When you are leading change, you’ll need to act in a proactive, planned and purposeful way. That’s how you and your team will move from where you are today to where you want to be in the future. During this time, it’s important to help your staff stay engaged, motivated and focused. Here are some ways to do this:

• Keep employees in the communication loop to reduce fears and rumors. Rumors can cause serious damage, not only to individual morale but also to an organization’s reputation. Rumors arise from uncertainty, anxiety and ambiguity. Be an effective leader by using current, reliable information in your frequent communication to contain rumors and eliminate ambiguity. BONUS: Communication allows you to take the pulse of your team regularly when you include requests for suggestions and feedback.
• Be clear about what is changing and what is not changing. Employees often assume that everything is going to change, so it is important to alleviate this anxiety, clarify the scope and impact of change, and talk about what will remain unchanged.
• Use consistency to reassure your team. You and your leadership team should use a consistent approach to decision making as change moves forward. Your team will be confident that decisions are being made for the right reasons when they hear the leadership team speak with “one voice.”
• Be visible and available. Visibility during times of change provides your team with a sense of stability and continuity. Visibility helps you alleviate fear and uncertainty. It helps your staff renew their commitment to expectations and priorities and keep everyone focused on key goals.  Some individuals may need frequent assurances, so keep your door open and give them access to your time.
• Realize your impact. The emotional tone you create has a personal impact on your team and other leaders, so be thoughtfully intentional about the tone you set. Remember, others are gauging your reaction to these changes and taking their cue from you to guide their own responses. As a leader, you have two difficult jobs: empathize with employees and deal with your own stress. Examine how you are dealing with stress and make adjustments as needed. When you need to vent, find a safe place to do this.
• Recognize successes and achievements. Celebrate both individual and team successes. Have fun. Recognition and celebration ensure staff feels valued, strengthens morale and unites the team. Use simple but effective ways to recognize hard work and extra effort.
• Focus on your vision for the future. Sharing your vision of an energizing and compelling future will help get people through change. Without a clearly stated vision, employees experience change as a collection of activities or disconnected initiatives. A shared vision turns that into a cohesive effort, moving toward a purposeful future. BONUS: A clear vision also prevents leaders from making knee-jerk decisions or pursuing tangents that undermine where you most want to go.

Moving into a new leadership role is a time of great challenge – and vulnerability. Transitions such as these are periods of growth. A new role gives you the opportunity to deliver on a challenging assignment and to engage your team in tackling important business issues. Too often, individuals begin by thinking only about the changes they want to make instead of first establishing themselves as a leader. It is also important to carefully manage your time, energy and attention. There are seven critical things you need to do during your first 60-90 days.

1 – Expectations
Understand your role and what is being asked of you. Moving into a new role means expectations are high. As soon as possible, clarify your role, your scope of responsibilities and authority, and what is expected, both short term and long term. You may need to manage those expectations. This is particularly important if you are expected to turn around a situation; you do not want to over commit to doing too much in too short a period of time.

2 – Impact
In your new role, think in terms of two time-frames for impact: things you will do immediately that impact current results and things you will do that lay the foundation for future results. For example, are there immediate problems that need to be addressed quickly? In terms of future results, think about the things that you can begin to do that will lay the foundation for stronger teamwork and collaboration, establish or reinforce the culture, etc.

3 – Don’t Worry About What You Don’t Know
Focus on what you need to know to address immediate problems or issues. Specifically, what is it you either don’t know or need to know to move forward? Start by defining the challenge you’re facing and what you need in order to solve it. Over your first few months, you can systematically acquire all the information you need.

4 – Ask Good Questions
Great leaders don’t have all the answers, but they usually have the ability to ask insightful questions. In your new role, be ready to inquire more deeply to unearth important issues. When you improve the quality and quantity of questions you ask, you increase the potentially valuable information you receive.

5 – Let Others Experience Your Leadership
Use your existing strengths to meet the new leadership expectations. This includes figuring out how you want to lead and demonstrating those strengths. You can think about the strengths you have observed in others, but being yourself is what matters most. This approach will provide you with valuable feedback and enable you to refine your leadership skills.

6 – Draw From Other People’s Experience And Expertise 
Leaders seldom face truly unique challenges. Thus, there may be someone who has insights that will benefit you. The next question is: “Who do I ask?”  When you think “who”, focus on three things: understanding, experience and expertise. Understanding means the person you consult is familiar with your situation and can provide suggestions within that context. Experience means the person has a track record. Expertise is a combination of experience, knowledge and insight.

7 – Do Not Be Afraid To Make Decisions
Sometimes a timely response requires doing something quickly, even if you know it isn’t the perfect solution. For example, responding to a client’s crisis — or even a simple complaint — should be thoughtfully considered, but an imperfect response quickly taken is better than a perfect response that comes too late.
Questions about handling your leadership role – new or old? Contact Avery Payne Group by calling 708-466-7754 or replying to this email. Our coaching and leadership training can help!