The Manager - Edition 69 - Change Involves People - By Rob Lambert
The Manager - Edition 69 - Change Involves People
Hi and welcome to this week's "The Manager" - a weekly newsletter with the goals of:
Helping you to balance the Pillars of Life
Helping you be effective AND liked
Helping you release agility in your team through effective management
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Thanks
Rob..
This week I've been mostly thinking about:
Change - and why it involves people
Hi,
I hope you've all had a great weekend and are looking forward to the week ahead.
It's been another lovely long weekend in the Lambert house, as we've had yet another bank holiday. April and May contain the most bank holidays, so it's always a nice time of year.
As you can see from this newsletter, it's been rebranded slightly. I have my new logo and colour scheme and will be refreshing my website over the next couple of months. It's taking longer than I thought but we're getting there.
I also have a new design for slide decks, so I'm re-writing and recreating my management course (the one I deleted) and I'm going to record it as a slide show with my little face appearing in a small box, talking through the ideas and learning. Hence, I needed my new brand before I spent anymore time creating it.
I've all but abandoned Twitter also, so if you want to catch up with me on social then Instagram and LinkedIn are the best places now.
Anyhow, on to this week's topic :
Change Involves People
I think most people get this when they talk about change, but I see so few managers and leaders really thinking about people during change.
There are usually lots of plans about process, products, systems, tools and vague references to teams changing. Yet I rarely see a concrete plan about how the individuals in our teams will need to change. Because change always involves people.
And the best change involves people instigating that change, owning the change, and becoming different (better, more talented, more in control) people after it.
The worst kind of change involves people losing their jobs, having to re-apply for their role, been separated away from the change and being left to fend for themselves during change. Yet, almost every change management program I've ever seen does this very thing - they separate people from the change.
And then leaders and managers wonder why the change programs don't work, cost SO much money and take so long.
Change is LIVED forward. This means we take what we have and we change it by moving it forward to something different - and this MUST include the very people who currently own the current reality. Give them power, authority, insight, communication, tools, data, support, training, care, respect, time, air cover and a clear steer on what the outcomes are. And then help them bring about the change.
They will buy in to change they can own.
They will know what is not working and how to make it work.
They have knowledge the organisation cannot easily replace.
They have relationships that WILL be needed to bring about change.
They, with enough air cover and support, will learn a great deal.
And they will grow.
And as a manager or leaders, here's a really important point.
As discussed, change does not happen in a vacuum without your people. They need to change too - and own the change. But so do management and leadership.
If management and leadership don't change their behaviours and ways of working - no change program will ever work. You'll end up with a new shiny version of the old.
There is little point jumping from one command and control to another.
All change starts with people - and it starts with those at the top. We cannot and should not expect anyone in our organisation or team to change their behaviours - if we're not prepared to change ours.
Go forth and change - and involve people.
Until next week:
Rob
BOOK OF THE WEEK
No book of the week this week - Again - still working through about 5 at the same time.......it's not working well for me.....things will change, but they haven't yet :(
Cultivated Content Of The Week
This week's content I reckon you'll enjoy.
1 - I'm a Visual Learner - really?
I've had this heated debate a number of times with people who still believe we learn by learning everything in our favourite modality. "I'm a visual learner" is a common one I get. We learn best when we learn in the appropriate way for the thing being learned... This myth is amongst others in this easy read.
2 - Do you really want to be a manager?
Do you really want to become a manager. Not sure I agree it's as simple as this, but some interesting points to consider before becoming a manager.
3 - We are all stressed out.
How to stay calm. Easy to read and easy to digest. Not so easy to do.
4 - Be Vulnerable
Should a leader show vulnerability? Some research says no. I say yes - it seems Prof. Michael Roberto also says yes, but with some guidelines. I like this a lot.
"An effective leader fosters psychological safety by demonstrating vulnerability through offering examples that show team members that he or she is not infallible. However, the leader does not simply disclose failures from the past. They should talk about how they have learned from those failures, or how experimentation helped them innovate. They aren't simply blurting out personality flaws or weaknesses without some context! "
5 - Influence
Deep read on some deep research on whether speaking up as an employee is good for your career or not. (and yep - I have no doubt it also makes a difference what you speak up about).
"Our findings have implications for both employees and their organizations. For employees, our results suggest that they can use voice behavior as a means toward not just helping their work unit or organization but also toward bolstering their social status. Higher status, in turn, will make it easier for them to be influential and effective and may enhance their personal well‐being"
6 - Intrapreneur
I love spotting Intrapreneurs in an organisation and then giving them super challenging work to do. They often thrive and the results can be mind-blowing. Of course, we're not all wired this way. I once spoke to a leader who wanted nothing but A-Players. When I asked him what he meant, he said he wanted a team full of Intrapreneurs. I couldn't think of anything worse. Nothing would get done :) We build teams that compliment each other - everyone has a place. We don't all have to be an entrepreneur or intrapreneur.
7 - Primed
How Amazon built the Prime membership program and how it had both good and bad effects.
8 - Re-settlement
How Tech *could* revolutionise refuge re-settlement. I hope it works.
9 - Tired and Wired
A $70 billion market for sleep aids. It's not just me that struggles to sleep then?
10 - Arty
There is a positive effect to creating more art - by James Clear.
11 - Paper
As a self confessed stationery freak I like this one - don't write off paper just yet.
12 - Healthy Walk
Doctors are prescribing a walk in the park and others (in France) used to prescribe wine :)