Leading Through Change for an Engaged Workforce

Welcoming more than 280 attendees at the live presentation on August 16, 2021, Michelle Clark, Director of Marketing and Strategic Partnerships at Management Concepts, talked about how the disruptions caused by COVID are forcing us all to adjust to different ways of living and working. She introduced the discussion topic, external and internal aspects of change, and the skills leaders need to build momentum and achieve successful outcomes, and the speaker.

The featured presenter was Angela Kochuba, a global leadership speaker, educator, and change management consultant. She is committed to positive job-related results linking people and missions in an agile world. Kochuba’s presentation covered the following highlights in detail:

Perception – When a decision causes change, the ease or difficulty of the resulting transition depends on the perception of the people who will be affected and how their leaders and peers receive their response. Is the change perceived as a threat or reward?

Transition Process – There are three steps in transition: people impacted by a change let go of the past, take on a neutral perspective, and begin anew. Kochumba spoke about how important it is for leaders to be approachable and willing to listen to the thoughts and frustrations of their employees as they work through the transition and communicate regularly in a meaningful way.

Winners and Losers – Because some of the people affected by the change may feel that they are negatively impacted, it is crucial that direct supervisors address these concerns and, when possible, discuss how the goals associated with this change better support the agency mission and will impact the workplace as a whole and that the changes could potentially provide new opportunities for personal development and growth.

Transparency – To successfully transition from their current state to the desired future state, employees need to feel supported and have clear guidance from their leaders. When leaders fail to communicate with their subordinates effectively about change, employees will get answers from others, which breeds rumors and misinformation. They must both achieve their objectives and manage the human elements ― listening to the points of view of naysayers, addressing legitimate concerns with patience and empathy, and building trust.

Opportunities – Managing expectations that come with change provides opportunities for discussions about professional development such as training, mentoring, and coaching. Provide access to the implementation plan to facilitate conversations between team members to help them strategize their roles and embrace the change as a team.

The presentation was very interactive and well-received. Michelle and Angela used real-life scenarios from their own experiences and responded to many of the comments and suggestions from the chat during the live presentation. To view Leading Through Change for an Engaged Workforce in its entirety, click here.

Management Concepts is grateful to the Senior Executive Association (SEA), the African American Federal Executive Association (AAFEA), and Executive Women in Government (EWG) for sponsoring this event.  Since 1973, Management Concepts has been serving the evolving needs of the federal government. To learn more about our traininghuman capital advisory services, or change management support, please visit our website or call us at 888.545.8571.

If you found this webinar beneficial or would like to learn more about leading through change, we’d love to hear from you in the comments below.

Written by:
Natalie Komitsky
Topic:
Leadership & Management
Media Type:
Blog
Tags:


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