If you want to lead a successful organizational change, you have to communicate about the change empathetically. And that means finding out how your team feels and tailoring your emails and meetings to their concerns.
Leaders who don’t take this step risk alienating their employees, who may already be feeling nervous or skeptical. So talk to your team members about what’s happening and why.
- Ask what they’re worried about and what kind of improvements they’d like to see.
- Listen closely, and then use your communications to address what you heard.
Repeat these steps during each phrase of the change, so you can gauge how people’s feelings are shifting over time. The goal is to make sure everyone feels included and heard.
You should also be as transparent about the change as possible. It’s likely that you’ll need to keep some details about the how and why private, but being open will build trust and credibility.
Source :: “The Secret to Leading Organizational Change Is Empathy” by Patti Sanchez
Harvard business review
