The Power of Simplicity in Leading Change

By Mark Green is the Founder and CEO of Change Rebellion.

Ever had to take a dreaded rail-replacement bus service? When you were told the trains weren’t running, you probably wanted to know not only why, but also what time you’d reach your destination, and whether it was an ongoing problem which would affect future journeys too.

Had station staff launched into a complex explanation of how the entire UK’s railways operate, or simply listed off all of their qualifications and certifications, and then expected you to hop on the bus without a further word…well, it’s a ridiculous scenario and one likely to have caused your annoyance levels to spike.

So, let’s focus on change instead of trains. In the world of change management, leaders have become far too used to simply telling people things are going to be different. Even worse, they often quote models with three, five or maybe even eight steps, they share complicated frameworks, and they expect employees to understand an entire dictionary of jargon and acronyms.

That’s not working. No matter how many certificates you have, change management courses you’ve attended, or books you’ve read, it simply isn’t translating because the whole process is being made unnecessarily complex, and the simple ‘why’ and ‘how’ explanations are being hidden away as if they’re state secrets.

Simple but effective

When any company announces there’s a change coming up – which all companies do at some point – there are some common questions shared by pretty much every employee. They want to know what’s happening, they’d like a reasonable explanation as to why, they want to know if their job will alter or even be put at risk, and they’d like a rough timescale of when they can expect this to happen.

They’re probably not too concerned with knowing which model of change management is being applied – because a fancy diagram on a slide presentation doesn’t give them the answers to any of these important questions.

So, here’s a novel idea: why not dispense with the hours-long explanation of exactly why an eight-step model is better than its five-step alternative in your opinion, and instead sit down face to face, and have an open and honest two-way conversation.

“We’re implementing new systems because we can see your team are having to manually input data and that’s taking up the time you could be spending on more high-value tasks. Nobody’s job is at risk, and you’ll all receive training on how best to use the new tools. We’d love your feedback on how it’s working, and the benefits you’re seeing from the changes. We’re also here to answer any questions you might have along the way.”

It’s simple, concise and keeps the door open for further explanation as and when required.

Keep it consistent

Whilst this simple conversation is a fantastic start in opening up communications, this approach needs to be consistently applied across the duration of the project to be truly effective and keep the team on board.

If employees not only understand what’s happening, but also feel that they’re a valuable part of the changes being made, then they’ll likely be more supportive – and buy-in from your teams is a ‘make or break’ when it comes to change management. If they know who to approach if they’ve got a question, concern or feedback, then they’re more likely to do so; which means you understand sooner if there’s an issue you need to address, and you also gain valuable anecdotal evidence about how the project is working to supplement the data you’ll be collecting.

Keep the team active

Going through any change which you feel you have no control over can be stressful, and even lead to burnout when it happens continually. Implement a culture of inclusion however, where everyone feels part of the process, understands the benefits, and shares a vision of how it’ll turn out, and that sets a different tone. Employee wellbeing is a crucial factor in everything from recruitment and retention to company productivity, so it must be top of the list when it comes to the potentially destabilising impact of a shift in expectations, workload or processes.

The beauty of change management is that it doesn’t need to be overcomplicated: by keeping things simple and focusing on what really matters, projects can be far easier to manage and complete successfully. It’s only by creating an air of mystery around the change – failing to engage with teams, not communicating key information, or attempting to boggle their minds with every acronym under the sun – that companies set themselves on a course towards an ‘us v them’ situation.

There’s very little point in engaging in an unwinnable tug-of-war where you’re weighed down with all 60-plus change management models you’ve learned the names of, and they’re weighed down with the worry of uncertainty and a lack of understanding. Instead of relying on complex transition models, focusing on people-led change means ensuring everyone has a clear understanding of the benefits of evolution, a shared vision for the future, and is pulling in the same direction: towards project success.