Radical Transparency for Change

There are a lot of change leadership methods that have been discussed especially in these times of major industry disruption and innovation.  It seems everyone has their own model for implementing change, and the truth is, there isn't a simple equation or process to follow that fits all instances and organizations.  One common thread is communication and visibility to the team that will be going thru the change.

Stepping into the unknown might come more naturally for some, but it's never easy for anyone.  Fear is caused by the unknown, and the unknown is what causes many to resist change.  So how can we help others with fear and the unknown?  Transparency.

I'm talking about radical transparency - giving people as much as you can, and then more, so there's no question that some surprise could be just around the corner.  If you're leading people into change, they need to trust what you're telling them and trust is a very personal thing.  It's not about the trust relationship the employee has with "the company", it's the relationship they have with you personally - their leader.  You're the person who they'll be getting the most reliable information from and constantly providing it to them as open and straightforward as possible will help ease some of the unknown.

So, radical transparency...if times are tough and budget cuts are coming, even if it might not affect their direct job or paycheck, let them know as early as possible before the rumors begin.  If acquisition discussions have moved to the point of due diligence, let people know what it means to them and keep them up to date as things evolve.  If new enterprise resource planning software is being evaluated, tell them what's being looked at, and why, so when its finally time to implement, it will be old news and more of a comfortable conversation for people having to change what they're used to.

Many times people think it's better not to give so much information because it will cause unnecessary worry, say if that acquisition doesn't end up working out or if the budget cuts only means less travel and they're still going to keep their jobs.  However, I assure you the surprise rollout of upcoming change can cause much more trauma than if they knew something was coming from the earliest stages, why, and what to expect along the way.

In each of these discussions, provide more information than what's being asked and give backgrounds of why and when if possible - even if they aren't interested in the details at the moment.  The fact you're pushing all the info on them will help them see you're not trying to hide anything and will give some comfort to help ease fear of the unknown.