind maps of former successes. All of our past perceptions hold back what we are able to perceive in the present.

Besides this unconscious self-limiting behavior, the fear that change elicits is also limiting. This is called “fear conditioning.”

What is Fear Conditioning?

The brain stores all the details from a particular fear stimulus, such as time of day, images, sounds, smells, and weather, in your long-term memory. That makes the memory “very durable,” but also fragmented, triggering the full gamut of physical and emotional responses every single time a similar fear stimulus shows up.

As research from the University of Minnesota explains it, “Once the fear pathways are ramped up, the brain short-circuits more rational processing paths and reacts immediately to signals from the amygdala. When in this overactive state, the brain perceives events as negative and remembers them that way.”

So remember that initiative that totally bombed? Your brain may be using that experience to prevent you from other, more successful initiatives.

What Neuroscience Tells Us about Fear

Neuroscience has more to say on the topic of fear. The main thing to note is that when the fear system of the brain is active, exploratory activity and risk-taking are turned off. So when our brains anticipate loss, we tend to hold onto what we have. In simple terms, fear prompts retreat, which is the opposite of progress. And what do leaders need? Progress.

So how can leaders take all of these facts about change and fear in stride and make progress anyway? What do you do if your brain is constantly fighting change, yet you need to make changes in order to push your business to the next level? Here are three pre-emptive steps to take in order to initiate and become accustomed to change.

What Can You Do to Initiate Change?

1. Get out of the office

Stop going to your industry trade shows; see what other industries are doing instead. Don’t focus on current market segments – look at new ones.

2. Go exploring

Transform into an amateur anthropologist and spend a day in the life of your customer or non-customer. This helps you listen to real pain points and quickly come up with new solutions to persistent problems.

3. Build an innovative culture

It’s a big leap from thinking you are innovative to being innovative. Being innovative requires you to build a culture of innovation. How do you do that? By creating a methodology that encourages people to share ideas.

4. Experience the changes yourself that you’re asking your organization to understand

In “Neurosciences and Leadership,” David Rock and Jeffrey Schwartz tell us: “When people solve a problem themselves, the brain releases a rush of neurotransmitters like adrenaline.” This rush will inspire you to embrace and champion the change you are requesting of your teams.

Do you have any tips for instigating change in an organization? We’d love for my community to hear them.

Let’s share experiences. Leave a comment below, send us an email, or find us on Twitter.

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Four Resources to Help Employees Manage Change

admin — Tue, 31 Mar 2020 09:38:59 +0000

I recently had the honor and privilege to be interviewed by different publications about changing work dynamics, managing difficult employees and the future of our workforce. The new era of workforce management is here; I hope our interview discussions help you plan for the future in these times of change.

When I spoke to Bindu Nair, editor at The Smart Manager, we discussed various ways to manage unmanageable people and situations.

Supported by my years of experience as a front line coach and consultant, we outlined how to help those unmanageable employees who torment other employees. The methodology we recommend consists of five steps: Commit or quit; Communicate; Clarify goals and roles; Coach; and Create accountability. How can you use this methodology? First, the manager needs to decide to retain this unmanageable employee or not. Ultimately, it’s not only about making that employee accountable; it’s also about the manager’s commitment to the employee’s success. Next, the employee should be clear on what goals she is expected to achieve. You can read more about the steps here.

Successful organizations not only manage employees; they also create and manage successful teams. During another discussion with The Uncommon League, we mused about preparing individuals and teams for employee training. What tips did we discuss? First, explain the training context to increase the chances of employees attending that training. Second, build organizational interest in what they will learn, to attract other employees who want to learn these skills as well. You can learn more tips here.

Successful organizations are also nimble and adapt to change, which is important because the way people are choosing to work has changed. Discussing the trends that are shaping the future workforce with Brown Wallace on The Bridge Revisited, we shared our thoughts about the personality traits and key differences of each generation in the workforce. The discussion also included the impact of women starting their own businesses, the importance of workplace diversity and the increasing trend of freelancing. If leaders develop a strategy without knowing about these workforce trends, they will be shooting into the dark.

Finally, at the Women’s Foodservice Forum we exchanged views on how freelancers and contract workers can provide fresh perspectives and help organizations move toward success. To effectively leverage their talents and capabilities, leaders must integrate freelancers in the workplace culture, articulate clear expectations, touch base regularly, and recognize results.

I’d love to hear how you are managing workforce challenges. What works for you and what doesn’t? What results have you seen? Let’s share experiences. Leave a comment below, send me an email, or find me on Twitter.

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Three Tips to Manage Constant Change

admin — Thu, 19 Mar 2020 08:58:51 +0000

Let’s face it. It’s a stressful time for everyone right now. As someone who likes to plan, I feel particularly assaulted. I just get used to a new norm, and another change occurs immediately. For example, I went through three changes within 12 hours for my daughter’s school; first it was school as usual, then closed for one day, then closed for 2 weeks and finally closed for 4 weeks. Talk about whiplash! The same happened with my parent’s retirement center; within hours, I was able to visit them, then couldn’t visit them and finally I could visit them if dropping off essential supplies. And let’s not even talk about work schedules, client meetings and workplace priorities changing hourly.

So how does a planner cope with this constant barrage of changes? I’ll admit that I didn’t handle it well at first. I’m a stress eater and was eating peanut butter straight out of the jar; last Friday I had sweet potato fries, toast and ice cream for dinner! I also sat on the couch instead of working out. And I constantly checked my phone, hoping to connect with people, yet feeling oddly isolated.

As I say in the first line of my first book, “If you’re not changing, you’re dying.” I truly believe that. Yet, believing it and living it are two different things. So if you’re feeling like me, here are three tips that might help you navigate the constant change that is our new norm.

Three Tips to Manage Constant Change

1. Plan Your Day, Not Your Week

I love to plan weeks ahead of time; I know every aspect of our family schedule for the next month. Just ask me and I’ll tell you when the next orthodontist appointment is; if I don’t know immediately, I can find the answer within a minute on my phone. Planning gives me a sense of false control, a way to make sense of the chaos of our family life.

Yet, with so many changes nowadays, it’s not possible to plan a month out, let alone a week. So I’ve adapted and now just plan one day at a time. I can still write a plan and cross off tasks, which gives me satisfaction without the anxiety of tomorrow’s changes. I often say “One day at a time” to my coaching clients, meaning that they will master a new skill or behavior by practicing one day at a time. It’s time I brought that lesson home.

Be sure to plan your work environment too. If you have to go to work in times of stress and uncertainty, be mindful and gentle with yourself. If a cup of tea, soothing music or aromatherapy helps relieve stress, bring supplies to create a safe environment for yourself. Remember the airplane oxygen mask rule: take care of yourself first so you can help others.

2. Move Your Body

Regardless if I can leave the house or not, or if our gym is closed, I can still move my body to keep the energy flowing. I finally dragged myself off the couch yesterday and started to work out. I’ll admit it was not my best workout since I was watching a movie while on the elliptical; however, I started to feel better. My next workout was better, realizing that moving my body moved my energy.

It’s also important to move your breathing in times of stress. Try the 4-7-8 breathing tip, which means you inhale for 4 seconds, hold for 7 seconds and exhale for 8 seconds. This type of breathing forces your mind to focus on the breath, rather than the millions of worries in your head. If done regularly, it can help decrease your stress.

3. Help Others

No matter how bad you think you have it right now, others have it worse. Food insecure families are challenged with school closures, medical professionals are working 24/7 and hourly employees are cash strapped without their regular work shifts. So help others to help yourself. Don’t know how? Donate food to your local food pantry, volunteer to drop off supplies to those in need or send a thank you note to your medical professional. These small steps will help you and those in your community get through this difficult time together.

Speaking of which, check in with your loved ones regularly right now. I come from a huge family. I’m the youngest of 8 kids; there are 55 of us at family reunions, including spouses, grandkids and great grandkids. My siblings and I agreed to talk at 7pm every Sunday night for the next few weeks, to check in on each other. I groan because I’d rather tune out and isolate on the couch. Yet, I always feel better when the call ends. So text, call or email someone you love today. It’ll help everyone deal with constant change.

I’d love to hear how you are coping in these stressful times. What is working for you and what is not? Let’s share experiences. Leave a comment below, send me an email, or find me on Twitter.

By Anne Loehr, SVP CHCI

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