Send to KindleHow to Implement Change You Don’t Agree With
No matter where you are in the leadership hierarchy, at some point you will have to implement a change that you aren’t 100% in favor of. Many leaders are taught that the best way to do that is embrace the change and present it as if it were their own idea.
Hogwash!
I’ve known very few people who could really pull that off and the few that could had very little respect from their workers. Workers can see through such a charade and your credibility as a leader will take a hit.
I’m not suggesting that you use this opportunity to trash the boss or whoever else made the decision. In fact, that will only hurt your attempts to make the best of the situation. Instead, I’ve found the best approach is to clearly state what the change will be, where the idea came from, any argument you made, and the results. Your people want to know you went to bat for them.
Then, charge your organization with helping you find the silver lining. Ask them to work together to implement the change and discover how the change can benefit the organization. Doing this gets people thinking about how to turn what they may have originally seen as a negative into a potential positive.
I’ve found this approach makes change easier to handle and maintains your credibility with those people who will make you more successful.
