Three Steps to Engage Change

As a leader we can recognize that a change needs to happen in order for the team to more effectively reach its vision.  However, often as we try to push the team towards change, this can results in striving and becomes like trying to push a boulder up a hill.  Have you ever felt like that?

But, it doesn’t have to be this way.  It is possible for change to happen in a flow like water going down stream.  So how does this happen?

Step 1: Engage Change Personally at the Heart Level

Leaders can often see problems and then automatically recognize the solutions.  With this realization comes a drive to make it happen with intensity.  You see the need, so why not fix it now!  However, this often results in trying to push others from our own control, which others tend to resist.

The place to start is actually for the leader to step back into reflection.  Effective change only comes out of a leader who is centered in their own personal leadership vision and growth.  What is your personal vision and strengths?  What are the outcomes you want to achieve as a leader?  What resonates with your heart?  Then listen for the strategies.

Define what your part is in the change.  Ultimately the only person you have full control over is yourself.  Then cast the vision for the change to the team.

Step 2:  Cast the Vision to Engage Change

I have a colleague who regularly spends time in reflection to engage her leadership at a heart level.  She realized that her team had done a great job developing the mission among the team members but the vision had to grow outside of the team.  During her reflection time a specific strategy became evident.  The team had to stop doing a regular activity that was only team focused.  It was a big change for the team.

So, she cast the bigger vision to the team and then described the change that needed to happen.  She didn’t just present the change.  She also gave the why behind the change.  She allowed the team to process, including thoughts and feelings (even tears).  But with stopping this activity, she did not tell team members what to do instead.  She made the vision clear and then asked the team how they wanted to engage to make the new vision happen.  She did not define the strategy, but empowered the team to find the strategy.

Step 3:  Empower the Team to Personally Engage Change at Their Own Heart Level

Leaders who have learned to engage themselves at a heart level and to rest in this process, also have the confidence to engage their team members to do the same.  This is empowering the team at the highest level.  It is trusting team members to engage their own strengths to define the best solution for the needed change to produce the vision.

This means that leaders are investing in their team members to define their own personal vision, strengths and leadership outcomes.  Because these team members are empowered to act from the true depths of who they are, they can fully give their best to make the solution happen.  In fact, the solution tends to be something so much greater and better than the leader could have ever imagined.

This is what happened for my colleague.  She cast the vision and the needed change and then sent the team to reflect on how they could be involved.  What resulted was a more engaged team with each member implementing strategies to making the vision happen.  It was like water flowing down stream picking up momentum and turning into powerful rapids.